The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1908-09-11

Joplin, Mo-, September. ll-Believing
that his automobile fire engine
was going to strike Ray Karch,
Harry Mandell, both firemen. and Captain
of Police Ogburn. Pete Stires, driver Of
the No g. automobile hose wagon, yester-
day afternoon at Barbee Park, while
coming down the home stretch at rate
of about forty miles an hour, shut off the
power, called to his companions to jump,
and, at the risk Of his own life, deliber-
ately overturned his machine.
The act Of the driver was witnessed by
more than 7.000people, and the feat was
performed while the structure which had
been erected in the park. which had been
fired, was burning fiercely. The machines
had been placed on the starters'line and the
building fired. The four Joplin automobile
fire fighting machines were giving an exhi-
bition Of extinguishing the fire. The big
75-horse power engine was first to reach
the fire plug. the chemical wagon next
reached the ere, and was throwing the
chemical on the blaze, from which smoke
was rising in great clouds.
Hose wagon No. 2 reached the plug and
was attaching line of hose, when hose
wagon No. 3, with its bells changing, drove
up to the plug with terrific speed. Just
as the automobile wagon was in front of
the grandstand. the driver saw the two
fremen and the police officer directly in
his path, and believing that unless des-
perate measures were used he would kill
the men, he jerked up the lever, closing
the throttle, called to his companion, Ev-
erette Grover. to jump and with a quick
turn Of his wheel,overturned the machine.
jumping clear Of it as it fell.
Seeing the three men in perlthe grand
stand, which was shouting itself hoarse,
as the other machines were fighting the
big fire, were suddenly silent and shud-
der ran through the thousands of people.
AS the machine overturned, it was
deathly still, and then as the driver, who
had leaped. arose from the ground,
cheer went up from the crowd.
The firemen Of the other machines gave
one glance at the injured machine, and
seeing that no one was hurt, went ahead
fighting the blaze. The fire, with two
lines of hose, one from the powerful auto
mobile pump and one from the plug and
the chemical automobile, was soon extin-
euished. The blaze showed the great eff
cheney Of the Joplin automobile fire
apparatus.
The Joplin automobile fire fighting APP
paratus made many test runs yesterday,
and during these the thousands of people,
who completely filed the big.grandstand,
were on their feet. fairly holding their
breath, as the powerful machines dashed
past the stand. The fire race, in which
two automobile hose wagons and the big
automobile pump took part was won by
the pump. making a mile in two minutes
and seven seconds. The second race, in
which the machines ran 100 feet, turned
and came back, was won by the No. 2
hose wagon, driven by John EdmonstOn.
making the trip in thirteen seconds.
The third race. in which the No. 2 wagon
ran one mile against time. was made I'M
two minutes. and the run made by the
big fire engine. the same distance. was
made in one minute and forty-six seconds
Il was then that the house which had