Evening journal., 1889-05-06
THAT FIRE TEST.
The Friendship, Ph@nix and Washington
Companies Tell How They Are the
Champions-A Great Farce.

The Friendship, Ph@nix and Washington
Companies Tell How They Are the
Champions-A Great Farce.
The annual test Of Wilmingtons Fire
Department by the Fire Committee of
Council on Saturday was farce in sew
eral acts.
In the first place the instructions of
the committee were not followed sec
ondly, the committee did not enforce the
instructions; thirdly, there were no Of
fetal measurements, and fourthly three
companies claim the championship for
the best squirt
According TO one report this is the
standing: Phoenix, 229 feet, 8 inches,
Washington, POI feet, 8 inches; Fame
Hose, PIG feet, II inches, Friendship,
206 feet, inches, Reliance, 1873 feet, II
inches, Weccaeoe, 1873 feet, inches
The Washington and Friendships re-
cords are acknowledged by their com
panles to be correct, but the Phoenix re-
cord of 229 feet, s inches is not allowed
by the Washington and Friendship
| An EVENING JOURNAL reporter started
out this morning to investigate the result
| of the test A Friendship man was the
first interviewed regarding the contest
between his company and the Phmnix on
the La France VS.. the Clapp & Jones
engine He claimed that the La France
engine won by 206 feet inches and
added "The Phmnix's actual squirt was
only 107 feet. When the test was
started the hose was 500 feet long, then
a section burst and IL was thrown out,
The pipe was then taken back about 30
feet When the Phoenix measured they
counted from the last position TO where
the stream struck while squirting from
the original position. Select Councilman
Smith OF Philadelphia said that our en-
gine did the best work.
The reporter then saw Phmnix man.
He said: 1--WE have the biggest engine
and we acknowledge II and we claim thai
we can throw more water than any other
but we beat the Friendship on Saturday
bad We beat them all to pieces
"How about throwing out section OF
hose2" queried the reporter. I'VE die
, that, but the measurement was not made
! from II, for as soon as the hose burst W.
kinked 1t while section was thrown out
! Then certainly there was more force OF
, the other pine and then the big squir
was made. BY actual measurement Il
, was 300 feet inches Our engine wa
working very smoothly. The Friend
2 ship shook itself almost to death; /
nearly jumped into the race. In re
sponse to the fireman who said the Ph@
!. nix could not squirt wish the Friendship
Y for $500, you can just say In your pape
/ that we are ready to do 1t and two o
D three will put up $500 or 81 900 that W
Y can beat them. If there is a fire to day,
\ he added, Il don't believe the Friend
. ship viii 60, because its engine was s.
= badly shaken up that 1t had to be takei
/ apart. The Phoenix has not been touches
and is ready for service at any time.
The reporter then saw a member OF th
3 Washington Fire Company. He made
similar statement TO that Of the Friend
0 ship man regarding the way Phgnix
Q squirt was measured and further sal
Y y that in reality Phoenix did not squirt 20
j feet. "All the engines ran over 10
] pounds, the Phoenix ran to 40 and th
. Friendship TO 1886; ours went up to l2I
Our stream measured 221 feet inche
which was the longest throw made. Il
z verified the statement that the Frien'
: ship almost fell overheard
The matter rests here. On Saturda
( night the Friendship raised a flag
!. honor OF its victory. The Phoenix pl
:; eight new broomB on its engine hou
= celebrating its clean sweep, and also
b stuffed rooster on its flag. A band W
hired and great jollificRtion INDUCED
The other engine houses we're serenade
The Washington Company celebrated
2 victory appropriately and seven broor
were strung up over French street. The
a engine is 90 years old and its record
n remarkable.
This is the story of the fire test so I
n and the returns are not all in yet. Iii
j all others it crea ed a great deal Of jeI
ousy and was of no benefit, FOR one
more Of the engines are temporarily u
p l ..,..-t... IL. ~. .. .oo,,14 of fbo rftalrv