The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-04-15
THE CHINESE FIRFMEN.
Laying Of the Corner stone of China
Engine COmpany's House-FuH Re
port Of the InIerestinE Ceremonies.

! COiLSI StOiIS Vi q IIepTOOI DIICk mousse IOI
the accommodation OF China Engine
/ Company, No. ), Honolulu Fire Depart
ment. At that hour large crowd as
sembled at Maunakea and Pauahi streets,
/ the site wherein the building is we'll
/ under progress Of construction. His Ex-
/ cellency l. A. Thurston, Minister OF the
| Interior, and Hon. w. w. Hall were on
| the spot some minutes before the fire.
mems procession arrived. Chief En-
/ gineer Wilson and Fire Marshal White
7 soon arrived in carriage, with a span
OF horses driven by Mr.. J. J. Sullivan of
the Pantheon Stables.
Shortly the music Of a lively march
was heard in the near distance, and
China Engine Company marched up
Maunakea street, about thirty strong
and in full uniform, preceded by the
Royal Hawaiian Band aud followed by
the uniformed Hawaii Engine Company
No l. The bright blue OF the China's
and the red OF the Hawaii's blouses made
a pleasing com binatiOn as the procession
halted in ranks at the front and side of
the building. Hundreds OF spectators
viewed the ceremonies, and Mr.. SEVERN.
from an overlooking veranda, photo
the scene. Besides the latter there were
noticed in attendance Mr.. Fred. Harri-
son, contractor for the building; Mr.
George Lucas, eX-chief engineer; MIR.
George Norton, second assistant engineer
of the department; Mr.. +. r. Ryan,
foreman, and Mr.. G.. Clark, assistant
foreman of Mechanic Engine Company
No. 2, Mr.. B. OrdenStein, assistant fore
man Of Honolulu Engine Company No. |
l, and Mr.. Keawe, assistant foreman of
Hawaii Company. When all was ready
the band, under direction of Prof Berger, |
played the immortal strains of cold |
Hundred" The literary exercises fol- |
lowed.
Mr.. Lau Chong, delegate of China
Company to the department, called his |
company to attention with few intro |
ductOry words. Mr.. Hang Sam, foreman |
of the company, delivered a brief speech |
in Chinese, being rewarded with three |
rOusing cheers. MIR. Lau ChOng then |
read in Chinese the address, of which !
the translation appears below The
manuscript fastened with bright red
ribbon he placed in the tin box for de-
post in the wall
Mr.. Thurston came forward to perform
the main ceremony, and said: Gentle
men: l did not come here to make a
speech, but if [ had the gentlemen who
have gone before me have expressed
my sentiments thoroughly. (Laughter.)
As | cannot say any more in Chinese l
shall speak i'll English. There can al
ways be something good said about the
Honolulu Fire Department. 1t has
strived to do its duty under all circum-
stances, although there was time when
it was very poorly equipped. You re-
member the old fire engine at which you
mad to strain your backs to get drop of
water. This is the second building be-
Onging to the Department-NO. hav-
ng been the only company in its own
it is the first fireproof
engine house TO be constructed. 1t is
lifting that it should be built on the site
If the great fire, where Chinese capital
SITS have maintained an engine pur-
chased by their contributions. | am
glad to be able to participate in this
event, and to place in this receptacle the
)ox containing the record of your COM
Dany, with various other matters, and
nope it will be long time before any
body can get at it to find out what it
contains. daughter and three cheers.J !
The Minister, on concluding his speech,
deposited the tin box in the cavity pre-
pared for it, in the middle of the plaster
It the northeast corner OF the building.
The contents of the box are as follows:
Chinese Almanac for 1899, Thrum's An
lual for 1899, Hawaiian Chinese News
PAPER latest issue, Constitution of the
honolulu Fire Department, Constitu
ions and bylaws of Engine Companies
|, and ), and of Hook & Ladder Com
Iany and the Fire Police: Hawaiian
GAZETTE of April 9th, DAILY PACIFIC
COMMERCIAL ADVERTISER of April 18th,
Planters Monthly for March, Daily Bull
etiu of April 18th, Bulletin extra,
Weekly Bulletin of April 9th, list OF
Of China Engine Company, the
address, OF the same company just de-
ivered, a Chinese flag; Chinese, Ha-,
yaiian and American coins, and a short
history of Honolulu and the Honolulu
Sire Department, dating back to 1860,
~ Fire Marshal J. G. White.
Mr.. w. Akana, engineer of No. 5 fire
engine, followed the Minister OF the In
erior on the platform. He read the fol-
owing translation of the address read in
Chinese by Mr.. Lau ChOng:
Gentlemen and Brother Firemen: 1t
$ with satisfaction and pride we hail you
I'll here assembled to-day, to witness the
aying of our foundation stone. The
which shall shortly rise
.bove this stone will be the rallying
POINT of one company of that volunteer
)and, who are pledged ever to be ready
1t a moments notice to fight the Fire
7iend' and to protect the lives and pro-
,erty of our citizens from its ravages.
China Engine Company No. was
,rganized in 1879, with an original roll
all of sixty members. The funds which
purchased our fine steam engine were
subscribed by the Chinese merchants of
his city, and its present membership of
twenty-five is enrolled chiefly from the
merchant class of our community. From
he date of our organization a spirit of
Kindly fellowship has existed in our
anks and am proud to say that to-day
we are prosperous beyond our expecta-
ions.
Whenever the alarm bell has rung out,
alling us to duty, we have ever promptly
beyed the call and labored in unison
With our fellOwfremen to save the pro- {
,erty of our citizens. How valuable our
ervices have been, it is for our Chief
engineer and our fellOw-citizens to de-
de. That our services are valued is {
videnced by the fact that on this spot is
0 be raised fine freproof building for
ur accommodation.
This occasion is one which we shall
lot soon forget and it will nerve US to {
zeal whenever the alarm shall
ing out our call to duty. This occasion
: one of great interest to all the mem