New-York tribune., 1907-10-13
FIRE FIGHTERS PLAY.
MAYOR PATCHES DRILL.
Real Blaze Ends Department Erh-
bition-MedaLs GiUen.

Did you ever get excited you watched the red
shrted boys brake her dcwn' saw old Liberty
No ] beat the Danl Websters by three inches in
the big muster ct The county fair? Then you surely
were one Of the twenty-five thousand who watched
the muster of the New York boys yesterday.
What were tho tkrobs OF pride when you the
boys putting their last of strength into rhe
brakes while the foreman, resplendent in red Shirt
yelled for water to the thrill that sent your heart
humping around your teeth yesterday when some
young life saver threw himself over the roof of
the Everett House and slid down the line like a
trapeze artist What the feeble squirt of
old DanI Webster in her palmiest days to the
mighty stream which gushed out like Niagara
from the topmost rifle of Water Tower yes
terday and drenched three thousand people. almost
as many as ever visited the cid county fair even
on muster dayi
Remember. too. when they gave the silver speak
ing trumpet to Capn Bill Virgins for saving Mis-
Perkinss babyG What a day that for the
boys! But yesterday they fastened nine Tiffany
made medals on nine Of the boys for doing a lot
more meritorious things that that. and they were
not thinking Of thosa medals when they earned
them. either. Pretty nearly every other man in the
department earned commendauon, too but there
are only nine medals to give out
The whole programme vas given to show TO the
Mayor and about thirty thousand other persons what
the boys could do but it not the ready-made
lesson which told the real story. About the time
they were coliug up the last length Of hose some
Y found little fire IN the basement OF the SIX
story house at Nos. 80 and 90 East 14h
street about two blocks away. There was a rattle
Of hoofs a wlliH Of wheels and a long trail of
smoke and then the boys who had been plastered
all over the seven story front Of the Hotel Everett
were carrying out babies and laying the lines into
the heart Of real FIRE before just about the same
crowd.
It was lucky that the mounted police. DeputE
Commissioner Bu-her and a few score other police
had been up in Union Square watching the snow
and keepinc the crowd back, for nearly every one
who had been watching the exhibition. and fe"
hundred more, went over to watch the reH iiie'
But it was ali over in a few minutes
Plight across the north length OF Union square
r,srt- was built 4 huge grandstand in the lnlddIe
Of which was a projecting box for Mayor Nc
c7ellap Commissioner Lantry and their frlehos'
Deputy Chief Thomas r. Langford and Battalion
chief LYNCH had charge of the review and Bat
TALON Chief George F. Farrell and Captain FRANK
Fennesy. who over the school OF lnstructloA.
put the probation men through their PAGES CHleh
Croker who appeared for the first time in pubhc
without cigar OF ''Willus' Britt like proportions.
kent general eye on everything. When it was all
over he looked happy as though he had Just
given all OUT a general alarm ire In the
plaza were dozen pieces Of spick and span ap-
paratus ready for inspection.
Good WORK the boys did to-day" he said, land
the best thing is that there's not man in the
department who could not do well, II not better
They're good boys
HONOR MEDALS AWARDED
The honor men lined up IN front OF the Mayor
get their medals for piece Of daring work
done in 1906 were: Michael NicklaUs. Truck IT, Ben
nett medal; Robert T. Thomnson. Truck 6, Bonner
medal: William F. Rousseau. Truck 6, Strong
medal; George ". Seth, Truck g. Trevor-Warren
medal; Assistant Foreman Isaac Ludgate, Engine
IL. Citizens medal; Foreman George Fox. Engine
q. Wertheim medal; Assistant Foreman Michael ].
J. Martin, Engine Is, Brooklyn Eagle medal:
John A Kuch. Truck o. Hurley medal. and Fore
man Edward J. Levy, Engine 80. the Stephenson
medal Every one Of them had got the coveted
little bits Of gold under circumstances that would
raise the hair OF bald headed man, but when they
lined up yesterday TO get their reward they looked
like schoolboys just caught putting a pin in the
masters chair. Every one of them looked as
though he would rather win the medal all over
again than face the dapper little Mayor
After the medal men had fallen out, to be mohbed
by their friends and chaffed by their mates Mayor
Mcclellan sent in fire alarm from the post in
stalled on the stand. In hfty-four seconds Engine
Company II, commanded by Foreman Mike" Han
ley, reached Broadway and 18th street from No
II East 18th street Then came No. 16 from Fifth
avenue and 18th street, and their tenders from
which the hose ran out while their horses kept at