Carmichaels wins Battle of the Barrels
On a sunny 90-degree day, the grounds behind the Carmichaels & Cumberland Township Volunteer Fire Department station were shrouded in a fine mist Sunday. The reason: the Battle of the Barrel, back at the King Coal Show for the second year after a lengthy absence. Teams from departments in Greene, Fayette and Washington counties duked it out to determine a winner. Spraying a firehose, teams try to push a barrel attached to a rope above them past the opposing team’s defending mark. The first team with three wins advances to the next round. Matches have a three-minute limit, aside from the deciding game; one hard-fought bout between Carmichaels and Nemacolin lasted 7 minutes and 27 seconds, as recorded by a fan on the sidelines. Back in the battle’s ’70s heyday, it would stretch on for three days, said referee Bob Schiffbauer, a member of the Carmichaels department for 48 years. Although the revived battle is only a day long, it’s already growing again, he noted approvingly — back up to 12 teams this year from Carmichaels, Nemacolin, Rices Landing, Dunbar, Marianna and Greensboro. Carmichaels C team won this year’s trophy, followed by Dunbar.