Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-22
F|REMEN TESTING
ENGINES FOR RACE
Contest for The Star Cup In
spires Strenuous Efforts
to Win Speed Record.

All over Washington today those
folks who dwell near fire engine
houses are hearing the intermittent
roars OF powerful motors being
started and stopped at unusually fire.
ouent intervals, but in no neighbor-
hood is the turmoil so great as near
the quarters of No. % engine COM
pany, on G street between Twenty
first and Twenty-second streets. -
The lads Of that company are pre-
pairing to enter competition with
every engine company In Washington
beginning next Monday to prove their
right to retain possession of the Eve
ming Star trophy for another year by
leaving their quarters in the fastest
time on a regular alarm of fire. And
they are tuning up the old engine
with an energy that augers well Tor
success.
No. % company set record for all
the world to shoot at last year when
It left it's quarters in seven and one
fifth seconds on a regulation alarm
of fire. BY so doing it bested every
other engine company in Washington
and easily defeated the crack COM
pany in Baltimore, which had claimed
to be the fastest engine company in
the country by having left its quar-
ters in 10 seconds fiat.
Last One to Be Tested.
The winning company happened to
be the last visited by the judges, who
were testing the Fire Department last
year to determine the winner of The
Evening Star cup, a trophy which is
offered annually by this paper to en-
courage speed in the Fire Department.
No one ever thought 1t would break
the tie of eight seconds which existed
between two other companies.
No. 20 has one of the most anti
quated pieces of motorized apparatus
in Washington, an old, hand-cranked
White truck. But Capt B. w.
Weaver had trained his men we'll and
Driver p. p. Ballenger had guaged
the width Of his door to fine degree.
Scarcely had the first stroke of the
gong finished sounding than the eager
motor of the old white was roaring.
Bong! Bong-bong- So sang
the old bell. BOX 13. Co." cried
Capt. Weaver. And in just exactly
seven and one-f1fth seconds from the
strike, No. 20 was racing down G
street to its destination. That is a
record other fire companies will have
to try long time to lower.
Made Under Usual Conditions.
There was no effort to make it easy.
All of the men were ordered to the
back of the engine house and the
gong was sounded in the official man
ner. To achieve such a record the
men Of No 23 had to run to their sta
tons, crank the truck, wait until the
box had been counted, wait for their
commander to order them on their
way and then get under way, always
remembering to be cautious enough
to prevent an accident.
A lot of motions had to be gone
through to do all of those things in so
few seconds. Capt Weaver has his
same old driver and he is out to win
The Star cup for a second successive
year. Last years record will not fig
ure in the winner of the cup this year.
Il will remain as the record until
lowered, but the companys leaving its
quarters quickest this year will get
the cup for a year. The company win
ming 1t three times becomes perma-
nent owner.
A real contest is in sight this time,
because the more modern companies,
equipped with the Goliaths of the fire
run that are supposed to be the fleet
est, most efficient apparatus yet de-
veloped, are still feeling the chagrin of
their utter rout at the hands Of one of
the oldest motor trucks in the District
Fire Department. II there is any fair
way Of whipping that one they are
going to do il.