Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1884-03-27
Old New York Firemen.

Merchants, Bankers. and Capitalists who
Used to Run with the Machine.
From the Philadelphia TueAl
s'It is remarkable, "said q veteran fireman
show many prominent New Workers, mer-
chants, capitalists, bank presidents, and offi>
Gals were. in their younger days, active mem
bers of the old volunteer fire department.
of the city. Take the Mutual Assistant Bag
company, which was organized in 1903 and
is the origin of the present Fire Insurance
Patrol, and you will find that its m embsrs
consisted of the Bleeckers, Beekmans, Cuttings
De Peysters Irvings, Laights, Roosevelts, Stuy-
vesants, Swartwouts, Teneycks, and scores of
others whose names are now familiar.
1.-THE present president of the, assoc iation
of exempts, Zophar Mills, for thirty years
was private, foreman, assistant engineer, or
president of the fire departments. Whe n
the Jennings building fell. during the fire in
Broadway, opposite the City Hall Park, more
than quarter of a century ago. Mills, to-
gether with number of the firemen, was
buried in the ruins. Presently he crawled
out of the debris and yelled to his company:
s'Come, men, get right in here-here's these
men buried up-get right in,'' and he made
himself famous in digging out the wounded.
As late as 1864 he discovered fire on the
roof of a church then in progress of erection
and saved the building. While looking for q
house he wanted to buy he saw light which
he knew could not come from chimney, and
kicking open the door, assembled to the roof,
tore off some burning boards, threw snow on
them and put out the fire. At fire in Pearl
street, while giving orders to some of his
men, he saw the high gable walls spread out
like blanket There was no time to run. He
was knocked fat driven through the second
ondf ircka n y
buried in the ruins. Two other firemen
near him were instantly killed. At the time
of the great fire of 1885 he was foreman of
No. 13, and the Thermometer being from
seven to ten degrees below Zero the only
way he kept the machine from freezing was
by rushing the brakes constantly, whether
there was water to be had or not. In order
to get water to a fire in those days, for Cyuten
was not introduced until seven yeara after
ward, it was necessary to place the engipss in
line from tie waters edge, abouttWc hundred
feet apart, that being the length of the hose
and play from one engine into another until
the fire was reached.
Another stalwart fireman in those days
was Mr.. George 7. Hope, president of the
Continental Fire Insurance company. He
was the foreman Of hose company No. 8 be-
fore he was 81 years old, but subsequently, |
they established the famous organization
known as Pearl Hose company No. %, among |
the members of which were George w. Lane,
afterWard the city chamberlain; Samuel |
Colgate, John P. Moore, John Ii. Davies, |
George P. Ockerhausen, James Forshay, the |
president of the Seventh Avenue railroad |
company, and other prominent citizens. This |
company, by the way, was the first in the |
United States to use a steam engine. 1t was |
in 1910 or 1912.
''Mr W. L. jenkins, president of the Bank |
of America, was foreman of No. IS; he was |
also foreman of the old supply engine in Leon |
ard street which pumped water from wells |
into enRinea. Mr.. Carlisle Norwood president |
of the Lorillard Fire Insurance company, be-
gan running to fires when he was only year |
of age. In later years he organized company
of merchants and clerks, which was said to be |
the best disciplined in the service. Hose |
company Ma. 8. Jordan L. Mott, the well |
known Beekmar street merchant one night |
ran with his company from Harlem to Tripler |
Hall. which was then on Broadway, opposite |
Bond street. Thomas Monahan, president
of the Fulton bank, was a member of en- CINE
company No. and afterward of hose oom-
pany No. land saw souae very rough service. |
Frederick E. Gilbert, the capitalist and philan- |
thropist was foreman of No. 4. He was
one OF the founders of eNew York club, and |
for twelve years president. In 1871 he acted |
as a second to Mr.. William Hayward of South |
Carolina, when the latter fought duel with !
August Belmont. Peter and Robert Goel ct, |
the millionaires, belonged to engine company
No. 8. Morris Franklin, president of the
New York Life Insurance company, was one
of the M oss active fremep of his time. He
was the foreman of No. 25 known as the
Brass Back Engine and several times mar
rowly escaped death. On one occasion, dur
ring fire in Park place. while holding the
but pipe in the attic of building the roof fell
in on him, and for the prompt exertion. of
Chief Qulick he would have been burned to
death. James F. Wenman, the ex-park oona-
missioner, was one of the most active of our
volunteer fremen and, although well ad-
vanced In years, was instrumental in 1876 in |
saving the life of q aeryant girl. 1t vas at |
the New York club house fre. She had en-
deayorea to escape by going out on the broad |
ledge of the main cornice. The flames were |
ehind her and step would have pYeeipi- |
tated her to the pavement seventy feet below.
The hremen had reared an extension ladder,
but it was found to be ten or twelve feet too I
short. MIR. WenHaan made his way to the
dragging her, finally succeeded ia getting her
to the roof of an adjoining building.
William 81. Webb, she shipbuildsr, used 70
run with the famous Live Oak engine No A.
John r. Steers, who built the yacht America,
was also member of this company. Dave
Broderiok, formerly United States Senator
from California, and killed by Judge Terry in
a duel, was the foreman of Engine company
No. "a, and distinguished for his fearless.
ness.
john ". begrau Is one of the oldest of our
old Rrenen, having been born in 1897. At
the time Of the Philadelphia Centennial exhi-
hilton it was proposed to send a delegation
of the veteran fremsn, but not man could
be found no was not his Junior. After the
fire of 1885 he raised two hose companies and
81 800 for the purpose in one day. Mr.. De-
gran is so old that he remembers catching
Esh the whole length of what Is now known as
Canal street, from Broadway to the North river
His plsymates we're the Roosevelts tho Goe-
lets, the lrvings-Washington Irving's father