Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-08-26
champions of the World.

The First Ward Hose Running Team
| gained the championship of the World
| last Friday by defeating the Martin s
Ferry team at Meadville For several
| wears past Buffers running team has
been in the first rank and has been
striving 10 gain that coveted title. But
| though really speedier than their com
| petitors, luck seemed always against
| them and owing TO slight accidents
Butler at different times has been de
seated by the Pittston, Salamanca,
Cory and Martins Ferry teams. The
| latter team defeated Butler at the Ma
| tional Firemen's Convention at Atlanta
Ga in 1895 and thereby became the
| champions The race at Meadyllle
was the first time since then that the
| two teams have met, and the result
| was not contrary TO the expectations
| and hopes of every citizen of Butler.
The interest of our people in the team
| was shown by the scenes around the
| bulletin board last Friday.
| The success of the team is due in a
| great measure to the work of trainer
John Zickrick, one of the few men who
can and do make foot racing profes-
sion, and an honorable one at that.
The First Wards, Rescue I'll. & L. Co.
Germania Band and large number of
other citizens arrived in Meadvllle
Thursday afternoon and took part in a
| big parade that afternoon. The boys
attracted much attention by their In
| dian veil. The Meadville papers cast
very favorable comments on Butler 5
| representatives. Friday the racing day
ali Meadyille went out to the track TO
| see the contests. The course was 6OO
\ feet with 200 feet of hose to lay and at
tach. The much -heralded, erstwhlle
| champions of Martins Ferry went to
| the scratch first made wavering run,
a very good coupling and were marked
| 294 seconds, Our own ran next and came
down the line amidst cheers Ihelr
run was swift and strong, the coupling
good, the time 2Ss seconds, and there
was Joy in the hearts OF the Butlerltes
| The record for this distance Is -
| seconds. None of the judges had
watches dividing the seconds into less
than fifths and so some people wonder
how they put in that or second
The Centrals of Bradford ran next
and as they came down to the tourna-
ment boasting that they would beat
both Butler and Martins Ferry they
were watched with much interest. The
Centrals are nearly all professional
sprinters, but they could only do 25t
/ seconds. Then the Butlerites let out
veil and hosting coupler Joe Helneman
on their shoulders, marched triumph
antly down the track. A Warren Pa
team also ran but did not go under ~
seconds.
In this race Butler captured the
championship and $3.50.
The hub race came next and the de-
feated teams showed their petty spite
by protesting Butler on account or nav
ing pneumatic tires on our cart Ana
the Bradfords had used Buffers cart In
the hose race too The judges unJustly
received this protest, thus knocking
the Rescues and First Wards out OF the
race. Bradford won from Martins
Ferry and Warren in the slow time Of
22t seconds.
= In the hook and ladder race the
Rescues lost for the first time in their
history. The ladder pulled off hard
and then slipped while being put up.
The time was SO seconds. Warren Pa.
won this race and $50 in 313 seconds.
The Rescues got $25 second money. i.
After the races the Butterflies, lead
by the Germania, marched through
Meadville, receiving cheers and con-
gratulations everywhere. The return
train left Meadville at 7:30 P. NJ, but
did not reach Butler till 1 A. NJ. Satur-
day. A half hours delay was caused
by the big Grove City fire, where the
boys jumped off the train and did some
real work in their line Although ar
irving home at so unseasonable an hour
200 patriotic friends with lots or noise
and fireworks welcomed the boys in.
The members of the First Ward
Running team are John. Zickrick
trainer, John Ayers captain, Jean
Morrison, Joe Heineman, Delmer Reed,
Harry Werth, Coslin McElrGy, John
Cole, w. j. Heinelnan, Chas. Sellers,
Chas. Reeder, Ed Negley, John Wise,
Fred Weigand, John Graham, Paul
Cronenwett, Earl Clinton, George Krug
and j. A Walters, manager.
ALna