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The fire department was volunteer, and my father was a gallant fire man. And every summer at least once, they had something I have never seen ever again anywhere. Not on TV or movies or in person. On Main Street everyone would congregate around seven in the evening on a Saturday, and the volunteer fire department would have two trucks back some distance to back and two hoses. Each hose had about ten firemen on it and it was a contest.
A large aluminum silver beer barrel was set in the middle of the street. The fire lines were opposite of each other also mid-street. The object was with high pressure water hoses, to spray the barrel such that it ended up behind the opponents fire line, of one or the other of the two teams.
Two powerful streams of white spray-water were blasted at the silver barrel which might spin, roll, topsy and turvy, jump into the air, fly about and could hit people. Of course the fire lines were in direct line with the spray and sometime a whole line in their black rain coats, hats and boots might be knocked down, all hanging onto the hose. If the hose got away from them it was a flood, for I don't think they had the modern automatic shut-off valve.
Hay bales and wooden horses were set along the curb. O it was great fun to watch that barrel get blasted and no telling what it would do, spin, roll jump, or where it would go - silver white spray flying every where. And of course someone could get hurt, which is why perhaps this sport of spectacle disappeared.
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