FIRE BRIGADE COMPETITION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 837, 4 August 1881, Page 2

FIRE BRIGADE COMPETITION.

The match between the membors of the Masterton and Carterton Fire Brigades created no little excitement yesterday afternoon in Master-ton. The course, 200 yards;iu length, lay alqng Quean-street, between Mr. lows' auction. rq6ni and Mr \V. Perry's shop, and at 3 p.m., when tlie .event came off,; it was thronged with spectators, Shortly after : 8 o'clock 'tlie Masterton ongine was brought on the ground, and the two teains made ready, for the competition, The Mnstaton men were move conspicuous' in*their appearanco, as, unliko their Carterton friends, thoy are properly equipped with helmets and uniforms, They'wcre also more even in size and general appearance than .theiropponents, who were'made up of tall and short men and stout- and tip ones, "We understand thai orfo or two of tljo picket! members of the Carterton Brigade were .unable.to. comeup,,and.that-emergency hands had to be taken at the. lastmoment, The Masterton : competitor's were commanded by Captain. Mtrir, and the' Carterton team by Lieut, Bowles. -There-wereeight men-on-eaehside,—Mr-Jas. Brown (agent for the South British ■ Insurance Company) and Mr O.F. .Worth (formerly captain Wellington Brigade)' acted as umpires, and Mr Bish as referee, ■Messrs -T.-H-.-Hill audJ.-Payton as'timekoepers, Carterton WQh the,toss, andelected that Masterton should lead.' TJie captain sounded bis whistle, and the local men took the. big engine' at a steady even pace to its destination, 200 yards awayj running out the hose 200 feet, connecting it, and giying fbrcc strokes with the pump in 1 minut'eai?d'33'secQi]ds; paoklng was done in 50 whole work making 2 mimitqs and 24 seconds. All. the work was done smoothly and steadily exoepting a slight hitch with the suotion hose.

The Carterton team then took their innings, They stripped to their shirtsleeves before starting, a slight advantage which the Masterton team did not object to, They endeavored to score another point by oscillating the> engine prior to starting, but this was protested' ijgajnst, The Carterton men ran the engine down the street smartly, but scarcely' made as good time as their comuetitor's, aswhetv the hose was out and the Ihreo strokes pumped J. minute and 37 seconds had' elap-ed, tlius losing I 'seconds. • The packing up took )}o' seconds, making a total of 2 minutes and 37 seconds against the Masterton 2 minutes and 24 seconds, The work was hardly done to perfection, the lid of tlje engine not being shut down as the conditions of the, oqntost demanded. In the second heat tlje Mastertqn. team eclipsed their first performance, running down and getting out the hose in 1 minute and 38 seconds, and packing in 45 seconds, giving a total time of 2 minutes and 13 seconds.

The O.irtorton team were less fortunate tliis time, biing 1 minute and 43 seconds and 52 seconds, making a total of 2 minutes and 35 9econds. Masterton accordingly won the first heat by 13 seconds and the second by 22 seconds, The. Carterton brigade was a little handicapped by, having--to work,a much heavier engine than tlie;-.ohe\ttiey are an<| all things considered, •the mombera of it acquitted.- tlienjsolves well and pluckily. Captain Af uir and his men must be congratulated on a victory which was not 'von without a Btruggle, and on the thorough discipline and efficiency which v/as manifested on the Mastertou side. The names ojf tfye Carterton toam were Messrs 6. Bennett, T. Bennett, W. C. Greeks, R. Goodin, E. Toliey, Djedrich, Grawford, and Hunter; of the jtyasterton . team, Messrs Kingdon, Palmer,. Feegter, A. Smith,' Broom, B, Hounslow, Townsend, and 4'\)y»lden, After the contest the OartertQiiVyiaitors were entertained at the Club Hotel by their Masterton friends, ')

THE DINNER, i prepared by Bosfr Elkins in hw ijsual excellent style, was sat down to by about thirty pesrons, All after their exertions had good appetites, and ample justiae was done to the viands. The health of the Carterton team was proposed by Captain Afuir in a few well chosen- words, and Lieut. Bowles responded by. proposing'the health ofthe Masterton team, expressing a hope that thepresent contest was only the first of a' series of friendly competitions. ; ■ -••' -'■ • The health'of the umpires, time-keeper, and referee was then proposed by Lieut. Dixon in a capital speech, 1 to which'Mr Jiw. Brown responded.' As the Carterton team had to. proceed homeward, the party broke up early, after mutual - cheer a and good wishes.