1908 Firemen's Drill

The following articles relate the firemen’s drill that took place as part of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence celebrations in 1908’s Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Charlotte News 5/20/1908 p.5, 5/21/1908, p.5, 5/22/1908 p.4

Will Show the Fireman’s Life 5/20/1908 p.5

  Fireman’s Drill at The Park This Evening Will be Both Unique and Interesting—The Midway Attractions are Good.  

This afternoon and tonight will be the gayest of the week’s festivities at the park, where the St. Louis Amusement Company is holding forth.  The fair grounds last night and the night before were crowded with celebrators and everybody had a good time.  There are many attractions which, as a whole, are well worth a trip to the grounds.  

The principal feature of tonight’s celebration will be the life saving drill of Charlotte’s fire department under the personal direction of Chief W. S. Orr.  The performance will be given directly in front of the race track grandstand where all who occupy grandstand seats may witness it to advantage.  An admission fee will be charged for grandstand seats and a part of the proceeds thus derived will be used for defraying the expenses of the Charlotte delegation to the Wilmington convention this summer.  

The drill will be both novel and interesting.  It will show the life of the firemen, the manner in which they respond to an alarm, and the rescue of children from a burning building.  When the alarm sounds the firemen will have retired for the night.  Their quarters will be lighted mechanically, showing how they are aroused from their slumbers in the dead of night in the station houses up-town, and then will follow quick dressing, harnessing of the horses, and the run to the scene of the fire.  

Just before the alarm is sounded smoke will be seen issuing from a temporary structure.  A run of a half a mile will be made around the race track course to the burning building in which will be seen six little boys and girls in a window 30 feet above the ground calling for help.  Arriving at the building the children will be rescued by the firemen who will then turn their attention to the flames which will be extinguished with chemicals.  

Immediately following the fire drill the fire works display will take place.  The works which were set off last night and the night before have been very good.  Set figures and a larger variety of aerial figures and bombs will be shown tonight.  After this feature the crowd will assemble on the mid-way and with clear weather it will take “the pike” by storm.  

THE FIREMEN’S DRILL 5/21/1908, p.5  

Several Thousand People Witnessed the Performance—To be Repeated.  

A genuine twentieth of May crowd was at the fair grounds last night taking in the midway and other attractions exhibited.  Several thousand people were in attendance.  While every feature of the celebration was enjoyed perhaps the one most enjoyed was the fire drill by the Charlotte fire department under the personal direction of Chief W. S. Orr.  The drill portrayed in the style the life of the firemen and more than 2,000 men, women and children witnessed the performance.  So successful was it that another drill will be given tomorrow night at 10 o’clock.  

Fire works will follow the drill.  The fire works display last night was superb in every respect.  The attractions in the grounds this week are better and of a higher class than has ever been shown here on a similar occasion.  The shows are good, especially the old plantation.

LIVELY CELEBRATION IN PROGRESS AT DILWORTH 5/22/1908 p. 4  

Firemen’s Drill Will be Repeated This Evening at 10 O’Clock—The Midway is Unusually Good and Attractive—Some of the Shows.  

With clear weather tonight the celebration at Latta Park will surpass that of any other night this week.  Rain and damp weather during the first few days cast a damper on the crowd and disappointed the managers, but the crowd in attendance last night was more encouraging and everybody seemed to enjoy themselves to the fullest extent.  

The exercises this evening will be unusually attractive as the fire drill by the Charlotte Fire Department will be repeated.  The performance will, as before, take place in front of the grand stand, at 10 o’clock.  The ticket window will be opened at 9 o’clock.  Chief of Fire Department W. S. Orr stated this morning that he expected to make the run around the track, a distance of one-half a mile, in two minutes flat.  Arriving at the burning building he will begin the rescue of the children and when the chemical wagon dashes up the hosemen will give their attention to the flames.  The fire drill as given night before last was unusually interesting and instructive.  

The Midway is one of much activity.  The shows, as a whole, are above the average of those which usually follow a carnival company.  They are interesting and well worth a visit.  Some of those on the Midway are:  “The Country Circus,” the Dog and Monkey Circus, “Melba,” the fire dancer, J. H. Shield’s “Lunette,” the flying lady and Shield’s electric theatre, both under one tent, “The Old Plantation,” or Jubilee Minstrels, the small man (22 years old, 29 inches high, weighing 52 pounds) Sampson, the big snake (25 feet and 4 inches long, weighing 229 pounds) a Ferris wheel and merry-go-round.  A free trapeze act will be given on the Midway directly after the fire works display.   

The Royal Italian band will be on the grounds until midnight.