The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-28

Nj. Divine, Vice-President; J. L. Markee, First
Director; j. Quinn, Second Director /; Nj. Far
rel, Third Director G. G. Reyter, Fourth D-
rector; James 8. Westendorff, Treasurer: J. T.
Maher, Secretary; J. Rosis, Engineer; w. Ma
honey, Assistant Engineer; NJ. Lawler, f. Cal
lahan, I. Monahan and T. c. Patterson, Ak
men.
The Young America was drawn BY four bay !
horses who must have found it task to move
tho violet and white wreaths and the masses
OF verdure which adorned the machine. On
both engine and reel were handsomely painted
scrolls with tho company motto 'sWhere duty
calls, there you'll find u.s."
The Line OF March
Was down Calhoun to King through King to
Hasel, and through Meeting to Broad-street,
where in front Of the Grarakouse the line wSs
inspected by the Mayor and Aldermen. After
passing down Broad to New, the column coun-
termarched and returned 10 the vicinity of the
Mills House, which was
The Starting Point.
This consisted of gallows like ARRANGEMENT
erected in the centre of Meeting g-street at ths
junction of Queen. A large red ball, run down
by halyards, indicated to the judges in front
OF the Charleston Hotel the exact m oment of
| starting. The starting Judges were Messrs. Il.
B. Oiney and A. StemmernIan. AS each engine
came up to this point it was examined by q
committee consisting Of one director from
eAch contesting company. This, it will be OBJ
served, insured fair play to all, and no engine
was allowed to start until every requirement of
the regulations of the day had been religously
complied with by it's officers In each instance
| care was, Of course, taken to select the most
active and muscular men in the company for
| the contest.
The Goal.
| Twelve hundred yards distant by actual mea-
surement, on the corner of Hayne and Meet
| ing streets, was the fre-well from which each
company was to draw and throw water At
the bottom OF this we'll a basket was arranged
| to prevent the suotions from touching bottom.
| One hundred feet beyond this was the central
| point OF attraction. Here the stream darted
from the nozzle, and rope fifty feet in length
measured the first splash of water that touch
ed the mark at this point Messrs. Geo. II.
Walter and w. G.. Whilden acted us judges,
and, provided with stop watches, noted the
dropping of tho ball, the starting of
the several companies and the instant
! that witer was thrown to the requir-
| ed limit. The entire street between Pinck-
ney and Hayne streets was enclosed BY
|
Of policemen, who most effectually did th cir
duty in keeping clear that portion OF the
thoroughfare. Not even the memorable vel
low-tailed dog which, as usual, made it's ap-
pearance on the scene was permit ted to go un i.
scathed, and, between the batons Of the police
and the innumerable legs of still moro innu-
merable Philippians who fringed the sidewalks,
the poor canine must have realized fhe truth
hat 10 fr or into -,
not SO easy to get out. Besides the judges,
| members of the PRESS and the chief and his
assistants no one was allowed to remain with
in the enclosure. On this theatre Of action,
probably ten thousand pair OF eyes, set in
every species Of frame Imaginable, looked from
porch and window and house-top, to cay moth
ing Of the sidewalks, which in their monotony
Of coloring reminded one of dense lining of
Grape.
The first in the proor" we're the hand
| argjnes s-vs Snese the first to start was the
| ylgllant. Twenty-nine men, good and true,
had been picked to tussle for the honors Of the
- and within two or three minutes Of twelve
Uly.L. !, rsr ne long white streak bending to
its work. Less than two minutes roll by and
they are on the ground. lNhs cap is lifted
from the wheel with the precision o. .all- ael
drilled soldiers every hand finds it's place; the
lower brakes are unstrapped and dropped into
position the hose is unrolled and the nozzle
attached and apparently before half dozen
strokes are given-while the crowd are vet
wondering-the stream darts out at ona
q ydaeh to it's limit OF fifty-feet, the Judge
T"shouts time and a cheer rends' the
air. The entire performance is finished in
less time than we can record it. and id q
] fhn "a ~. a
the vieiiaEts have done their work in TOO
minutes and thirteen seconds Until then.
every man on the ropes and at the brakes had
held his breath as il bent on doing his whole
duty and nothing but his duty. Indeed, the
order Of their President had been-ssNo fool
ishness to-day, boys, and not drop until you
have won cup to drink it in;" and, true to
their instructions, the VigiIants bent to their
task with vim and machine-ke motion that
were not excelled during the day.
The next hand dsEgine in order was the Ger
man. Sturdy fellows those, too. with abund-
ance of muscle, and pluck written all over their
broad faces. The bali drops, and the next we
see through the rift in the crowd that sways
4 tQlthe pressure OF the police, is line Of red,
1something like stick Of sealing-wax in motion,
coming forward 81 agenuine Teutonic trot.
They make capital tirne-reach the we'll, AM d
like their predecessors, without any fuss. get
to work. A dozen strokes bring tie water, and
Eatew seconds more there stands ont upon the
blackboard before the gaze Of the multitude,
German, minutes 10 seconds" The friends
OF the German vent their admiration on the
air, and in truth it was noble achievement
In starting this company, some point was
Il made as to- the propriety OF strapping their
brakes. It was stated by the officers, how
ever, that straps had never been used, and tine
0wissiQn was accordingly allowed. with the
understanding that IL the breaks fell during
the run, the company would be ruled out.
Next Followed the washingtons, of Augusta,
4 Ca, trim-looking fellows, we'll disciplined and