The Firemen's Tournament

THE FIREMEN'S TOURNAMENT, An Immense Display of Fire Apparatus and a Large Gathering of Firemen Expected on Dominion Day. In the old days of the volunteer fire department, when any event of importance transpired which rendered a procession necessary, the men could, always be relied upon to turn oat and make a creditable display. The paid force which displaced the volunteers were not so active as their predecessors, but two years ago, when the centennial anniversary of the landing of the Loyalists was celebrated, the firemen turned out in full force, and with the assistance of a large number of visitors from different parts of the country added much to the interesting events of that historic day. This year, which is the centennial year of St. John’s erection into a city, the firemen propose to have another grand procession. Instead of Loyalist day it was decided to have the procession on Dominion Day. Since the matter was first proposed an energetic committee has been constantly at work corresponding with fire departments all over the country inviting them to participate in the procession. The local departments have 124 members, 53 on the east side and 71 on the west tide. These with the various machines would make a splendid turnout of themselves, but it is probable that fully 200 more men from different sections of the country will be in line. The departments sending detachments, so far as heard from, are Halifax Axe Company and Union Protection Company, 20 men each; Yarmouth, 25 men; Truro, Moncton and Windsor, 15 men each; St. Mary's, Fredericton, St. Stephen, Woodstock, Amherst, Houlton, 12 men each. All of the departments bring machines. Moncton, St. Stephen and Windsor will be accompanied by brass bands. Special excursions will be ran from each of these places. The program for the day has been arranged. All of the departments will be formed up at 9.30 a. m. on King Street (east), and start in procession through the principal streets of the city at 10 a. m. Such arrangements will be made that the procession will start promptly on time and return to the starting point about noon, or a little earlier. In the afternoon, commencing at 2 o’clock, the sports will take place on Barrack Square. The program for this portion of the day is as follows:— 1. Foot race, open to firemen, 100 yards; prize, $10. 2. Salvage corps foot race, 100 yards; prize, silver medal. 3. Professional foot race, open, 150 yards; prize, $10. 4. Hook and ladder race, open to any five members of hook and ladder companies; run 100 yards, raise 30-foot ladder, and one man to ascend to the top—time to be called as soon as he grasps the top wrung with his hand; prize, $10. 5. International hose cart race; prize, $100; 2nd, $25. 6. Amateur foot race, 100 yards, open; prize, silver medal. 7. Drivers’ foot race, 100 yards, open to all drivers of fire apparatus; prize. $5. 8. Three-legged race, 50 yards, open; prize, 9. Sack race, 50 yards, open; prize, $3. 10. Hose cart race, open to ten men of all fire departments represented, to be ran in fall uniform. Distance, 300 yards; prize, $20. The evening will also be fully filled. At 8.30 the firemen will be again formed up on King Street east for the torchlight procession. Each man will carry in addition to a torch the brilliant owl light in a great variety of colors. Immediately on the conclusion of the torch-light procession the promenade concert will open at the Exhibition Building, where the prizes will be awarded. Excursion rates have been obtained on all the railroads and on steamboat lines running into the city and a huge crowd of visitors is expected to witness the procession. It will certainly be the greatest tarn oat of firemen ever seen in the Maritime Provinces. The local firemen have already commenced decorating their machines, and although all of the companies are very quiet about what they intend doing it goes without saying that each will try to out do all the others, and when the St. John firemen try to do this an excellent display is certain.