The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-08-30
SEMI-WEELY.


ing WAS uculchteu OH iubt evening, INC tkorsrs
clscs being under the direction Of Undinp
Hose Company. The exercises were held In
the engine room, which was beautifully dec
GRATED with profusIon OF wrcaths OF ever.
green, flowers, fags, Nc, Suspended on tho
walls aud from the ceilings, and draping tho
doors. On tho north wall was the motto In
green, on white ground, "Our duty Is 70
save" ON the the south, I'm Union There II
Strength" in front Of the audience, "Wel.
come" The company with Bach's band On.
cortcd the council to the hall, who took eeats I.
on the temporary platform.
Asst Chief Perkins acted as master OF cere.
monies. There was music by the band and
Glec Company (Mr and Mrs. Chamberlain
and Mr.. and Miss Lunsingj, after which \
Mr. Perkins introduced Ex-mayor Rich
olson, who, having alluded TO the valuc
Of the department. introduced Mayor Allen,
who delivered the following address:
Ladies' and Gentlemen! -The Fire Depart
ment of the City Of Ottawa, whose guests Z
we are this evening, was first organized In B
the year 1858; and although the city, as such,
had been Incorporated several years and with
II population of several thousand, there had
not, as far as am advised, been any organ
lied defense against fire, the only protection
being such rs the citizens with the 'bnckct
brigade" might render. Such organization
was effected March 2ith 1885, by the forma-
| ton of the Shabbond Fire Company No. l. z
| with "A men, VIM. Cogswel tCast-Iron Bill,
| as the boys delighted to call him., still
| respected citizen, as foreman NJ. Written,
| assistant foreman; and j. f. Mariner, FORE
| man of hose. Among its members We're w.
| II. Hull, }. w. Dean X. Henning, j. Mooney,
| J. o. Harris, A, B. Smith and Others many
OF whom are still residents Of the city. The
city council appointed Albert T. Dow, an old
Boston fireman, its first chief engineer and
Francis Warner, assistant chief
The first hand pnpinp lhn tNiaparaO WAS
purchased in January 1859, and the name OF
the company changed to the Niagara Fire
Company No. 1. The first engine house was
built and completed in June 1859. Another
hand engine, the "Undine," was bought In
November 1853, and the Undine Fire Compa-
ny No. , organized, with David Walker as
its first foremen. These two companies,
with the necessary hose squads connected
with them, composed the fire department. OF
Ottawa until the year 1873. We who were
| residents OF the city at that time well remem-
Der the friendly rivalry and contests for su.
premacy between the two companies, a rival
ny between the hoys that ran with the
"mashecnn always in times of danger for q
good fight with fires that occasionally oc-
Cured and threatened the destruction of tho
city. The department in those days was eff
tlcient and Sufficient for the day thereof"
but the time came when the cubs had
served their "day and generation" and were
to be superseded by the later invention, the
steam fire engine In 1878 the first steamer,
"City Of Ottawa" was bought, and later the
IN. II. Swift" Shortly after, "Dauntless
Hool, and Ladder Company" was organized, q
with w. II. Hall as foreman. Later, the hand
engines having been sold, the Niagara and
Dauntless companies dlsbanded, and the Un-
dine company, having retained its organiza-
ton, the department as 1t now stands was
inaugurated, embracing two steamers under
the charge OF Major Clegg and the Undine
Urn I'M a NJ 1NlV q
pany, unpaid except for such work as is nc
tually done at fires. 1t is composed OF some
Of our best young men, always ready at the
strike Of the bell to respond to the call to
fight the destructive element, which, while a
good servant Is bad master. UndIne COM
pany numbers % active members under the
following officers: G. Wendell, foreman; L.
Ziclllcr, first assistant; III. Hertzner, second
assistant with Henry Wolfe, who has been
a member of the department since 1852,
a,iaf en- sinaer, and l. Perslns assistant ri,fyf
Of the department.
This department has been twice burned
out, first in May 1877 and later in the dlsas-
trous fire of September 1881. At each Of
these fires the UHdine company lost all Of
their company possessions, some Sll00 in
value at the last fire, and also what they
priced much more than any mere money val
ue trophies taken after well fought con-
tests on the tournament field-notahly one
taken at the National Firemens Toarna
ment In Chicago, where out of Il list Of 20
hose companies coming from different parts
of the United States they carried away third
prize, beating the famous Aurora team. They .
also had trumpets taken at tournaments held
severally at Peoria, Morris and Bloomington.
The boys were Justly pround OF such trophies
and felt their loss severity
paid department has been advocated by
many of our best citizens, not rejecting on
the present organization, but that such paid
department would be better drilled, that be-
ing their only business, and therefore better
prepared to cope with and control fires. IL Is
also claimed by some that If we had had
paid department the disastrous fire OF Sep
TENDER 1881 would not have been possible.
With this proposition | cannot agree. The
Chicago big fire Of 1871 aud the smaller one
of 1873, smaller only as compared with the
greater one of ISL, 1cero possible, notwith-
standing Chicago had its paid department.
with some 40 steamers aud probably as effect
i've force as the world could show. Our
great fire commenced and continued under the
sane unfavorable circumstances as the Chi
cago fire of 1871, long continued extreme
dryness and consequent inilammable condi-
ton OF the district burned, together with
high wind which assumed almost the proper
tions of tornado; and in my opinion no paid
Department could have stayed the flames.
Such was the opinion of Shief Shay, Of Chi
cago, who came to our assistance with the
Chicago steamers. The time may come,
probably will, when our city has reached
much larger proportion, that we shall need
a paid department. Until then let us cherish
and encourage the good and highly effective
force we now have; and let oar eitizens and
the city through its representatives sustain
and do all they can to cheer and advance
what we have. There is no department OF our
city more Important, and we onght4 not to
hesitate in responding to all reasonable calls
from such department.
Since the great fire of September 1881 the
department has been without a local habita-
ton, hut not without name they hare u
name of which they may be justly proud and
Of which we as citizens are proud 1t has
now what it has not had for the past yenr--a
home, this convenient and attractive one
which we are called this evening to help
them dedicate. 1t has been built and arrang-
ed under the supervision Of the Perkins
brothers, and they are entitled 10 much +
praise for the manner in which they have
done their work and for the more than salts
factory manner in which they have fulfilled
their contract with the city. Our Fire Boys"
and the city council have now convenient
quarters for the next five years, and we trust <
that the destructive fire which has twice s
made them houseless may not again visit
them, and that these luxurious rooms, fitted
up and adorned by the boys at their own ex-
pense, may long be q happy home to them,
and that they may, not only this evening but
at all times, be cheered and encouraged by our
assistance and good wishes. Citizen flremen,
we congratulate you on your beautiful rooms
and surroundings.
Mr. Perkins replied thanking the council
for the fine quarters supplied, and introduced
Alderman w. II. Hull
Mr.. Hull's theme was THE Fireman." II
IL Gtt...