San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-06-12
FIRES
HOW MANY IN SAN ANTONIO
LAST YEAR
The Splendid Volunteer Fire Fight
crs-IGlcutric Alarm, .tpTar-
atus-HistOriCal, Etc


the State Firemen's Association, has
seen fit to pay San Antonio visit of
inspection during the past two days,
and has pronounced himself as nigh
ly delighted with the choice of the
Alamo City for the next meeting Of
the State Association, the LIGHT
thinks the fremen of the state at
| large and also the citizens of this city
should know little about our de-
| partment and the brave men who
| compose it..
The San Antonio fire depaItm ent,
which was organized some thirty
years ago, but reorganizet May q,
1878, has membership of about two
hundred. The regular meetings of
the different companies are on the
first Wednesday of each month and
their staff of officers is G.. A Duerler,
chief; Erich Menger, assistant chief;
Ben J. Mauerman, secretary.
The different companies that con-
stitute the department are: Fire Com
pany No. l, Company No ,, Mission
Hose Company, Second Ward Hose
Company, Sunset Hose Company and
Turner Hook and Ladder Company.
Fire Company No. l was chartered
before the war, February S, 1855, with
about sixty members. In course of
time its membership gradually de-
creased, and today it has only about
SO members.
The foreman of the company is
Henry Goldman, who has held that
position for three years. He is a
| strong, healthy man of 81 years. Mr..
Goldman is a native of Germany,
"blinde Hesse," as they call the ma
tives of his district, and came to San
| Antonio in 1856. He has been con-
nected with the fire department since
| 1861.
| Company No. . was organized
December %, 1859, and chartered Feb
ruary IL, 1860. 1t has at present fifty
five members, though there has been
a time when the membership run up
into the eighties.
Mr.. w. Hoefling, Sr., its foreman,
has been identified with the company
since 1865, and has been foreman of
the same a little over fifteen years.
Like the foreman of Company No. l,
he is 81 years of age and also native
of Germany. He is a very enthusi-
astio fireman and says that he is
dearly in love with the aVOcatiOn.
The Mission Hose Company was or
ganized October 16, 1885, with twenty
members, and Harry c. Miller, as
foreman. 1t has at most thirty-three
active and passive members and its
present foreman is Thomas H. A b.
bolt.
| This gentleman, a native of Eng
land, is short, agile man of Sc years.
He has been in San Antonio the last
sixteen years, and his connection
with the fire department dates back
but four years, when the Mission
company was organized, of which he
was one of the first members.
He is brlmful of enthusiasm
for the work and is highly
elated over the prospective electric
fire alarm system. He says that
when the Missions first organized,
the hose companies had the little
jumpers drawn by the men. Now,
| they have five carts, horses and a
neatly equipped building. But the
| future electric fire alarm is far more
necessary than either horse or home,
and it Is good thing that it is
coming"
The Sunset Hose Company No. /,
was organized in 1885 with about
fifteen members. It's foremen were
| Phillip Manger, ST., John Cavanaugh,
Joe Welder and William Freeman.
Their membership is about twenty
men now and their present foreman is
Mr.. Freeman. Like Mr.. A blot, ne is
an Englishman by birth, and about Is
years Of age. In size he is about five
teet, five inches, but he is considered
one of the best firemen in the ranks
By trade, he is mechanic, but he
now keeps saloon on one of the
avenues. Mr.. Freeman has only bee
in the city some five or six years.
The Second Ward Hose company
organized April =, 1873, has a mem
bership OF twelve active men. Its
foreman is Mr.. Joe Beckman, who has
been member of the company ever
since it has been organized. 1t has a
neatly equipped home about one
block from the High school and is
endowed with one of the four massive
fire bells of the city.
Then come perhaps the most effec-
tive apparatus, next to the steamers,
of the department., the hook and lad.
der. The company of men that ma.
nipulate this effective weapon, was
organized January 20, 1869, and incor-
pOrated May 80, 1870. 1t has mem
is Mr.. Ben. J. Mauermann, who has
been one of the earliest firemen in
the city and charter mem Der of the
He ok and Ladder company.
The chief of this department of six
yaTv -i11 -, 10 Il