Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-19
TT Is PERHAPS NOT GENERALLY


TT IS PERHAPS NOT GENERALLY
Il known that in the ranks of the voluntee,
fremen OF former years many Of the first citi
| zens Of the land lent hand in the extinguish
mcnt Of fires and in the saving Of property
The impression Of many is that the old-timt
| companies here and elsewhere we're made uI
OF more Of the rowdy quality than anything
else. and the public generally made no distinc
ton between the membership and the hangers
| on or runners to whom the rowdyism should
have been credited.
Alexandria will always feel proud Of the fac,
that Washington was an active member of the
Friendship Company of that city. That city
still preserves as q memento beyond price
leather fire buckets marked with his initials. II
Is also well known that the busy Benjamin
Franklin was an early advocate of volunteer
flre organizations. and, with other distinguished
men, run and worked the machine OF the Hi
Dernia FIRE Company, primitive as it was al
fires in Philadelphia. George Ross, another
signer Of the Declaration, was an active mem
Der OF the Union of Lancaster, Pa. President
Fillmore was a member of the Eagle Hose oil
bunalo Tor many years, and President Bu-
chanan was an active member of Lancaster,
Ia. company for over forty years.
In the organization OF the District COM
panies the foremost citizens took part and il
was not a rare thing that members Of Con-
gress would leave the halls of legislation to as
slst in battling with the devouring element by
passing water down the line from pump or
reservoir to the engine, from which it was
forced on the fire. And notwithstanding the
contrary impressions the volunteer companies
OF the District aimed to and generally succeeded
as far as actual membership is concerned in
holding on its rolls men of character. Those
who without pay or reward manned the brakes
worked a ~ bo
disbanding OF the old organizations and the
establishment Of the paid department in 1864,
are fast passing away.
THE VETERAN VOLUNTEER FIREMEN.
number of those who remain have, as vol
unteer firemen in other cities have done.
formed the association known as the Veteran
Volunteer Firemen's Association of the District.
The objects are to keep alive the memories of
the past, to maintain Old-time apparatus, col
lect mementOes, DC. This association was
formed IN 1887 and had number of meeting
places till the present year. when, under the
authority OF an act of Congress, the use of the
present headquarters was granted them. 1t
was quite appropriate that this old building at
the corner of 18th and H streets should
he thus used, as that and the old Anac osta house.
9Th and n streets southeast are the only two
OF the old time engine houses standing. This
building, since it was turned over to the trus-
tees Of the association, has been thoroughly
renovated and improved, and already the walls
are we'll crowded with pictures, hats, badges,
papers and other paraphernalia which recall
memories OF the days OF cisterns and pumps.
Not the least interesting are tine printed
rosters OF the old companies, some of them dat
ing back to the '30's, and some of the record
books that Of the Columbia dating from 1918,
the Franklin from 1880 and the Union from
1888.
THE FIRST FIRE COMPANIES.
Much has been written from time to time as
to the organization of the companies in the
early part of the century, but there has always
been some uncertainty as to the exac. dates of
organization. 1t Is more than probable that
the beginnings of the companies were sc small,
the apparatus SO crude, the water supply SO
limited and the population SO scanty, that from
almost insignificant neighborhood meetings
companies gradually evolved, finally selecting
leader or director, adopting q name and rules
for working the machine, passing buckets, DC.
About 1900 when the city was a cluster of
villages, when neighbors visited one another
by making their way over marsh and mire and
through underground, the necessity for fire ap-
paratus in the hands of men of experience be-
came apparent, for the residences were erected
in little clusters. There was not much danger
OF extensive conhagratlon. because il was then
city OF magnificent distances, if it could be
called city at all. About the Capitol there
was some settlement and for the ac-
commodation Of legislators and sojourners
were three hotels-Conrad and Nc
Munns, on New Jersey avenue
between and B streets southeast, Coolidge's,
LIST and streets northeast, and Steele 8. LIST
and A streets southeast. About the navy yard
there was also settlement also one at the
lower end of New Jersey avenue. Pennsylvania
avenue was not then the main thoroughfare be-
tween the departments and the Capitol, for it
skirted the low grounds on the north side of
the 1iber, afterward called the canal, and +
street. wa tha min
clpal street between the eastern and western
parts OF the city. Settlements about 5th street
and between 10th and 18th streets were along
+ street. About and Goth streets and the
the principal settlements west Of the executive
departments. There were also some settle
ments toward the lower part Of AZ street.
TO PROTECT GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS
The general government, as early as Nav,
1900, made an appropriation of less than $500
to purchase two fire engines for the Treasury
Department. but there is no record as to how
they were manned, &c. 1t is said, however,
that one was located in a one-story frame about
opposite the south portico of the treasury
The corporation in 1903 made appropriations
for the purchase Of engines for the protection
of the markets and property. but there is no
record of the organization of companies till
the following year-1S04. There is but little
doubt that the predecessor of the Union
was located at the west market, which
then on the triangular space formed by goth
and / streets and Pennsylvania avenue and
was housed in a shed at the west end Of the
market. while in the town hall on 10th street
the meetings were held. The Anacostia was
located near the Eastern market lin the space
between 5th. 9Th, X and l. streets southeast),
and the house, plain unpretentious frame,
was on the north side of X street until the
house at 9th and streets was erected in 1872
That the Columbia was organized in 1904 and
under that name, excepting during the war OF
1872. had a continuous existence to the time Of
the paid department Tin 1864 there is not the
least doubt. 1t is equally certain that it was
put in charge Of the apparatus purchased for
the protection of the government buildings
spot occupied by the statue Of Washington
facing the Capitol. The house was destroyed
by fire when the British set ire to the Capitol
in August, 1914.
TWO EARLY FIRES.
Congress took action none too soon for the
protection of government property, for the two
fires Of magnitude in 1900 and 1901 were Of
government buildings. serious loss having
been entailed thereby, it was not long before
the government officials as well a. the citizens
IN general felt an interest in adopting some
uniform system for the suppression Of con-
hagrations. The first OF these fires was No.
vember 3, 1900, in three-story building on
Pennsylvania avenue about 2lst street. in which
the offices Of the War Department we're tenn
porariy located, and in a few hours the build
ing was entirely consumed with all the papers
OF the department, except one volume in which