SPIT FIRE BRIGADE COMPETITION.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6259, 25 May 1882, Page 3

SPIT FIRE BRIGADE COMPETITION.

It having been found impracticable to arrange for a competition between the Napier and the Spit Volunteer Eire Brigades, the latter brigade determined to hold a competition amongst their own members. A number of valuable prizes were presented by the principal firms and residents of Napier and the Spit, including Messrs Ruddock and Fryer, Langley and Newman, Large and Townloy, Neal and Close, Hallenstein Bros., Davidson, Irvine and Co., F. W. Williams, Garrett Bros,, G. Wilson, S. E. Cooper, Hayman and Co., Banner and Liddle, C. Smythe, H. H. Wall, and W. Denholm, and the various evonts wore very keenly contested. The wealher was propitious, and everything passed off successfully. The following are the results of the different competitions : — First Event, Single-banded.— Engine to be placed in position, each man to run one 50-foot length of dry hose on each side of engine, fix one length of suction hose, throw out and secure branches, unlock brakes, and give one stroke on beat blocks. First prize, suit of clothes ; second, lustre lamp ; third, lamp ; fourth, pair vases ; fifth, for man making longest time, knicker suit. For this event there were eight competitors : W. Lucas, lmin. 12\sec. -, F. Smith, lmin. 14|sec, ; J. Fraser, lmin. 19sec. ; W. Taylor, lmin. 16Asec. ; W. Lynch, lmin. 18sec. ; A. Waddell, lmin. 18isec. ; J. Gilford, lmin. 21|soc. ; 0. Cranby, lmin. 28£ sec. Second Event, Four-handed. — Engine to be placed in position. Four men to run out and connect two 50-foot length dry hose from each side of engine, fix ono length suction hose, fix branches, throw out and secure brakes, unlock brakes, and give one stroke on beat block. First prize, £3; second, £2. F. Smith, C. Cranby, W. Lucas, and A. Waddell, 30. f sec. ; J. Fraser, W. Taylor, J. Gifford, and W. Lynch, 37sac. ; J. Nelson, P. Hatwell, T. Counor, and H. Brown, 39|sec. Third Event, Pairs. — Hose and hydrant. — Two men to run 100 yards to fire Elug, carrying one 50-foot length wet ose, hydrant and branch, fix hydrant, connect, and run out 50-foot hose, fix branch, and show wator. First prize, 2 boxes tea ; second, 2 pairs boots ; third, prize value £1. Gilford and Fraser, 35secs. ; Lynch and Nelson, 39£secs.*: W. Lucas and Symmonds, 4lf sees. ; Smith and T. Lucas, 45secs. ; Hatwell and Brown, missed branch. Fourth Event, Hose-reel Flat.— Ruu hose-reel with threo 100-foot lengths wet hose connected 100 yards to fire-plug, fix hydrant, lay off two linos of 100 feet each of wet hose, fix branchos, and throw water over a line. Prize, cup and £6. Smith's team: Smith, W. Lucas, T. Lucas, A. Waddell, C. ILennedy, C. Cranby, W. Symmonds, and J. Connor, lmin. 3|secs ; Fraser's team : Fraser, Gifford, W. Taylor, P. Hatwell, T. Connor, J. Nelson, W. Lynch, and H. Brown, lmin. 7secs. Fifth Event, Manual Engine.— Run engine 30 yards to cistern, lock front carriage, throw out and socure brakes, run out 100-foot length wet hose each side of engine, connect two lengths suction hose, fix branches, and throw two jets water over a line 15 feet high. Prize, silver inkstand, and, £6. Fraser's team, 68£secs. ; Smith's team, 59secs; teams as in preceding event.

Sixth Event, Hose-reel and Ladder.*— Run hose-reel with two 100-foot lengths wet hose connected 100 yards to fire-plug, fix hydrant, lay off 100 feet hose, raise ladder, fix branch, and show water from platform. Prize, cup and £6. Smith's team, 4g£sec. . Fraser's team 50sec. ; same teams as in fourth event. The aggregate prize for the three last events was carried of by Fraser's team, with a total of 2min. 50|sec., against 2min. 51sec, by Smith's team; and the extra prize, a silver whistle and chain, fell to the captain of the victorious team. THE DINNEB. In the evening a most enjoyable dinner . wa"s given at the Crown Hotel, which was attended by the members of the brigade and thei? friends. Mr J. H. Vautier occupied the chair. After the ample repast supplied by Host Bell had been done justice to. the usual loyal toasts were duly honored, Superintendent Riddle, in a few appropriate words, proposed "The Army, Navy, and Volunteers." The toast having'been drunk with musical honors, Major Routledge returned thanks. He said he felt proud to belong to the service, and ho was sure its members would do their duty whenever called upon. Mr Vautier then proposed " Success and Prosperity to the Spit Volunteer Fire Brigade. " He remarked that though tke brigade had been in existence only three years, they had done very good service, and they deserved the greatest praise for what they had done. The brigade had done good work in the past, and no doubt they would do superior work in the future. He maintained that it was impossible to have a really good fire brigade without having a good leader, and he coupled, with tho toast the name of Superintendent Wilkie. The toast was received very enthusiastically by the visitors. Superintendent Wilkie thanked Mr Vautier for the flattering manner in which the toast had been proposed. He knew they were a good brigade, and thoy were so because they were always ready and willing to work. If there was any need for the brigade's services thoy might bo depended upon. Mr W. Miller proposed the next toast — "The Mayor and Corporation." He said it afforded him great pleasure to submit the toast, as he had been acquainted with Mr Vautier during the last 26 or 27 years. He had known Mr Vautier in a good many different capacities, and had always observed him to be straightforward and attentive to his duties, occupying his various positions with credit to himself and with advantage to the municipality. He (Mr Miller) thought there would be great difficulty to find another Mayor with equal abilities - and with the same zeal and devotion to public matters that Mr Vautier had evinced. With regard to the Corporation, there could be no doubt they had a very difficult task to perform ; they had large sums of money to expend, aud he thought they often got accused unjustly for the manner in • which the money had _ been applied. It was a very difficult thing to satisfy the public when public money had to be extended; but when the |thi__gs that had been done with the money were examined he was sure that no cause for complaint would be found, but that, on the contrary, there was much to be grateful for. 1 The toast having been duly honored, Mr Smith sang a v«ry amusing song. Mr Vautier, in returning thanks, mentioned that he had sent in his resignation as Mayor and was, therefore, hardly entitled to respond to the toast that had been so flatteringly proposed by Mr Miller. He had known that gentleman for the last twenty-six years, twenty-four and a half of. which had been in Napier. He had not taken an active part in local affairs until Napier was proclaimed a muuicipality. He had served four years as Councillor, and had been three years and a half Mayor. His reason for resigning was that he found the duties of the office occupied too much of his time, and that his business engagements suffered in consequence. Since the time of the establishment of the Corporation a great many improvements had been effected, and since money had been borrowed the drainage and sewage scheme had been successfully constructed, and it had been recently passed in the Council to extend the water to the hills. Ho again thanked the company for the honor they had done him. Councillor Cotton also responded. He would like all the public bodies to pull together as well as the firo brigades did ; the Harbor Board especially he would like to see pull with and not against the rest of the community. (Hear, hear.) In the absence of Mr Balfour, Mr Vautier proposed, " The judgps, timekeepers, and starters of tho Spit Volunteer Fire Brigade," coupled with the name of Mr VV. Miller. The toast having been drunk with musical honors, Mr Miller briefly responded. He said he was sorry there had not been a competition with the town brigade. He had never seen the work better done than it had been at this competition. Fire Inspeotor Kemsley proposed "Sister Fire Brigades and the Fire Police." Mr Liddle replied for the Fire Police, Mr Miller, for the town brigade, and Mr Smith (as a recent member of the Auckland brigade), for sister brigades. The toast was followed by a song by Mr Symraona, " The Union Jaok." Superintendent Wilkie proposed " The Donors of tho Prizes. " He thanked the gentlemen who had so liborally responded to the application of the brigade. It was a great incentive to the members of the brigade. It should be borne in mind that this was tho only remuneration the men received for their services ; in fact, they taxed themselves for the support of the brigade beyond the' subsidy they received from the Corporation and the insurance companies, the subsidy being expended in plant and uniforms. Mr Smyth responded, and promised to double his donation in tho event of a competition between the brigades next year. The following toasts were also honored : —"The Prize Winners," " The Ladies," "The Press," "The Insurance Companies," and "The BTost and Hostess," the meeting then breaking up.