About Our Fire And Hose Boys

Protectloh Ure compnuy aml Protection üoie company whlch left this city. 011 Tuesday morningof last week, to take part in the 11 reman '3 tournament at Coldwater, iftui ned Friday forenoon on the Toledo & Aim Arbor road. 'l'hey wcre met at Pittsfield station by the band and escorted to the city and through the principal streets. As stated in onr last issue the hose boys captured the second prize of f75, making a record of 42} seconds, the Battle Creek company Winning the lirst prize in 41 seconds. "Protection" engine could not 1e entered in the flrst class, but took the first money in the second class, $7i, throwing against a heavy wind a stream 178} f eet. A BIT OF IIISTOBY. It is not genernlly known among our citiens thattheold Protection engine isan historien] machine, but she is. This engine was orlginally purchased by R. N. Rice, ftt the time llC Wna gcnornl DujioMiiton'Unt of the Mtohlgaa Central R. R., and placed In the machine shops at Detroit, and built over again, you inight say, for every weak point was strengtliened and many iniproveincnts added. This was in the days of the old volanteer lire department of Detroit, when the lire laddics used to delight in "running with the mashecn." After the engine had been built over to suit the ideas of the niaster medíanle, it was nianned by 80 of the largest, stoutst and toughest - not morally but physically - men to be fouml In the rallroad shops at Detroit, and Wát Ucpt to protect the propflfty1 of the M. C. R. R., in ;mcl abtMt the depot In the the hands of these men it has a record of throwing a stivam of water 576 feet, a greater distance tlian any other hand engine has ever baen known to throw. At the national fircinan's tournament held in Chicago in 1878, the greatest distance thrown by any first clans engine was il'.i1, feet, by the "New Peoría,1' of Peoría, 111., and the next was tlio "Protection,'' of Quincy, Mich., 214 feet 2-lOOths inclics. l'liis engine is compelled to enter in the second class on account of the diameter of lier eylinder which is but 8 inches in size, while a firat class engine rcqulr n oyltnder 9 inches or over. In praeticing a few nights previous to golng to Coldwater, our boys threw a stream 225 feet with perfect ease. There would be no trouble in "scooping in" the flrst class prize did tliey not bar the engine out of that class, on account of the size of her eylinder.