The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-03-16
A DANCE AND SUPPER.
casco Fire Engine Company Enter
tain Their Friends.
Something About the Central Station
and the Company.

Between $50 and 200 ladies and gentlemen
were present last evening at the socable |
and supper given by Casco Engine Company |
No. 8, at the new central station. Among |
those present were Mayor Meleher and Mrs.
Melcher, President Crockett Of the Common
Council and Mrs. Crockett. Alderman Smart
and Mrs. Smart, Couneilmen Murphy and
Peck, Chief Cloyes and the full board of en-
gineers, the captains, clerks, enginemen and
drivers Of the department. with ladies and
others. A number Of gentlemen from
Boston were also present. The rooms
were brilliantly lighted with gas
and electricity. and the pale rays
from many cOlored Japanese lanterns added
TO the general attIactiyeness. Bunting.
streamers of many colors, numerous flags
and pictures, all tastlly arranged. made the
rooms look very pretty. Capt. John N.
Long, Z. A. Miles. If. Z. Berry, II. A. Fogg
and w. III. Lincoln were the committee on
invitations.
The first entertainment Of the evening was
an exhibition ''hiteh," and this pleased the
ladies as well as the gentlemen very much.
The engine was polished as well as 1t could
possibly be. the hose carriage looked very
neat, and everything was put in order to fa-
cilitate the going forth in the event Of an
alarm Of fire. Then all present were re-
quested to step to one side Of the room away
from the apparatus, Capt. Long gave the
word, the gong was sounded. the doors In
front Of the stalls flew open, and out came
the horses. In twinkle they were hitched
to the engine and to the hose wagon, and
ready to start. Then they were embarrassed
led back to their stalls, and another equal
ly pleasing exhibition given. The third
time the outside doors were opened, and out
they went into the street Wax was then
put upon the floor, Pearson's orchestra took
the platform, and an order Of sixteen dances.
delightful to all, followed. Capt. John N.
Long was floor director and Howard A.
Fogg, Frank L. Berry and John B. Brown
acted as aids. A delicious collation. was
served at intermission.
After supper, Chief Cloyes introduced
Mayor Melcher, who spoke briefly. He said
it gave him great pleasure to be present. II
have enjoyed all that 1 have seen, all that
have heard. and all that have eaten. am
glad to make the acquaintance of the fire de-
partment have always looked upon the
fire department with admiration, but con-
fess that have known very little Of the In
side workings of the department. hope
that before my year is through may know
you better. l hope to find myself on The
pleasant side Of your acquaintance. We al
know Of the high standing Of the depart
ment Of which Portland is so proud" ZAP
plausel
Brief remarks were also made by Chief
Cloyes, Councilman Crockett, Alderman
Smart, Councilman Dow, Assistant Engineer
Gushing, Captains Paine, RUBY, Murphy,
Hennessey. Thurston, Long, and Mr.. Cous-
ins of Steamer No. 2, and Engineer French
of No. 5. After the speeches, the dancing
was resumed, and occupied the remainder Of
the evening The delicious supper was
served under the direction of the following
committee OF ladies: Mrs. French, Mrs. b.
l.. Sawyer, Mrs. j. w. Baker. Miss Googins,
Mrs. Miles, Mrs. Lincoln. Mrs. Fogg, Mrs.
Defiance.
The central fire station, in which Eagle
Hook and Ladder No. 2, Casco engine and
hose carriage. and the Hayes truck are kept
is well equipped in every respect, and. all-ln-
all, is model house. Eagle Hook and Lad
der, Mr.. Joseph Baker, driver. leaves the
station from the Market street door, and no
two pieces of the other apparatus 60 out the
same door, but they all enter Congress street
upon leaving the station. The hose wagon
passes through the doorway farthest to the
west, the engine next to the wagon, and the
Hayes truck leaves the east end Of the house.
The horses ir each case are directly behind,
and facing the apparatus they haul. When
an alarm Of fire is sounded, the doors in the
front Of the stalls open and the trained
horses at once rush to the particular piece Of
apparatus which they are to haul. and in less
time than it takes to tell 1t, the station Is va
Gated. The house Is lighted by electric
lights, heated by steam and furnished with
all modern conveniences. The firemen sleep
in the second story. The Hayes truck room
Is finished in whitewood. In the rear Of
this room is the old stable where Casco SIS
horses were formerly kept, but II Is now
used as carriage house for spare wagon,
and the exercise truck. Further in the rear
still Is the hose tower.
It is 80 feet high, feet wide, and "A feet
long. One hundred and sixty-one pulleys
are arranged on the ceiling, and each pulley
Is made to hoist one length OF hose, so $3.50
tower Is heated by steam. In the basement,
which has fine cemented floor, Is the steam
boiler which furnishes the heat for the build
ing, and q trough 26 feet long and - feet
wide, in which the hose Is washed before II
is carried to the tower to be dried. The
basement is very comfortable room, and Is
well lighted with incan1eScent lights. En-
gineer Charles French, j. II. Fleming. driver
Of the engine; Capt Benjamin Sawyer, hose
driver; and Joseph Baker, driver Of Eagle
\ odAar M D. lnpafpd al tho
central station, but the other members of the
company live in different parts OF the city.
There are two large sleeping rooms over the
engine and truck house, from which the
drivers can reach the lower floor by means
of sliding pole. Over the stable Is spa
cious hay and grain loft. The hose will be
taken into the basement by a scuttle
door, above the sidewalk. The hose is
dried in "a hours, whereas 1t used TO take
nearly one months time by the old method
The hose tower Is entered by passageway
between the truck house and adjoining
buildings, or by passing through the house
from Congress street.
The fire company known as Falmouth No.
2, was organized July 1st, 1860. X. III. Muir
phy was foreman, John ID. Mitts assistant
foreman, and William Hennessey clerk. The
company consisted Of nineteen men all told.
The engine was a johnson pump, ana was
made by the Portland Company. ~ was
finally sold to the Portland Company, wnere
u
TO protect the company's buildings agalhst
Ore. In 1864 the name OF Falmoutn NO,
was changed to Casco Engine Company NO.
3. and new engine with the same kind OF a
pump was made by the Portland Company,
and Old Falmouth No. 2, before becoming
the property Of its makers, was used for a
time as a spare engine. When the name Of
the company was changed to Casco, Leonard
Pennell was foreman, and William Hennes-
sew clerk, the office of assistant foreman
having been done away with. In the great
fire of 1866 the first CascO known as the
"Iittle Casco' on account of its dlminutiye-
ness. was burned. 1t was at the time out of
repair, and was stored away In the engine
house that stood where now stands the
North school. A meeting was soon to be
held to consider the advisability of con-
demning the Little Casco," so its destruc-
tion by fire was not, after all, considered a
very great loss. William Hennessey was
foreman, and Augustus l.. Chase clerk of
the company that fought the flames Of the
destructive confagratiOn Of '66, and the old
Falmouth was the engine used ON that occa-
sion, In the fall of the year Of the great fire
the second Casco engine was purchased, and
this. too. was a johnson pump and was
made at the works of the Portland Compa-
nv. The new engine did good service for a
long time. It was taken to Bath, where a