Quansigamog pumps water down Front Street during the 175th Firemen’s Muster in Bath during Bath Heritage Days on July 6. Paul Bagnall / The Times Record
Crews manning antique hand pumps worked furiously in sweltering heat as they shot arcs of water down Front Street during Bath Heritage Days on Saturday during the 175th Firemen’s Muster.
“It’s crazy how much endurance it takes to keep that thing going,” said New Gloucester resident Tony Stanley. “It’s definitely fascinating to see how they managed to make something like this work in an era so far back.”
He got drafted into helping pump the water for the Union No. 1 team after wandering up the street to see what was happening.
Two sizes of fire engines compete in the Firemen’s Muster, with Class A being the larger pump machines and Class B being the smaller hand tubs to see who could shoot water the farthest down Front Street, according John Nibarger, one of the organizers for the Firemen’s Muster in Bath. Each team had 15 minutes to take as many shots as possible to get the torrents of water the farthest.
Gov. Bradstreet team pumps water down Front Street during the 175th Firemen’s Muster during a sweltering Bath Heritage Days on July 6. Paul Bagnall / The Times Record
“We always have a good crowd in Bath, and even with the inclement weather, we still have a good crowd,” Nibarger said. “It’s something people like to see.”
The pump tubs were built in the early to mid-1800s. There were two winners for the 175th Firemen’s Muster: Gov. Bradstreet from North Andover, Massachusetts, with 195 feet, 6 inches for Class A; and Quansigamog won Class B with 177 feet and 6 1/2 inches. The winners received $200, a trophy and bragging rights.
“We use a few thousand gallons [of water] during the course of a muster,” Nibarger said.
“The wind makes a big difference; you can have a full crew, but if the wind is blowing against your side, you don’t go so far,” said Arthur E. Rideout Jr., owner of the Senator Baxter hand tub, which sprayed 183 feet, 11 inches during this year’s competition.
The Firemen’s Muster runs from late June to Sept. 22, with the next muster being held on July 27 in Newbury, Massachusetts, and will return to Woolwich on Aug. 17.
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