New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-07-06
THE CRESCENT CITY FIREMEN.
Visit to Our City-Contesfs of Speed-Ex-
citing Races ON the Tapis-A Sign Of Re-
construction at Last.
IFrom the New York Herald.

IFronl the New York Herald
On the twenty-fOurth ultimO Mechanics
Engine Company No. 6 and Hope Hook and
Ladder Company No. g. of New Orleans.
took their departure for an extensive tour
of the Northern cities "A local paper,
noting their departure from the Crescent
City, remarks: = --rt
"A more gallant and gentlemanly set of
| men have never gone from among us.
Brave. chivalrOus and generous, they are
tho beau ideal of Southern tremen. We
give them over to our contemporaries OF the
North as men whom we honor here, and
whose friendship hOnors us. The tradl-
tional courtesy of the Southerner will tind
in these Southern representatives that will
augment rather than diminish il" rs4
They are expected to arrive in this city
about the first of July, under the ehaperOn7
ing of Mr.. George L, Catlin, who left last
week for Cincinnati, by Jim Fisks orders,
to extend to them the cOurtesies Of the Erie
| Railway
The firemen of New Orleans have long
| been noted as extremely fast runners. es-
| pecially the two companies now soon to be
en- route for this city As many OF the
Herald readers may not be aware OF the
| style in which tiremens races are run III
New Orleans, and as the Mechanics Hnd
Hope boys will run during their visit, a
description may be here given OF their mode
of racing. Twenty-Five or thirty men, with I,
| the officer, as the arrangements may call
for, start from the half-1nile post on well
made race track, with medium sized hand
engine, with suction imposition, and with
fifty feet of hose on the reel. A running
| start is taken. Near the Judges stand
is placed box of water, where
the engine, on its arrival, is backed,
suction fixed, brakes manned, and
water forced through the hose, the engine
not to be touched by any person who dld
not start from the half mile post with 1t.
During the summer of 1869 No. partici-
pated in these contests, and succeeded IN
reducing the time from 3.04 to 24l%. AT
the State Fair, in the spring OF the same
year, they did mile under the same condl.
tions in six minutes and thirty seconds, and
at q base ball festival IN September quar-
ter OF a mile in one minute and el@ht sec
onds. The hook and ladder companies
have similar races, twenty-five men taxing
a fully equipped truck, with SIX ladders
hooks, axes, etc, run the half mile, halt
strip the truck, elevate all the LADDERS
against building, including the fo'r-story
one, with hooks and axes on the ground
ready for action. This was done by Hope
No. 3 in trife over four minutes.
Our visitors will not be likely to make tins
time during their stay with us, as tht
fatigue of travel, change s6f climate. new
track and other obstacles will stand IN tn'
way But there is one thing cert3ln-tha
they will receive an old-time welcome from
the hands of the frelnen of this city, both o
the present and past departments, mor'
particularly, perhaps, from the old Amerlu
boys, many of whose portraits now or
| nament the house of Mechanics p, IN New
| Orleans. ~
i We learn that Nos s and expect to rul
; on the fourth Of July on some one OF Tn