Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-07
LAUNCHERS AT HOME
Washington Party Returns
From Wilmington, Del.
FIREBOAT GIVEN NAME
MISS WEST BREAKS BOTTLE OF
WATER OVER BOW.
The Commissioners Pleased With Pros
pect of Early Acquisition to Fire
Fighting Equipment.

The party of Washingtonians which went
to Wilmington, Del, to witness the launch
ing of the new fireboat Firefighter as de-
scribed in yesterdays Star, returned home
last evening much pleased with the trip
and congratulated themselves and every
body else upon the fact that at last the
water front of the District of Columbia
will be adequately protected against fire.
The launching was accomplished without
hitch and the affair was in every way a
complete success. The members of the
party were in good humor and proceeded
to tell everybody in Wilmington what
grand base ball team Washington has.
Commissioners West and Biddle talked
base ball all the way over to the Delaware
metropolis and even Miss Marian West,
daughter of the Commissioner and sponsor
for the Firefighter, declared she would
surely break the bottle of water over the
bow of the vessel, for she would hit just
as hard as If she were Mr.. Stahl OF the
Washington base ball team"
AT the last moment 1t was decided that
Miss West should not "christen'' the boat,
but name it, the Commissioners holding
that boat cannot properly be christened.
When all was in readiness. Miss West was
asked If she was not nervous.
No" she replied, Il m ready to strike.
THAT being the case said some one of
the auditors, perhaps it was Col. Biddle,
I'm have to secure an Injunction. Never
theleSS, no injunction was secured ana
Miss West struck.
The bottle covered with red white and
blue ribbons. was broken and the water
from the well at Mount Vernon trickled
slowly down the sides OF the retreatlnS
craft.
On the Return Trip.
Immediately following the launching most
of the Washingtonians returned home Com
missioner West, however, remained at VIII
yHfo q
links of the Wilmington Country Club.
showing the cracks of Delaware how the
game is played in the capital city. Some
of the visitors spent the afternoon seeing
the sights in the vicinity Of historic VII
mington, including the Brandywlne, winch
has been flowing on in the same old way
ever since the revolution.
The "Firetighter is the first hreboat ever
built by the Harlan and Hollingsworth Com
pany and the 256th boat launched from its
yards. The contractors were hosts at an
elaborate luncheon just prior to the launch
ing. Mr.. w G. Coke, president of the COM
pany, escorting Miss Marian West, and Mr..
mcfarland eScorting Mrs. Coke.
The invited guests at the launching were
Commissioners Mcfarland, West and Bid
die, Mrs. West Miss Marian West, William
T. Belt, chief engineer of the Washington
fire department: w. V. Cox and son, Edgar
D. Shaw of the Washington Times Wood
worth Clum of the Evening Star, Carl ID.
Shepherd of the Washington Post. Roy l.
Knapp of the Washington Times, c. d.
Bird, mayor of Wilmington, Ashton Lee
moline of Tams, LemOine & Crane; w. u.
Stilley, chief of the Wilmington fire depart
ment; Mrs. II. Weir, the Misses Wilson, Mr..
and Mrs. H. b. Thompson. Captain Cham
plain of the steam yacht Delaware, Captain
Mcgee of the Pure Oil Company; w. e.
Coke, president Harlan and Holiingsworth
Company: Mrs. w. G. Coke; Henderson
Weir, secretary Harlan and Hollingsworth
Company; John Lockhart, manager Harlan
and Hollingsworth Company; 8. x. Smith.
assistant treasurer Harlan and Hollings-
worth Company: Miss Du Pont. the Misses
Smith, Mr.. and Mrs. Edgar NJ Hopes and
j. II. McGregor, New York
Boat Well Named.
The Firefghter is not badly named. She
looks sturdy and strong and presents the
appearance of being able TO wage battle
with flames or anything else she may en-
counter. Her length on the load water line
is 50 feet, with beam of % feet inches.
Her length over all is about 10i feet Her
draft, when loaded with all the fire-fghting
apparatus, will be about feet notwith-
standing that her construction Is of steel.
The Specifications require that 800 indicated
horsepower must be developed with the
main engine and maintained for one hour.
The fire-hghting system will be the best
that money can provide. The two large fire
pumps in the engine room viii discharge
upward into a 12-inch main running
athwartships From this main the water
will be distributed to the nozzes through
a 12-inch gate valve. The boat will be
steam heated and electric lighted. Below
the load water line she will be painted red.
while the upper portion will be white with
red and ocher trimmings. A hand steering
gear will be Installed with large wheel in
the pilot house. similar to that of most OF
the other craft that ply in the Potomac.
The two DumDs will have a cauactv