The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-08-02
BIG DAY FOR THE FIREMEN.
ANSUAL CONTENTION or STATE
 FIREMES,s ASSOCIATION.

1AoI"I-sFS roootAhlAONs
 Gala Day for Derby-Interosting Exhibit'
 of firemen's sappiies--Eicction of on
 cers-Parado and Banquet in the Evening
 win Meet Again Te-DAy.
 Derby. Aug. 1.-The first day of-the eleventh annual convention of the StNte Firemen's association was a most suc- cessful one. The weather was bright and clear and the town was in gala ar- ray. There was cool breeze blowing. which made most pleasant and agree able contrast to the oppressive heat of a few days ago. The decorations of the stores. public buildings and private residences were said to have been more elaborate than ever before in the his tory of the town. Nearly every place of business on Main and Elizabeth streets was handsomely decorated by the New Haven Decorating company, the work being done in a most artistic manner. They also decorated the ex- terior of the city hall. the Sterling opera house and the Gould armory.
 The firemen began to arrive last even- ing and among the first to arrive was Secretary John s. Jones of Westport. He established his headquarters in the Bassett house. The delegates were ar irving in town all the morning and af- ternoon and registered at the different hotels.
 The reception committee, composed Of Dr. G. L. Beardsley, chairman; Chief Engineer George Clark, Mayor T. J. O'Sullivan, J. D. Dayton and Alderman J. R. Mason, had headquarters in the mayors office and looked after the com fort of their visitors. A pleasant feat ure of the morning was the excursion rendered the delegates by the Derby Street Railway company. The firemen boarded the cars, five in number, in front of the Bassett house about 10:3O o'clock and were conveyed over the entire route of the road. All who went were highly gratified with the trip and spoke in the highest terms of the road dua liAC hliuhCoo ol SAiV oAASAuAS' AAAS fire department kept open house dur ing the entire day and large numbers of delegates called at the quarters of each company.
 The house committee of each com pany were as follows: R. M. Bassett hook and ladder company-James Ken nedy, chairman, Thomas Wood, Thomas Horton, John Phelan and William O'Hara. Storm engine company James Carey, chairman, William O'Neil, Peter Ward, Thomas Degnan and Dan iel Callahan. Hotchkiss hose company Charles H. Beach, chairman, J. H. Schofeld, Abner Bunting. Emil Werns- man and J. H. Young.
 The following are the department of- ficers of the Derby fire department:
 Fire commissioner-B. F. McManus.
 Superintendent of fire alarm-W. Len ihan.
 Chief engineer-George F. Clark.
 First assistant engineer-C. T. Ja- cobs.
 Second assistant engineer-J. J. Car roll.
 Hotchkiss hose No. 1, J. A. Schofield field captain;s Storm No. 2, Frank J. Reilly captain; R. M. Bassett hook and ladder company No. 1, P. Fl. Kelly cap tain. s
 The exhibit of fire apparatus and fremen's supplies at the city hall form ed very interesting feature of the The exhibit was visited by nearly all the delegates during the day. The Combination Ladder company of R. l., had a very, fine exhi- bition of their safety extension ladder locks, double and single locking exten- sion ladders and fire hose. C. N. Rich ardson, the proprietor, is in charge. He said that he was at considerable ex- pense in coming and making the ex- hibit, but that he did a large business the fire companies of Connecti- cut, and the exhibits always were fol- lowed with good results. Their safety extension ladder was endorsed by the national fire engineers convention att September 22, 1898 Mir. is the New England agent for the Revere Rubber company, manu- fire hose, Seagrave 6 Co.,, nanufactur- CTS of hook and ladder trucks, and the Gleason & Bailey Manufacturing com pany, steel frame hook and ladder trucks. Another exhibit that also at- tracted much attention was that of s. F. Hayward & Go. of New York. The exhibit consists of the Hayward patent fire extinguisher, hand grenades, fire mems supplies and the New York auto matic horse collar. E. E. Pratt of Mer- iden, the company's agent, was in charge. The automatic horse collar is the best yet invented. It is suspended with the rest of the harness above the horse and when the horse raises his head at the sound of the alarm the col lar drops round its neck and locks itself. R. S. Gardner, agent for the Banning Electric Chemical Fire Extinguisher company, had fine exhibit of the goods. s. E. Cotter, super of the Ansonia fire alarm sys- tenn, had a splendid exhibit of Game well & Co.'S fire alarm telegraph, which attracted much attention. aI
 The opening session of the convention was held at the opera house at 2:15 o'clock in the afternoon, about 3127 dele gates being in attendance. Rev. w. H. Barton opened the convention with prayer, in which he invoked blessing upon the firemen and the doings of the 
 The address of welcome was then made by Mayor T. J. .O'Sullivan. He ,aid: "Fellow-flremen- There was once ] good man who said that brevity was the soul of wit. If this be so shall be very witty, for must be very brief. on behalf of the, citizens of this beau-.I