Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-11-15


And for earth like great sun dial here
Where the shadow of Time slips by always.
JOHN SAvARY.
OUR OLD VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT.
History Of Two Of the Companies.
The Columbia and the Franklin.
AS stated In the preceding paper on the fire
department, published few weeks since, the
honor OF being called No. was subject Of a
dispute among the old volunteer fire companies.
For long time this engendered bad feeling
amongst them. This honor was claimed by Co.
lumbia Company, on Capitol Hill, and also by
the Anacostia, near the Navy yard, but the last
named company, it is stated, being composed of
Government employees in the yard and their ap-
paratus owned in part at least, by the United
States, 1t was claimed by the uptown compa-
MES that it should not enter into competition
with the others. The convention held in 1851 to
decide on the seniority OF the companies de-
cided that the Columbia, on Capitol Hill, NOW
No. 81 was entitled to the honor Of being deslg-
mated as No. 1.
Columbia Company.
There seems to be little doubt that this COM
pany was fully organized one as far back as
1903 1904. and that prior to the war Of 1912 the
engine house, a small frame structure, was
located on the spot now occupied by Green
ough's statue of Washington. The building was
destroyed by the British when the Capitol was
burned In August, 1914. 1t Is related that while
this engine house was In flames the British
commander caused to be
HUNG AN ENGLISH SAILOR
who had been tried by drum-hea1 court-martial
for assaulting females in house a few squares
southeast of the Capitol. The convention de-
tbaf hia or,tf cd tn Ia
ted as No. l, principally on the affdayttS OF the
late Simeon Matlock and Edward d. Tippett
that they had joined the company in 1898, the
house then being located as above stated The
records of the company from 1909 to 1914. when
Mr.. John 4. Frost Was secretary, running up to
1918, were destroyed at the burning OF Mr..
Frost's house. Enough of those records are re-
mem6ered by some OF our old citizens to bear
out the assertion that the Columbia was
REoRGANIzBD IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE WAR OF
1912,
and January 18th, 1918, there was thorough
reorganization, Daniel Raplne presiding at the
meeting, and Jno. P.Ingle secretary land 80 men,
bers were then enrolled. This company continued
from that time an active organization to 1854,
ment was organized. The names of the
presidents Of the, company, SO far as
they 9 now can non be ,ns
pine, Henry Tins, Roger c. Weightman, Chas.
X. Gardner, Duff Green, James Adams, James
A. TAFT, VIM D. Clark. James A. Brown, Thos.
lick, and John J. Peabody. This company quite
early in its history, through the assistance Of
friends, established
A FINE LIBRARY
which after the disbanding Of the company was
donated to Providence Hospital. Composed as the
organization was for many years of 5workmen on
the Capitol extension, employees Of the Senate and
House and many substantial citizens, with a
number of prominent honorary members, it was
highly efficient and favored company. Prob
ably during its organization it paid more visits
to other cities than any other company OF the
District. Long years before the war there were
among the membership several young men with
fine voices, prominent among these Mr.. Benja-
min c. Greenup, a stone cutter from Baltimore,
who on the 9th Of May, 1856,
LOST HIS LIFE BY BEING RUN OVER
by the Suction-a graphic representation of the
manner Of his death being depleted on the mon
ument erected to his memory at Glenwood.
menced a series of entertainments for the pur-
pose OF erecting suitable monument to his
memory. By subscription and otherwlse-Mrs.
Edward PendletOn, well-knOwn lady in the
neighbOrhOod OF the engine house, contributing
literally to this end, as she had done for the
library and other PURPOSES sufficient sum
ment was ordered from Mr.. c. Rousseau, at a
cost Of S., 900, and dedicated on May 9th, 1858.
Franklin Company.
The meeting which resulted in the formation
OF the Franklin company. or No. 2, was held
on the last day Of December, 1914. James H.
Blake presided at this meeting, with Charles
Glover secretary. Messrs. Peter Lomax, Clot-
worthy Stephenson, Roger c. Weightman, JAS
NJ. Varnum and Charles Glover were APP
pointed a committee to frame rules and OBJ
tain subscribers to a fund with which to
purchase apparatus, &C. This company was
given charge of the engine purchased by
the Treasury department, which was housed
in small frame building just south Of where
the Treasury building now stands. A few
years afterwards new house was built near the
present north front of the Treasury building
This was small wooden structure and it was
with gong-the only public time piece in that
section. The engine formerly used was prtml-
tive machine with copper cylinders and pro-
new engine Was orred and b nv yut the ce
brated Patrick Lyons, OF Philadelphia. This
engine was known for years afterwards as
the "Padelion." The company at this time took
the name of the Alert. Captain Stephenson was
succeeded in the presidency by w. w. Bill
Hngs, and then came w. w. King, jr. In 1926
NEW ENGINE HOUSE WAS BUILT
on the triangular space north of the Avenue
and west of 18th street, but soon afterwards an
other house was built on the opposite triangle
facing 14th street. The late Chas. L. Coltman
was the president and In 1921 the name Frank
many years chief clerk OF the Treasury, sue
ceeded Mr.. Coltman as president. Prior to
1880 the old Union Debating society occupied
ing, and numbers OF its members ran with
this company. This house was demolished in
1857, and the company removed to street,
near 18th, and kept up its organization until the
paid fire department came into existence in 1864
On its roll Of membership there were the names
OF many OF our prominent citizens. There were
times when the rowdy element seemed to
get the upper hand Of the more staid tiremen
but such occasions were rare. Among the
presidents not above named were - KirkWood
j. A. N. Duncans0n, Robert Coltman, Thomas j.
boyle. and John II. Sessford. eX-chief of the
present department. This company, like the
Columbia, paid visits to other cities at various
times, and quite as often received tiremen viSi-
tors to this city.
Rough 1t.
1t Is great mistake to hold out to pupils the
promise that comparative tdleneSS or genteel
eIlnlOYment will be the reward dilinant