The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-01-01
FlREMEN'S RELIEF BALL.
An Exhibition Hitch Given at City Hall
Last Evening.

The seventh annual ball of the Relief
Association of the Portland Fire Depart
ment took place at City Hall last eve
ming. There was tremendous audience
present for the amount of space afford
ed them. A large portion of the floor
had to be roped off to enable the exhibi-
tion hitch to be given, but there was
still larger space left besides the gal
leries. At an early hour the people be-
gan to come ard by eight o'clock people
assembled the stairs only to find every
place from which a view could be OBJ
tanned was occupied, and SO turned and
came away. The mem bers of the city
government and citizens who had been
prominent in the department haG seats
assigned to them.
After delightful concert by the
Americ can Cadet Band, came the exhibit
ton hitch. Stalls had been erected for
Judge andss Major, the well known pair
of grays attached to No. S, and they
seemed as much at home as when occu-
pying their quarters at the engine house.
On the right of the hall, two and one
half story frame dwelling had been erect
ed, and on the left representation of
the engine house quarters. In the engine
ouse the men were sitting, playing
dominoes, listening to George II. Long
and Fred Webster play the guitar and
harmonica, and otherwise amusing them
selves, when 10 O'Clock strikes. Out go
the lights and the men seek their rest.
In the dwelling opposite, little girl is
seen moving about, with a lamp in her
hand. She places the lamp on the ia Bile,
walks to the window and looks out, then
gets ready for bed, blows out the light, /
walks again to the window, stands in
the moonlight moment and then re-
tires. The silence of night settles down.
All at once fire is seen issuing from the |
lower story of the dwelling. The po-
liceman Oh the beat, Officer Webster,
sees it, runs to box 60, and pulls in the
alarm. Like flash the lights 60 UP
in the engine house. down the sliding
pole come the men. Driver Miles takes
his seat on the hose carriage, the hitch
is made, and off goes the team. The
hydrant is reached, chuck set by John
son, Rowe screws on the butt, lines are
run out and Clark and Williams take
the pipe. The blaze bursts out of the
upper window, and the child is seen en-
deayoring to escape. Up go the ladders,
and Frank johnson rushes up and. amid
wild applause rescues Little Miss Jason.
After them comes big coIored woman,
represented by Mr.. John Long, who has
flung baby out of the. window and de-
cends the ladder face foremost with
big tub in her arms, while the audience
shouted with laughter. Then the pipe
men ascend the ladder and get the
streams on the flames are extinguished,
and the "all out" sounded. During tine
fire there is an excellent imitation OF an
engine putting and whistling for coal.
After the fire exhibition there was
display of the ladders. The audience
held it's breath when Mr.. Melody made
his leap for life, full twenty feet in the
net spread below him.
There were sixteen dances in the order,
ard they were thoroughly enjoyed. Chief
Engineer jackson was chief marshal,
with George N. E. Kimball floor director,
and long list of aids. The committee
of arrangements was composed Of two
each from the board of engineers, fand
each company. and from the life mem
bers. This was the reception commit
tee: Assistant Engineers Thomas Payne,
John L. Loring, John n. Long and
William H. Dugan; Captain George G.
Jose, engine /; Captain A. H. Hatch, ell
CINE 2; Captain A. e. Knight, engine 81
Captain IF. Griffin, engine 4 :; Captain
J. B Brown, engine-5; Captain A. d. But
Ter, Chemical |; Captain S. J.Goud, lad
der /; Captain J. N, Farnsworth, ladder
2; Captain G. Jordan, ladder 8; Captain
G. Jose, Hose 6.
The order was ve:y handsome, with
apicture of a fireman on ladder rescu-
ing child.