Evening star., 1925-09-08
F|REMENS PARADE
ENTERTA!I|NS CROWD
Pageant on Labor Day Shows
History and Aims of City's
Fire Fighters.

Labor day in Washington might
ers' day" Whatever local color the
annual holiday had here was almost
entirely furnished by the National
Capitals firemen and policemen.
The firemen started things off at
noon, when close to 500 of them, ac-
nGmpanied by a goodly body of their
fellow workers from nearby Maryland
and Virginia towns, paraded down
enusylvania avenue in a procession
trat was unique even to parade jaded
Washington.
Then In the afternoon the firemen
Joined hands with the policemen in
filling to most creditable degree the
place left vacant by the league-lead-
ing Nationals at Clark Griffith Stadium.
1t was the annual tuSSle between the
two departments for base ball su-
premacy and. as a result OF more in
tensive training with the bludgeon,
the cobs dubbed the iiremen into sub
mission, 8 to :.
Thousands Leave City.
Washington. however. made the
most of the holiday. This is the last
week OF comfortable Summer sched
ules in Government departments and
most business houses. Saturday will
end for another year the weekend
half holidays. Thousands of persons
took advantage. therefore. OF the q
day holiday afforded by Labor day to
journey to country and seashore.
Despite the sultry heat that made
the day one Of the most uncomfort-
able of the Summer, a large crowd
watched the firemen-5 parade. They
were well rewarded for their forti-
tude. The procession was a panorama
of the evolution OF fire lighting from
the days of the tiny man-drawn, hand
pumped engines to the shrieking jug
gernauts of the present.
This story was told not only by
giving place in line to the antique ap-
paratus of Washington's time and the
modern trucks, but also by means of
floats. The floats also drove home an
excellent lesson Oh the need of fire
protection and the work the Fire De
partment does to protect the city from
destruction by the fire demon.
The parade was not the most unas
SUnlfng spectacle that ever swept up
Pennsylvania avenue, especially from
the standpoint of noise. Those few
unfortunates who did have to labor
on Labor day, especially in the news
paper offices. were kept bobhing up
and down from their chairs like corllS
in tempest by the unearthly walls
of the sirens on the fire wagons.
All Salute The Star.
Every piece of apparatus that
bOasted a horn seemed to think itself
duty bound to salute The Star as it
passed this papers building. The re-
suit was a hair-raiSing bedlam. but it
added decided local color" to the fire
pageant. Similarly the parade moaned
its greeting to other public buildings
as it passed.
a number of prizes were awarded
participants in the parade. Engine
Company "a won a handsome silver
loving cup for having the best deco
rated car in the procession. Its entry
was float depicting the value of the
demonstration and the ball game that
was TO follow to the widows and or
phans of fremen. All money derived
from the game was given to the fund
for the widows and orphans of fire
men and policemen.
Another silver loving cup went to
Columbia Company No. of Alexan-
ir'ia. for having the finest float of any
visiting fire company. The VirSinians'
entry was an old-fashioned hose reel.
Seated in a bower of flowers atop 1t
was a pretty little girl. Fifty we'll
groomed, whitegloved firemen from
Alexandria furnished its motive power.
Clowns Win Laughs.
Other prizes were awarded as fol
lows: Mrs. Elsie e. Bargagni, repre-
senting Truck Company 5, $40 for the
best decorated private automobile; En-
sine Company 27, s5 for the most
grotesque entry, and So to the fireboat
for having the largest number of
autos in line. The clowns. riding ridic-
ulous apparatus, kept the sidelines in
uproars of laughter.
Many thousands persons watched
the base ball game. 1t might be said
the Policemen had the best of the deal
not only from the standpoint of its
team but also in the galleries. There
was much good-natured Kidding"
however, and when there was a lull
The United States Marine Band filed
in the gap. The day is reported to
have enriched the fund for widows and
orphans of firemen and policemen by
thousands of dollars.