Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-06-21
IT is A TIE.
Excellent Work by All Three
Hose Companies.
Pine Tree and Capital Companies
Must Run Again.
Large Crowd Witnesses Contest for
ManIey Cup.

II anyone uouDtS Augusta mas I
fire department that can do effective
work in case it is needed he should
| have been present at the contest for
the Manley cup, which was held, yes
| terday. Everyone was proud of the
members of the three contesting COM
panies. Seldom DO you find companies
deserving the pride of their fellow citi-
zens more. All did excellent work from
start to finish.
The contest has excited a great deal
of interest. Ever since Hon. ]. II.
Manley announced that he would give
cup to he competed for by these COM
panies, the people have been looking
forward to the event. There have been
very many inquiries as to just when it
would occur and when Chief Engineer
Kicker announced the day and hour.
Immediately large number planned to
be present.
When the hour arrived. the street N
he vicinity of the Capital Hose house
was filled with people. They had been
flocking in by Electrics, teams, and on
foot. 1t is estimated that more than
2G00 people witnessed the race.
The rules of the contest made it nee
essary to start from Capital Hose
house with hose-cart, go to the hydrant
near the residence of ]. a. Holman, lay
$50 feet of hose, break the coupling, put
on pipe, drop to the ground, pick up he
pipe. take off the same. couple hose to-
gether. reel onto cart, put on pipe and
get back into the house as the company
started. Not a small thing to do. The
time was taken from the start to the
1ss-l. Df
hose upon it.
After quite lengthy wait for the
appearance of the first company the
doors Of the hose house which had
previously been kept closed, except
when Il stray fireman came in or out.
We're opened. All the men except two
lined up ready to seize upon the rope
as the cart was pulled through the door
by those two. Out they came and
away down the street they flew. The
grass did not grow under their feet at
all as they went. The hydrant was
reached and the hose was reeled out.
Down went the pipe and up it came
again and the hose began to roll up on
the reel. The hydrant was reached in
surprisingly short time and soon the
company went WhiZZing back into the
house. The time was excellent and
Immediately those who had not been
following the work done by the East
Side company began to have their eyes
opened to the fact that if the cup was
10 come to the West Side of the river
there must be some swift work.
After another long wait the second
company appeared-No 8. from Cushnoc
Heights. They made good time upon the
start but strap upon the cart broke
and impeded them somewhat. Soon it
was evident that this company was out
of the race. Everyone now began to
think the winners was bound to be the
East Side company. But they didn't
take into consideration the fact that
| Hose. No ., down in Ward l, was in
the race for business.
It was that cOmrany'S turn next. 1t
started out and the dust flew, almost
concealing them from view, but there
| was something inside that cloud of
dust and it was moving at a tremen-
Gous rate of speed. Everyone held his
| breath as the 25u feet of hose was reel
| ed off and back upon the cart. They
are going to win out, remarked some
one as they started back toward the
| hose house. mo they are not. They
are going 10 loose by a few seconds,
said another who was closely watching
the second hand on his timepiece.
The race was now at an end and ii
was extremely close. Some had
brought Capital Hose out ahead and
some Pine Tree Hose. In the mean
time Guy O. Nickery and james G..
kirkpatrick, the timekeepers. We're
holding the official time securely lock
ed up III their own minds. They retii-
ed to The room in the second story Of
the building to talk it over. When
they emerged in company with the
judges. G. c. Sheldon, George W. Mer-
rill and l.. A. Shaw, it was to ask c. S.
Hichborn, Esq, to make the following
| announcement: