Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-17
CUP IS PRESENTED
TO TRUCK COMPANY
No. ~ Gets n. & NJ. Trophy
for Leaving Its Quarters
in Fastest Time.

The Merchants and Msnufac turers'
Association Cup, symbolic of suprem-
acy in efficiency. occupies a pedestal
To-Day in the quarters of No. T. Truck
Company. located on Wisconsin ave
nue near Friendship. which defeated
every other truck company in the
District Of Columbia in open cUmpe-
tition to determine which could leave
ito quarters in the fastest time on a
regular alarm of fire.
Not only did the men of No IL
bring their apparatus cut Cf it's quar-
ters NTH Of second faster tina n
their nearest competitor. bIt they
esta blished what tx believed to ne a
new national record for any similar
out1t under identical conditions
Their time was A. seconds from
the instant the gong began TO sum.
mon them to an imag inary fire until
they had cleared the sill Of their door
Ross r. Andrews. president Of the
Merchants and Manufacturers AssO,
citation. in turning the cup over 70
Commissioner Dougherty for presen.
tation to the winners yesterday after
noon. expressed belief that the rec.
ord established by No. y might easily
prove to be unbea ia Bile In jocular
WIZ Hc NCIitt vi III n IIotHSSN lI1dt the
company that betters the time will
have to finish before IL starts"
Seconds Are important.
Mr.. Andrews pointed ont that the
winners of a similar cup last wear
flashed out Of their quarters in sec
onds fiat. TO win out this year. he re-
called. No. - clipped Nth OF a sec
ond from that time. the margin of
victory being measured by that small
figure. when the Georgetown truck
company succeeded in getting away
in seconds fiat.
Commissioner Dougherty told the
men of the winning company that
II was the ability to win that was
the essential thing in their victory.
4 matter Of few seconds might
mean the difference" he said. be
tween small blaze and a great con-
f1agra ton. or the losing of life or
the saving Of one. You have shown
that YOU have the ability to make
seconds. and even fractions of sec
onds count"
MIR. Dougherty particularly compli
mented Serst. d. J. Reilly Of No
* Engine Company. who was in
charge of the truck on the day ii
won the trophy He aid that Sergt
Reilly's victory was made all the
more impressive because he had
shown that he possessed the YER
satility necessary for commander
10 step from an engine company to
truck company on an hours notice
and lead II to victory He also COM
mended by name G.. y. Meese. who
drove the truck; Pvt. c. l.. Caller
who cranked II. and Capt. Robert
r. Tegeler. the newly appointed
comma nder.
Capt. Barker Gets Credit.
In accepting the cup in the name
of his men, Capt. Tegeler graciously
pointed out that the credit for such
perfection Of training did not belong
10 himself so much as to Capt. H. B.
Barker. commander Of No. 20 Engine
Company. which occupies the same
quarters with No. II truck Until
within month Of the time the test
was run, Capt. Barker was com
marder Of both the engine company
and the truck company He had
directed both outfits for ) years. last
July having been the first time the
truck compan! had separa t e
comma nder
The Merchants and Manufacturers
Cup. beautiful trophy. standing
nearly IS inches high and mounted on
an ebony pedestal. which gives it a
total height Of . feet, has engraved on
u record Of the accomplishment ri
No. - and the names of a II of the men
who figured in the victory. 1t will
remain the permanent property OF
the company since the Mercha nts a nd
Manufacturers Association offers 4
new trophy for the winners each year
The ceremony Of presentation was
held in the company's quarters at !
O'Clock yesterday afternoon. 1t was
to have begun at 4:30, but Mr.. An
drews and other prominent figures or
the program were stalled en- route tt
the engine house by the storm. Chiet
Engineer George =. Watson was maj
ter Of ceremonies. and present at the
presentation were high officials Of the
Fire Department and Battalion Chiet
Thomas OConner and w W. Des n
fire prevention engineer of the Wai
Department., two Of the Judges Of the
contest.