Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1905-07-05
JEROME TAKES
THE WET TEST

BY far the most interesting feature
of the celebration, part of which was
pulled off yesterday, was the hose
race between the Prescott and the Je-
rome teams. For reasons not yet made
public, the money offered by the Je-
rome visitors in backing their home
team was net covered. A portion of
the smaller bets offered were taken,
but there was Jerome money going beg
ging when the first race was called. In
terest conferred in the hose races, and
the visiting residents from the copper
city were anxious and more than Will
ing to back their team to any amount
between $1,000 and five dollar note.
When the visiting hose team made
its appearance on the street for the wet
test. betting in a small way was ra-
Their brisk, hut only small portion of
the money offered by the Jerome back
ers was taken by the local admirers of
the Prescott team. BY the worst kind
of bad luck. the local team lost through
the nozzle not being set in time, and
on the art of both the Jerome and the
Prescott team this accident was de
plored.
After toss up at the headquarters
of the Jerome boys it was decided that
the visiting team should make the first
run in the wet test, and the showing
they made was so fast and their work
so clever that Prescott was apparently
out Of it after the running time had
been announced. At no time since these
competitions have been in vogue be
tween teams from different towns in
this part of the territory has there been
such a clean showing as was made by
the Jerome team.
They ran the distance in splendid
form, and there was no hitch in break
ing hose. turning ON the water, or-in
fitting the nozzle
The run from the standpoint of
wen-informed fireman. was as nearly
perfect as possible. and when % %
seconds was announced as the time.
there was little betting to show that
the local sports thought they could win
anything by banking on the home
team.
While the local team was beaten this
run in practice it was known that
there would be little chance of win
ming out in the run for the money.
and people who before the run of the
Jerome boys had been anxious to place
their money on the Prescott team, qui-
city took back seats and said nothing.
When the home team ran to the by
/ drant. it seemed there might be a
chance TO beat even the excellent re-
cord of the visitors. The run was fast
er than that Of the Jerome team. and
all seemed well until the coupling was
broken and the nozzle was started in
its fittings; then the crash was made
apparent.
/ Blame can be attached to no one
member of the team, but water was
turned on before the nozzle was well
fitted, and the result was a fuke.
From those who held watches on
the run If Is learned that the run was
made quite a bit faster than that OF
the Jerome boys, and that had no ae-
eident happened. the test would have
been as good as tie, if not better. Sew
eral watches showed that water was at
the end of the hose line in less than
30 seconds. but having failed in setting
the nozzle there was no chance to win
The visiting team one and all express
ed their disappointment at the local
team having met with this accident,
and declared they would have much
rather seen the race made without any
such hukc.
The decision in favor of the Jerome
team was heartily greeted by every
one. as the run they made, with the
quie < work ia'breaking and Sitting the