Carpenter Delves Into Depths of Widener to Find Model for Pudding Engine--Pump Takes Place of Lampy's Old Wagon

The Hasty Pudding Club in producing their 1929 play, "Fireman Save My Child", left no stone unturned in their attempt to make the play as historically accurate as possible. The fire-engine which is being used in the performance is an exact reproduction of the type manned by the original "Cambridge Catamounts" and shows to good advantage the work which was done by the producers to get the exact replica.

In order to find out the exact appearance of the engine, which the famous "Fire B'hoys" of Cambridge wheeled around the Square, G. A. Weller '29, writer of the musical comedy, delved around in the old records of Cambridge history in Widener Library. There he found the copy of a musical score, which was used on festive occasions by the fire brigade, and on this was printed a picture of the famous old Cambridge engine.

Weller then took a carpenter up into Widener and had him make specifications for the engine from the picture. The carpenter built the engine and everything went smoothly until time came for the wheels to be put on. Weller was informed that no one makes wagon-wheels anymore and for a time it was thought that the building of the engine would have to be discontinued. Finally the Club tried to purchase some wheels from the Whiting Milk Co. but there were no milk-wagon wheels left. The engine was completed, however, when the carpenter gathered up some wheels from various second hand establishments.

The engine, as it stands now, takes the place of the famous old Lampoon engine which Bob Lampoon and his associates purchased several years ago from the town of Sandwich, when that colony on the Cape replaced its old engine with modern fire apparatus. Lampy always brought his engine to the annual CRIMSON-Lampoon ball game and at one time parked it in front of the CRIMSON building from which vantage point it pumped water on all the editors who were on the balcony. This however is the only time that the engine ever-pumped water after its purchase by the Lampoon. All that remains at present of Lampy's fire chariot is one of the leather buckets and the fire bell which now repose in the Lampoon building.