Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-02-18
FIRE LADDaEx OF OLD.

FIRE LADDlES OF Old.
How the First Fire Cempanies Werc
Organized 1t the Capital.
rHR COMING CELEBRATION OF rnr WHITMAN voLrx-
rrER FIRKMRNs ACCOMMODATIONS 10 rfRxs
N TIE RARLY YEARS o. THE oRNruRY-UT1nHsf
REVIVED AFTER TIE WAR OF 1872.
On Wednesday next, washington's birthday,
there will be parade Of the veteran volunteer
Firemens Association. which has been in existence
about year. They will have in line some thirty
men In uniform, and draw one Of the old fashioned
hand engines, loaned By the old Friendship Fire
Company OF Alexandra. whose date OF organza-
tion IL 1774 The uniform adopted Is similar to
that worn BY the veterans throughout the
country-drab coat New York hat, red shirt black
belt, &C., but it Is quite likely that few OF the
old-fashioned painted plug hats will Do hunted up
ana produc d There will probably be some very
Old veterans, and perhaps some who can remember
the time when citizens turned out TO nres with
engine, to be forced through few sections OF hose
on the fire At night the veterans will give ball
when some Of the old boys and girls will show
danced in the old days. In the association the
companies represented are the Union, FRANKLIN,
vSsns and
Pot mac Hose companies and Metropolitan ana
American HOOK and Ladder companies
THE MEETING LAST MIGHT
The association met at 81. Georges Hall last eve
nins, Mr.. J. j. Peabody presiding and Mr.. L q.
Fisher secretary. Some time was spent In the dis
trioution Of the uniforms An invitation was re-
ceived from a committee Of Friendship Fire CO,
OF Alexandra, inviting the association 70 visit
invitation was accepted 1t was reported by Mr..
smith that the Sd artillery band had been en-
Mr.. Newmyer reported that, with Mr.. Scott, he
had brought up the suction engine OF the Friend
snip company from Alexandria; that 1t was now
at McDermotts, and Will be lifted up Tor the
An offer was received from the steamboat COM
pany to take the uniformed members OF tue assocf-
atlOn 10 Al xandrla and return free OF charge.
Marshal Hines and Messrs DObbin and Raglan
were appointed committee and reported tile fol-
lowing route: Meet at hall 10 O'Clock; down l1tn
where they will receive the engine, then to LIST
street, concentrating up Pennsylvania avenue
ana 1.n streets to the boat, and on the return up
!th street, Pennsylvania avenue and 11th street to
the nall This route Was adopted.
HISTORY OF THE OLD ORGANIZATIONS
1t was for years subject Of dispute whether
the Union, Franklin, Columbia or Anacostis
should be regarded as the first organized This
question was the cause Of considerable Dad feel.
Ing. ana various efforts were made to settle IL Tor
an Time In 1857 a convention was held, and
committee, after taking evidence, documentary
and otherwise, decided that the Columbia was
entitled 10 No. l, az it had always borne that
and Anacostia, Tor a record was found Of q Union
Fire Company in existence before tue war of 1871
II appears In the acls of the Old corporation that
making IL obligatory on citizens to keep fire buck
cts at their Residences attend fires, e.. shortly
alterward at least ,our companies wer organized.
zens convened at the West Market TO orYanz
themselves into nre company. Mr.. joseph
stretch was elected chairman OF the meeting aud
H.. A
On rules Tor the government OF the fire company
was chosen, w: Joseph StreLch Joan WOod,ide
and Thomas H. Gi.hA The CT. liens OF tn second
fire ward met ut the call OF Capt James Hoban
on the 2Otn OF August, at Rhodes hoIel Jaues
aviIsOn In the cuair, and joan Hewett secre-
tary. Similar acton Was taken at this meeting.
so far no meetings had been called by the direc-
tors o. tLe lnlrd M fourth rire wards
Tie Sth OF September, 1904, a meeting OF the
Union FIRE Company Second warp Was ueld at
K .odes tavern, Richard Forrest In the chair
Officers were eecteI for the q time As folio Us:
JAS. hoban, president; Andrew Way, tr., vice.
president; Wash. bOyd, ire tourer; JAS. II. Kear-
| ney, SECRETARY. Clo.worthy Stephenson, Peter
LenOx, Lewis Main and Henry Langley W re
electe engineers; fourteen tremen were elected,
eight ladder-men and six sentinelS, and John
newett was e.ected 20 represent the company In
| the board Of general superintendentS
The citizens vi The fou. tn nre Ward convened at
Stelrs tavern (Capitoi hiiD, Tuesday, september
"a, 1904, and elected Jno. Coyle, Hen;y iagie and
Damien hapine commiItee To draft rules and reg
uations Tor the go' erument OF q company TO be
Ore aalzed In that ward
IN TIE WAR OF 1879
all interest In IRE matters died out The house of
| the Columbia company, then situated at about
the same spot where the Statue OF Washtnx tou In
front OF The Capitol building now stands, was
| burned when The British destroyed the Capitol
B.IOre tue war been fully edLed efforts were
made e. revive or reorsanize the COMPANIES and
IRON 1914 or aiter, ,Or ,heie was scarcely any
ttias In Tue way OF property on which TO build up
. department.
THE COLUMBIA COMPANY
The records Of the Columbia company from
1909 to 1914, when Mr.. John T. Frost was secre-
tary and continuing up to 1918, were destroyed at
the burning OF Mr.. Frost's house. Enough OF those
records are remembered by some OF The Cd citizens
70 bear out the assertion that tn. Columbia W As
reOrgan.zed Immediately AFTER the war or 1912
and January IL, 1873 there was 4 thorough reor.
ganliAtion Daniel Rapine presiding at the meet
were then enrolled his COMPANY continued from
that time an active organization 70 1864 wnen the
Washington City paid fire department was organ
12ed. The names or the presidents OF the CON-
pany 10 far as tney now can be ascertained were:
James Young. John q. Mcdonald, Daniel kapine
Henry TIM Roger c. We.yntrn IN. Charles K.
Gardner Dun Green, James Ad ans, Jlidey A
TAFT VIM .. Clark, an A. Brown Thomas Nc
Grath, Andrew +. McKenna, George F. Quick, and
Joan ]. PEABODY.
THRIVING ORGANIZATION.
This company, quite early In ITS history through
the assistance OF friends, established fine library
which, after the disoanding Of the company. was
donated to Providence Hospital. Composed, as the
organization was for many years, Of workmen on
the Capitol extension, employees OF the senate and
House, and many substantial citizens with a mum.
Der Of ointment honorary members, it was
highly efficient and favored company. PROBABLY
during It's organization II paid more visits to other
cites than any DINER company Of the District
Long years before the war there were amonx the
membership several young N n with nne voices,
prominent among these Mr. benjamin c. GreenuD
stOnecutter from Baltimore wnO, ON the Oh OF
May, 1856, lost his life by being run over by Che
suctiOn-a graphic represent ,tiOn OF the manner
OF his death being depicted On the monument
erected 70 his memo at 0lenwoOd. Soon after
this catastr phe the company Commenced
SERIES OF ENTERTAINMENTS
for the purpose OF erecting a suitable monument
to his memory. BY subscription and otherwise
Mrs. Elward Pendleton, well-known lady In the
nelghborho0d OF the engine-house. contributing
liberAly to this end, as she had done Tor the Ii.
brdry and Otler purposes sum :ient sum was
ordered from Mr.. Z. kouss au, at cost or 5000,
and dedicated on May y, 1s6x
THE FRANKLIN COMPANY.
The meeting whoa resulted In the formation OF
the Franklin company, or No. 2, Was held on the
last day OF December, 1914 james II. Blake pre-
sided ~ the meeting, With Charles Glover secre.
tary. Messrs. Peter Lomax, Cl0tworLhy Stephen
son, Roger c. We1ghtinan James N. Varnum and
Charles Glover were appointed q committee 10
frame rules and obtain SuOScrb 70 70 q fluid with
which 70 purchase apparatus, &c. This company
w.s given cnarge Of The engine purch .sed BY the
small frame building just south OF wnere the
Tra., surv haildtnp no,x SiandS A vn,rs oft.r