Evening star., 1927-07-13
COMPANY 17LEADS
|NF|REMEN'S TEST
Seven and a Fifth Seconds
Lowest Mark Yet in Speed
Contest.

Roaring out of quarters in exactly
is seconds, Engine Company, No.
II, located on Monroe street, between
Twelfth and Thirteenth streets north
east, was leading it's competitors to-
day at the end of the first series
of speed tests to decide the winner
OF The Evening Star Cup.
Truck Company, No. 13, at Florida
avenue and Oren street northeast
was next, with Z Is seconds, and
thereby was ahead in the race for
1927 possession of the Merchants d
Manufacturers Cup. awarded to
truck companies.
Near World Record.
By setting the pace for the others
to follow, Lieut.. r. G.. Glasscock of
Nc. Il Engine Company and his men
came within 1-5 seconds of equal
ing the world record, set last year
bv Engine Company No. II when
il hung up a mark of 6 seconds fiat.
t., Star Cup now is held by the
latter company.
Nine engine companies and three
truck companies were tested this
morning by Battalion Chief Thomas
F. O'Connor, w. w. Deane. fire pre-
vention engineer of the War De-
hartment. and representative OF
The Star.
All companies but one swung out
Of their houses in less than 10 sec
onds. the low record for Baltimore.
One company. Engine Company, No.
3, New Jersey avenue. between u
and f streets. had trouble in getting
its motor started and as result
was credited with 80 seconds.
Twenty other engine companies. 10
more truck companies. the rescue
squad and the fire boat remain TO
be timed. The contest committee is
continuing the tests this afternoon
and tomorrow.
Chief Praises Results.
Chief O'Connor, chairman OF the
committee, expressed qualification over
the results of the first tests, pointing
out that the average time this year is
much better than that established in
1926 and 1925. Under a new rule
the competing companies are permit
ted to warm their engines before the
tests.
Other results today. with last years
comparisons, follow:
Engine Company No Q. u street be.
tween Sixteenth and Seventeenth
streets; Lieut.. o. r. Balderson in
charge and Pvt. w. J. Smith. driver
73-5 seconds; last year. S 2.5 seconds.
Truck Company No. /. New Jersey
avenue, between d and + streets;
Lieut.. F. L. Hanback,, Driver +. r.
Skidmore and Pvt. J. J. Ogle at the
crank--7 As seconds; last year, 3 sec.
onds.
Engine Company No. IL, North cap.
itol street and Quincy place: Sergt. M.
II. Sutton and Driver L. /. Lanahan-
2.5 seconds; last year. II 3-5 seconds.
Engine Company No. 6. Massachu-
setts avenue, between Fourth and
Fifth streets; Lieut.. c. d. Bartelmess,
driver, r. L. Huntington, and cranker
M. A. Wannall, s 3-5 seconds; last
year, 2-5 seconds.
Companies Tie Time.
Engine Company No. Z. r street be-
tween Ninth and Tenth streets; Sergt.
j. c. Sydnor; driver, A. c. Lawhorn,
and cranker, A. II. Johnson. 40 Sec
onds; last year, 10 is seconds.
Engine Company No. 81, Minnesota
avenue and Hunt place northeast;
Sergt. D. r. Moore: driver, d. p.
Grady; cranker, G. w. Dove, seconds
fat; last year, 1-5 seconds.
Engine Company No. 10, Maryland
avenue near Fourteenth street north
east: Lieut.. +. L. Hunt, and Driver G.
E. We'll; and Engine Company No. &c,
Twenty-second and Franklin streets
northeast; Sergt. +. H. Weaver; driver,
J. L. Shaney, and cranker. $. Cottreli,
both tied with As seconds; last wear
the former had IA Is seconds, and the
latter 12 2-5 seconds.
Truck Compny No. 4. New Jersey
avenue and NJ street; Acting Sergt. f.
NJ. -Earnshaw: Driver A. r. Gauvreau
and Cranker NJ. II. Nally. 10 seconds
8at: last year, 8 3-5 seconds.
Engine Company No. 3, New Jersey
avenue between u and E streets; Sergt
]. c. Lacey, Driver J. p. Damsky and
Cranker NJ X. Roberts, 80 seconds;
last year. 13 3-5 seconds.
Time Carefully Checked.
No. II Engine Company had rec
ord last year of 10 3-5 seconds. Its
mark today was the same as that
hung up by the tying companies last
year, viz. Engine Companies No. Il
and %. On the run-off to decide the
tie the former company established
the world record and the latter COM
pany clipped 1-5 of second Off its
previous mark, to make seconds
fat.
The time Of each company was
carefully checked by two stop
watches, one held by Chief O'Connor
and the other by The Stars repre-
sentative. Mr.. Deane in each in
stance measured the distance to be
covered during the test, or 80 feet,
as specified in Fire Chief Watsons
orders.
Engine Company No. II had been lin
training for the contest, and they
made every fraction Of a second count
The men were stationed about the
floor Of the house, with Driver r. F.
Midget toefng mark Il feet from his
seat and Private Tom O'Brien located
a similar distance from the crank.
Gong Starts Activity.
At word from Chief O'Connor, the
big gong sung out the number il.
With the first strike of the gong Pri-
vate Midget dashed for his seat, and
O'Brien dived for the hand crank,
previously set in the most advan-
tageous position. At the same time the
stop watches started clicking off their
story, a fifth of second at a time.
The motor was whirling over in an
instant, and in another instant the big
piece of apparatus was ripping
through the doorway with the throttle
wide open.
Comparison Of the stopwatches
showed that both instruments had
registered exactly the same time, to
a fifth Of a second.