The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-06
BOX NO. 122.
The Alarm at the Fire
mems Ball.
Practical Illustration fOrThOu-
sands of Guests.
Splendid Result of Relief ASSOcia-
tiOn'S Seventh Effort.

An alarm from box 100 about S:f5
O'Clock last evening called out a squad OF
agile firemen who slid down a pole and
performed a remarkably quick hitch-up
for the entertainment of several thousand
people at Infantry hall.
There really was no fire to e~xtinguish,
but the incident was one OF the unique
and pleasing features of the seventh an
nual concert and ball of the Providence
Permanent Firemen's Relief Association.
The fourth number of the concert
selections was a descriptive piece by
Reeves, entitled, "lhe Night Alarm" a
synopsis OF which was: A calm and
peaceful night. Ten O'Clock lights out.
All in bed. Choral, sleep well. The
alarm. Box 122. Horses rush out. Hitch
up and off,. Galop TO the fire. Putting
OF the engine. Orders. Whistle for coal.
Fire out. Recall. lake VI. Going home
singing.
1he music itself was r~eslistic but added
to that was the almost perfect fire station
scene on the stage. Above were the sleep
ing room of the firemen and ON thes stage
proper were the fire wagons. A lamp post
with regulation lights was at the end OF
the stage with box 122 attached. When
the band was playing 'the alarm" Abner
5. Tompkins pulled that box-there was a
scurry in the upper room and half a
dozen firemen slid dowu the two brass
poles and in a few seconds everything
was ready for a start and the crowd
cheered. The recall was sounded by Dep
uty Chief Holden o. Hill and the crowd
chPered and clapped. The men who gave
this practical illustration of the manner
in which firemen respond TO an alarm
were Byron q. Howard, William Ben
ford, Robert p. Patterson, A. +. Names,
William Il. Berry and David Carey.
There were two more concert numbers
after "the night alarm" and then follow
ed the grand march led by Firemen
George III. Holiness and A. A. Greene.
Ii was a successful ball and Infantry
Hall never held a larger or jollier dance
party.
The decorations were particularly at
t~ractive and very appropriate inasmuch as
the principal feature was long lines OF
snow-white hose hung on the gallery
front and caught up at regular intervals
in graceful curves. At the center of each
OF the three gal cries were crossed nozzles
with here and there a helmet or buraishsd
speaking trumpet. The backEs ound Of
all this fire station p~araphernalia was a
heavy drapery of the national colors with
q liberal adornment of plants and vines.
Among the guests of the evening were
His Excellency Gov. Charles Warren Lip
pitt and staff, Hon.. ex-Gov. d.. Russell
Brown. Ills Honor Mayor ~. ~. mCbuln
mis-, accompanied by members of the
Bosrd of Aldermen and Common Council,
General Kendall and staff, Chief of Police
Reuben II. Baker, Deputy Chief of Police
Patrick Egan, and President L.. Benjamin
Andrews of Brown University; Fire Com
m~issioners Dexter Gorton and William
III. Luther, Lewis T.. Davis.
The gentlemen who looked after things
were:
Committee of arrangements, Thomas Il.
Gorton, chairman; George III. Simmons,
Herbert b. Kelly, janis X. Davis, Will
lam A. Berry, Robert III. Mcdonald, Will
lam Benford.
Reception committee, William III. Luz
ther, Chairman; Dexter Gorton, Stillman
While. Holden o. Hill, John W. Nor
row, Charles G. Cloudman, Benjamin f.
Harrington. Burmah Il. Perkins, Earl p.
Mason, Ira Winsor, William III. Johnson.
Floor director, Chief George A. Steere.
Assistant floor directors, George II.
Holmes, William H. Hayden.
Aids, Thomas ". Mullen, Christopher j..
Read, Frank X. Wilkey, Joseph s. jack
son. George III. Goff, Frank A. Scott, Rob-
ert y. Patterson, Thomas j. Foye, John f..
Stsckpole. George Mackinnon, Lewis A.
Cutler, Walter l.. Damon, Daniel AyNich-
obs, Stephen c. Miller, John Vallette,
James T. Goff, Henry NJ. Briggs, James
Il. Hall, Clement ID. Pelrine, George Z.
Lonergan, Thomas III. Jencks.