Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-01
Thousands See Pageant Con-
sisting of Maryland, Vir-
ginia, New Jersey, PemsN-
vania, Delaware Companies
CAPITAL C0NTINGENT
IN COLORFUL DISPLAY
Visitors and Washington Citizens
Throng Pennsylvania Avenue,
With Many Weary After Night
Due to 0vercrowded Housing
Conditions.

Scores OF persons were overcome
by the heat on Pennsylvania ave-
nue. today while a crowd esti-
mated at $4,000 was watching the
annual f1remen's parade.
AS the parade continued for two
and one-half hours the Shrill
sirens of scores of visiting fire
trucks was Silenced so that the
traffic would give way for speed
ing ambulances rushing the heat
victims to Emergency and Cas-
ualty Hospitals. Every doctor and
nurse at Emergency was called
into service and cots even set up
in the corridors to take care of
the victims, so fast did they come
into the hospital. Besides the hos
pital ambulanceS many private
ambulanceS and automobiles were
carrying victims to the hospitals
as the mercury mounted over SO
degrees.
At 1870 o'clock it was estimated
that go persons had been treated.
Beneath a warm September sun and
before huge throngs of local residents
and visitors from out of town, the Cap
ital staged its most pretentious fire.
mems carnival in Labor day annals.
While most of Washingtons official
dom, including President Hoover and
members of his cabinet, observed the
holiday in other places the rank and
file of the city's population remained to
view the spectacular pageant of fire.
fighting progress which moved up Penn
Sylvania avenue.
It was a parade after the heart of
the laboring man and his family--and
one calculated to stir latent emotions of
those who do not work so~haFd rs we'll
Restless Night for Many.
Even aching backs and heavy eye
lids were forgotten by those who, ar
irving yesterday without hotel accom-
modations, were forced to sleep on pal
lets and even billiard tables, due to the
extraordinary overflow. The population
occupants of more than 100 extra auto
mobiles.
Heralded by their tocsins, the smoke
eaters" from Maryland, Virginia, West
Virginia, Pennsylvania, New JerSej and
Delaware joined with their local he'll
melted brothers in storming the Avenue
from the Capitol to the EllipSe.
Getting under way at the Peace Monu-
ment an hour before noon, the pageant
was painted with touches Of pathos as
well as comedy.
Crowds that were wont to chuckle
od-humoredly at the hysterical antics
OF Glowing fire fighters, changed their
mood to more serious and reflective vein
as the kaleidoscope review changed its
whims.
Treat for Retired Steeds.
Everybody admires hero, and not
all OF the heroes in todays parade were
human. There were, for instance, Bar
ney. Gene and Tom, venerable sur
vivors of the thrilling days-seemingly
not so long ago-hen snorting, fire en-
gineS, blllowing clouds of smoke and
steam, were pulled madly through car
riage-infes ted streets by powerful, Spir-
tied steedS.
Brought from green pastures-or
once-green pastureS-of the Home for
Aged and Infirm at Blue Plains, the
veteran trio of fire horses seemed to be
sensing once again the lure of the clang-
ing bells and swirling smoke as they
swung into line hitched to one OF the
steaming steel mammoths of the past,
the old Metropolitan engine.
The horses, retired from service six
years ago with considerable ceremony,
are feature of every Labor day Mardi
Gras and today they seemed to receive
more than their usual share of cheers
and applause. Some of the older specta-
tors, with far-away look in their eyes,
were particularly vociferous in their
greeting to the equine old-timers.
Contrast Of Apparatus.
Barney, Gene and Tom were part
Of special pageant of progress" Sec
ton depicting the evolution of fire
fighting from the days of the hand
drawn and manually-operated pumper
TO today's massive, powerful and re-
splendent apparatus and including a
glimpse toward the future.
The aerial fire engine of tomorrow
brought up the rear of the progress"
section. 1t was Spirit of st. Louis"
type airplane float, with two fire axes
on the hull and mo. 81 Engine Com
pany" inscribed on the ship.
Near the head of the procession rode
the District Commissioners, DR.. Luther
B. Reichelderfer, Maj. Gen. Herbert B.
Crosby and Maj. j. G. GotwalS, and not
far behind them came the sovereigns of
Washington's two neighboring States.
Gov. Albert c. Ritchie of Maryland and
Gov. John Garland Pollard of Virginia.
The official contingent included Sergt
A. j. Bargagni, marshal of the parade,
accompanied by police escort on motor
cycles and the Navy Band, and Odell
S. Smith and Rudolph Jose, chairman
and vice chairman, respectively, of the
Citizens Committee.
The Commissioners and the Governors
left the parade near the end Of the
route to enter small decorated re-
viewing stand in front of the District
Building.
Issr Across the Avenue was larger stand
containing the judges-almost 100 of
them--who sat In judgment of the
passing units with view to awarding
loving cups and other prizes to the
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