The daily gazette., 1883-07-11
DECIDED To DIssAND.
The Water Witch Steam FIRE Engine Com
pany Th0roughly DLshear ened.


After so years OF active service in the vol
unteer fire department OF this city tn,
| Water Witch Steam Fire Company No.
at special meeting held on Monday even
| ing last, decided, almost unanimously, Il
sell out and disband on the first of Septem
Der.
The reason assigned by the members fol
| this action is their inability to obtain
public help in which they were in SO much
need and also the failure ty obtain the $3 ,00C
| appropriation from Council. They assert
that the step taken is not for the purpose Of
| driving Council into making the loan as
they appreciate the circumstances which
surround Council in this matter. TheiI
| main grievance is that the manufacturers
bus ness men, and property owners tC
whom they sent, some time ago, circulars
| asking ior aid, almost totally ignored them
| and they are unwilling to attempt to spend
another winter in service with such u dilap.
idated and tnconvenient engine house al
| they have been obliged to put up with in the
| past. They had exhausted all their re-
sources to raise the necessary funds for the
erection OF new building and the course
adopted seemed to be the only one left.
About year ago the company thought
seriously OF disbanding, but the movement
met with such a strong opposition that Il
was decided to go anead and make another
attempt to accomplish their one desire. For
this purpose the members and friends of the
company held fair in the Institute Hall
last winter, but its proceeds were not suffi-
cient to justify the erection of a
new house without additional help. Cir
culars were then addressed to leading
citizens and property owLers asking contri-
buttons but for some unexplained reason
they failed to accomplish their purpose.
Their failure to get aid from Council came
next and carried the greatest weight, com.
pletely disheartening the members, who with
one accord then decided to disband.
The company was incorporated in 1888.
and has since that date held a prominent
place in the fire department of the city.
Among its roll OF members are the names of
some of the most prominent men of the
city. AT present there are about 300
members belonging to the company.
The property and apparatus will be sold
by the trustees as soon as q suitable pur-
chaser can be procui ed and comprises its old
house on Shipley street, below Sixth, for
which it has q standing offer of $4,000, a
Clapp & Jones engine, recently purchased at
cost of $5 900, which is in fiI st-class order;
good pair Of horses and harness, q nickel
plated hose carriage, 800 feet of new Boston
wove hose, 700 feet of American jacket hose
and 100 feet OF hose for medium service, be-
side other equipments. In addition to this
the treasurer has In bank about So 900 in
cash and the company has no debts except
balance of between 5000 and $500 on a
loan OF 81 600 made to it by City Council
some years ago.
The reconsideration of the appropriation
by City Council has also seriously embar-
rassed the Weccacoe Steam Fire Engine
Company, who were about to build a new
house and had already signed contracts fol
the work. The action of Council, 1t is un.
derstood, has made it necessary to with.
draw the contract. The members yesterday
advocated following in the wake of the
Water Witch.