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WHS EMU DMlie:45 YEARS ISOHIi- 9c irnhiv©IaiFiremen Celebrated Washing-1*11 titon's Birthday With Ex-citing ContestsVit'•Jown v ith er boys— ' ^‘‘.Vow, altogether. ’Bloody Heds.!,H j jt Had you been on Baltimore street iithis Uav forty-five years ago. vott i diwould have beard ami seen a wonder-1jft.il sight—-the annual contest for• pumping honors of ('umberland's vol-? i unteer firemen, composed of theJI Mountaineers.” the “Pioneers.** orSbetter known as the ‘Bloody Reds,** and the Canada Hose Company.This was held on Washington's i birthday and was a gala occasion, thestreets being packed with anxious par** tisatts who cheered their favorites on to victory.s 1 1Ir\t 2 o'clo k in the afternoon thI com petiftc iremes, garbed in the liervred shirts, and black leather hats.*; j held their iarade. Following the pa rade. the contests began. With twentv.^ men on a side, grasping tbt pump.‘ handles of the Pioneer pum ing en-dengine ‘Old Suse,” a link of suction hose|would be dropped into the water holeinto the Mill Race in front of Dan a:| Bill’s restaurant. Three links would I be connected to the engine, the no/- j j zlemcn Casper Cassen and Henry 1 Carlton, would stand in readiness. i President James Bontielly would give command. and the fKimpers wouldbend their backs to lift tin* water over Ithe roof of St. Paul’s Lutheran church. Th«-n the “Mountaineers would trvnenli*it with their engine and the “Canada. team with “The Dutch Chest.” in 0 jcbargt of Jack Walton. The “Chest had a motto. Pe of Good Cheer. We’ll Stav By You.” painted on the bed. It v as all very exciting and s unetimes the poor Mill Race was pinn ed dry in the hurry to win, says ColonelY-' Baldy Enochs. and they would have • to wait until it tilled again.After tte contests, pre a rat ion u ttould be made for the firemen’s grand '• i*all in the Pioneer Hose Hal), wh* h51* j occupied th« McKee ami Turner lMlv ilding on North Centre street. The*sj hall was trimmed for the gala event, of j ami the winning firemen were the proud heroes of Cumberland. Thetrees around th«* hose hoti.se would lie tilled with couples “waiting out'd dances” and many romances were the oi 1 outcome.a- Cumberland broke up this annualn-,custom by installing a pumping stan- j tlon and laying mains, and the gloryj that was In the ioys of being a volute Jteer lireman ant! his red shirt, finallyflickered and ditd out.“But them were great days,” saidCdone! Baldy, today, ami he pouredI out a cup of coffee in the workroomjuX Central Fire Station.
Newspaper Details
Cumberland Evening Times
Cumberland, Maryland, US
Mon, Feb 22, 1915
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Trevor
Select State, USA 11 Mar 2021
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