Evening star., 1925-08-02
CUP IS PRESENTED
TO FIRE COMPANY
Evening Star Trophy for
Fastest Getaway Given
to Engine No. 23.

Hailed as the exemplars of unex'
celled efficiency, Engine Company %
| winner of the recent speed test to de.
termine which fire company in Wash
ington could get out of its quarters
| fastest on an alarm of fire, was last
| night presented The Evening Star cup
in token of their record breaking VIC
tory.
More than 200 men and women
gathered at the companys station. on
G street between Twenty-first and
Twenty y-second, to witness the cere-
mony, and they cheered Commissioner
Frederick A. Fenning when he told
Capt. B. w. Weaver, commander of
the championship company, that his
men had undoubtedly established a
record which will be hard to excel"
For more than an hot;- after the
formal ceremonies with which the cup
was turned over to Engine %, Capt
Weaver and his men stood in a receiv-
ing line while officials of the District
government and the Fire Department,
prominent business men and members
of the community passed along. shak-
ing each by the hand and congratulate
ing them.
Expects to Repeat.
In addition to Commissioner Fen
ming and Col. C. Fred Cook, the lat
ter representing The Star, Chief En-
gineer George S. Watson, Battalion
Chief Thomas O'Connor, who had
charge of the test. and every ranking
officer of the Fire Department were
present. Capt. Weaver frankly told
his superiors that he has every conf
dence that his men will repeat their
performance next year and eventually
retain the trophy permanently.
Every member of the company ap-
peared in dress uniform. The men
were lined up in single file beside the
big truck, with which they won the
test by speeding out of their house in
exactly Z 1-5 seconds, almost three full
seconds better than the best time that
could be made by Baltfmore's crack
company, which had claimed the ma
tional speed contest by getting away
on an alarm in 10 seconds.
Col. Cook explained how some
weeks ago the attention of The Star
was attracted to an Associated Press
dispatch which related that Baltimore
had produced Americas fastest fire
company by lowering Detroit's pre-.
vious national record. LAS an insti-
tuition of the National Capital" Col.
Cook said, "The Star was not willing
that such statement should go un-
challenged; that 1t should not at least
pass without seeing what Washing
ton could do. -.
Believe in Local Firemen.
"Ten seconds did look like a mighty
brief space of time for a fire COM
pany to get away, actually be on its
journey. to an alarm of fire, but. hav-
ing always maintained an abiding
faith in the Fire Department Of the
District of Columbia, The Star offered
this cup as trophy to the National
Capitals fastest company. That our
faith in our own department was not
unfounded has been more than shown
by Engine Company %"
Col. Cook thereupon delivered the
cup to Commissioner Fenning, as the
District Commissioner in charge of the
Fire and Police Departments. Under
the rules of the test the cup is TO re-
main the property of the winning COM
pany for one year until 1t is finally
captured by one company three times,
when it becomes it's permanent prop
erty. Turning to Capt. Weaver, who
stood at the front of his men, COM
missioner Fenning said:
citation and congratulations. The Fire
Department, the District government
and all the citizens of the District ap-
preciate the generous action of The
Evening Star Newspaper Company in
presenting this beautiful cup. 1t is
an evidence of sincere interest in
civic affairs and believe 1t is particu-
larly appropriate that such interest be
shown in the Fire Department.
THE men who are engaged in the
various lines of municipal activity
render faithful service, but it Is to
the firemen that people turn in time
of emergency. in time of distress, and
be it said to the credit of our Fire
Department that every call made
upon that department is answered
with alacrity, with intelligence and
with great efficiency. So it is that
as we express our appreciation to
the donor of the cup, We also express
our most hearty congratulations to
the company that won in the fair
competition recently held in this city.
In winning that competition by
making a get away in less than 8
seconds, Engine Company No. % has
undoubtedly established a record
which will be hard to excel.
"Col. Cook, as a member of the
Board OF commissioners VI lllo LIS
trict of Columbia, accept this cup
with grateful Appreciation; and to
you, Capt. Weaver and the men of
your company and the officers and
men who may be assigned to this
company the coming year, / deliver
this cup, here to be kept for the pre-
scribed period as reminder to the
men of this engine company of the
success of their efforts, and as an in
dication to all citizens who come, into
this engine house that these men
have earned what I am now most
happy to tender them, namely the
very sincere congratulations of the
community"
Driver Is Congratulated.
Capt Weaver accepted the cup in
the name of the company, expressing
his deep appreciation for both himself
and his men for the words Of praise
and the trophy. I'VE are very, very
proud of this minute" he said, "and
can assure you every one of US shall
do our best to repeat next year and
keep this trophy right here until 1t be-
comes ours permanently"
Private Paul P. Ballinger, who drove
the apparatus on the day 1t won the