The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-07-02
OF opponents were fully and complete

OF opponents were fully and complete
ly realized.
The horses were eager for the race
and at the signal to 60 they made an
instantaneous start and were racing at
full speed quicker than thought. No
one present ever saw better run race
nor a gamer effort made by game
horses to do what was expected of
them. From start to finish they
raced like thoroughbreds, gaining
speed at each stride as the team gath
cred momentum. They were perfectly
driven and the run was made so true
and straight that not a foot of dis
tance was lost in the whole run.
Tom Jenkins, who made the jump
at the hydrant, landed on his feet
like cat and snapped the butt into
place without the loss of a fraction of z
seconds time. The water was turned
into the hose as quickly as the wrench
could open the valve, the hose breaker
and nozzlemen at the other end being
depended upon to take care of the
water when it reached the break.
AS the team swept past the hydrant
and on to the judges stand, tre-
mendous cheer burst from the crowd.
George Warren made the jump better
than ne had ever done in practice
runs, made the break in an instant,
and Will Graham had the nozzle on
and screwed down, with time to spare,
before the water came.
It was record breaking run, as
any one could see; but when the
judges called out SO seconds fat the
crowd went wild, for that meant two
seconds below the best previous rec
ord. The people on the grand stand
stood on the benches, yelling and
cheering and waving the blue and
white, colors of the Delgars; the
crowds on the sidewalks surged into
the streets, yelling like mad, and the
return of the team through the street
to take up the hose was made tire
mendous ovation that is seldom
equalled in enthusiasm. The
PALMETTOs, OF COLUMBIA,
we're the next to run. Unfortunately
for them, they got off to false start,
the pistol failing to explode when the
flag fell, and they ran through the
full course, but no connections were
attempted. The team was sent back
to the starting point, and, of course,
made the second run under disad-
vantage, the horses being winded by
the run. The second run was not as
fast as the first, but the connections
were made in good time and water
showed at the nozzle. After the
judges had caught the time the nozzle
came loose from the hose, unscrewed-
The Palmetto nozzleman said he
unscrewed the nozzle when he saw
that the judges had the time, but
others say thatit blew off when the
full pressure of the water struck the
nozzle, the connection not having
been properly made. The judges re-
served their decision, and after dis
cussing the matter fully decided that
under the rules it was blow-of, and
no time could be given, and the team
ruled out.
Unofficial time-keepers say that the
Palmettos would not have received
even third prize, and their being
ruled out had no effect on the result.
COLUMBIA, NO. 3,
| ran next. Their greys made speedy
and beautiful run, the men at hydrant
and break did their parts well--so
well that the time made equalled
| the best previous record, and until
35 fat was announced from the
Judges stand many thought they
were pushing Delgar for the first
place.
CAMDEN CLOSES.
Camden ran last and brought the
| contest to close. The company has
pair of horses, black and sorrel,
that are well matched and show speed
and breeding in every line of their
handsome bodies. The run they
made was something wonderful, from
| the start to the hydrant. They beat
the time of all other teams, but from
| hydrant 20 the judges stand they did
not maintain the same fast gait, and
while the connections we're well and
quickly made their time was slower
| than that of both Delgar and Colum-
bia, No. 8, and not so good as their
own record by % of second. Time,
35 2-5.
This team had one disadvantage to
contend against, but as they alone
were to blame no kick should come
from them. When the hose was
measured, just before the race, it was
found to be 5 feet too short, and they
had to put on another and longer sec
tion of hose for one of the short ones,
making their hose about Is feet
longer than the rules required. This
extra length of hose certainly made
the time slower by one-ffth of Sec
| ond more than it would otherwise
have been.
JUDGES AND CONDITIONS.
The time judges: NJ. L. Smith, Cam
den: J. W. Earhardt, Newberry; E.
S. Miller, Sumter: G. j. Beck, Co.
lumbia; Louis Behrens, assistant
chief of Charleston fire department..
Starting judge: NJ. J. Grace,
Charleston. Hydrant Judge, JEFF May,
chief Columbia fire department.
The oon5it;on rn1er which the raceSS