Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-19

the first day of March ensuing, at his or her ex-
pense, provide as many fire buckets of leather
and containing two and a half gallons az
there were stories in such house Every
proprietor neglecting to procure the proper
| number of buckets should forfeit 81 for each
| bucket If the proprietor OF any dwelling
house or store house not residing within the
limits of the city failed to procure buckets the
occupant was authorized to procure them
under the same penalty for neglect and recover
from such defaulting landlord the expense
| thereof.
Section Q provided that all the buckets
should be entered and numbered in the Office
Of the register. whose duty it was to record the
name Of the proprietor of houses with the
number Of tenants. who were required to have
the name and number painted on the buckets,
under penalty of 81 for each neglect.
Section made it the duty of the occupants
| suffering them to be used for other purposes;
| If any bucket was lost or destroyed they were
to replace them within one month under pen
atty of IS for neglect
They were required to keep them in o con-
spicuous place in the house and send them to
any fires that might break out.
Section authorized the mayor to Immediately
procure ladders and hooks to be deposited with
such citizens we're disposed to take care of
| them and use them, and $50 was appropriated
for the purpose of supplying the public with
| them.
Section made it the duty of the sealer of
weights and measures twice each year to visit
| every house and examine the number and state
OF the buckets and report the same to the reg
lister, and authorized the law officer OF any
precinct to receive one-half of the fines and
| forfeits under the act.
Section authorized the procurement by
| the mayor, prior to the LIST of March, 1904 of
| one substantial engine to be kept near the Cen
| ter Market, and SO soon thereafter as may be
| two additional fire engines were to be procured
a boz 4ha
| and western markets, for which purpose the
| sum OF $500 was appropriated out OF any money
| in the treasury. This law was carried into ef-
| feet at once, but many citizens and owners of
houses being unable to get their buckets ready
IN the time prescribed in the act, on the
18th OF March, 1903, a bill was passed that SO
much OF the first act as required the providing
OF fire buckets prior to March be repealed
and that persons required to provide the same
have until the LIST of June following to do So.
| these buckets.
FIRE WARDS ESTABLISHED.
July "a, 1904, an act of the city council Of
Washington to establish fire wards and fire
| companies was approved, 1t provided that the
city be divided into fire wards, all west of 10th
street to constitute the first fire ward; the Sec
ond bounded on the west by 10th street, on the
south by q street south until it intersected
with I'D street, and by such street from such
10 the extreme tncreOi. lie thru
fire ward to constitute all of that part of the
city southwark of such G street, and the fourth
ilre ward to constitute all OF the remaining
part of the city.
Section authorized the mayor to ap-
point one man residing in each ward who shall
call a meeting OF the citizens. who shall or
ganize themselves into fire companies which
Shall pass such rules for government as they
may see fit, the company to annually elect one
OF Its members, who. with the four citizens APP
pointed by the mayor. shall be denominated
flre directors and constitute a board of general
superintendent. &c. This act was signed by
Samuel IL. Smith, president of the first cham
Der OF the city council OF Washington; Nicholas
King, president of the second chaLber, and
approved by Robert Brent mayor.
The same day an appropriation of $500 was
made by the councils for sinking wells, repair
ing and erecting pumps.
Messrs Jas. II. Gillis. Jas. Hobar, Nicholas
Voss and Griffith Coombs were authorized to
call the meetings for organizing the companies
in the four wards.
August IL, 1904, meeting was held at the
West market and Jos. Stretch, John Woodside
and Ihos. H. Gillis appointed to make rules for
the government Of the fire company for the
first ward
Meetings we're held at Rhodes Hotel August
20 and September and the Union Fire Com
pany (afterward the Franklin) organized by
electlng James Hoban president, Andrew
Way, jr.. vice president; Washington Poyd,
treasurer James kearney, secretary; Clot-
worthy Stephenson, Potter Lomax, Lewis
NORM and Henry Langtry, engineers; John
Hewitt, Thomas Thorpe, Thomas Carpenter,
Henry Herefard, John p. Van Ness and Jose oh
Calvert. firemen; James Huddeston, John Ar
Ken, Orlando Cook. George Moore, Hugh Boyd,
Thomas Given. John Dobbn, c. NJ. Nantz.
ladder men; David Shoemaker, Richard For
rest. John NJ. Gowan, George Way, Lewis Gle
phane and Thomas Herty, sentinels; John
Payne, Edward Frethy, B. L. Mccormick, Ezra
Warden, Alex. Cochran, Robt. Tally, William
and James Thornton, fremen. and John Hewitt,
board OF general superintendent
Many OF these names are prominent in the
annals OF the District. Mr.. Hoban was the
architect of the Capitol; Mr.. Way. a we'll
known printer; Peter Lenox, the father of
Mayor Lenox; Gen. Van Ness, member of Con-
gress, afterward mayor; Thos. Given, father of
John T. Given, and Lewis Clephane uncle of
the present Mr.. Lewis Clephane). who had but
recently arrived in the country and had
promptly declared his intention TO become a
citizen. From the fact that an appropriation
was made in 1915 to replace the treasury en-
gines 1t is presumed that they were destroyed
by the British.
On December 81, 1914. the company which
afterward became the Franklin was organized
and given In charge the treasury engines. 1t
was located In a house south of the treasury
building, but a few months after was removed
near the present north front, and was then
known as the Alert In 1926 one of the en-
gines was located in a frame house on 18th
street. north OF Pennsylvania avenue. and was
then known as the Star. 1t was in q few
months removed to the corner Of 18th
and Pennsylvania avenue, and in the
following year the company reorgan-
lZeu under the name OF the Frank
I'M and Chas. l.. Coitman was elected presi-
dent The company in the first ward reorgan-
lied In IL hall " the western market which
was then and many years afterward used as q
town hall. taking the name of the Union. The
apparatus consisted of an old-fashioned hand
engine, which was kept in ashed at the western
end OF the market, and for a time was on the
opposite side OF the avenue, and in the SOS
they also ran an old-fashioned two-wheeled
reel or Grab" with limited supply of leather
hose. They then in the so 8 had no uniform
fireman wore q beaver hat and carried about
with him an oilcloth badge, on which was
printed Union Engine or Hose Companyue
according to whether he might be engine ms a.
or hose man, which he tied around his
hat. He would carry his fire bucket to the
fire.
The engine house now occupied by the voluu-
teers was erected in 1887 under the act of
March 3, appropriating S7,235. which in
Guided the purchase Of engine and suction
The officers were as follows: Rev. French
Evans, president; Edward Handy, vice presi-
dent: Dr.. VIM. b. Magruder, captain OF engine;
Z. w. Hardness captain of hose; Flodoardo
Howard, secretary; Charles Calvert, assistant
secretary; Samuel Scott treasurer, and the list
contained forty-one engine men, twcnty-one
suction men, thirteen hose guards and four
hose carriage guards. A few years subsequently,
q cOrDa of DrOpartv Oua do mara orO. ;ral "a