Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-12
FIRST FIRE FIGHTERS.
Chief Evans Reels OF Some Yarns
About the EARLY Volunteers
WASHING OUT THE CROWS NEST.
A Peaceful Quaker Who Believed In SmIttns
on Ripe Occasions
HISTORIC ENGINE LOST AT JoHNsTowH
WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPArcH.I

WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPArcH.I
$50 you want a few facts CT early history
about the Pittsburg Fire Department, do
you?" inquired Chief Evans, as he whirled
around in his Office chair and motioned for
the writer to be seated. "Well, let me
see."
'In the olden times when Pittsburg
was still village; when frogs croaked from
Shiny ponds where some of our most impos-
ing business palaces now stand; when
Indians, trappers and settlers mingled
together to trade, historical facts were
rather meager. But even in those early
days Pittsburg had a fire department. OF
course it was not very elaborate service,
since the city water works at that time con-
sisted of but two wooden pumpa But 1t
existed nevertheless, and its members bat
tied with the fiery element with indomita-
BILE pluck and courage.
"One peculiar feature of this earliest fire
company was its organization. 1t was not
volunteer as one would suppose, but conn
pulsory, something like the German mill
tary system. The service of every adult
male citizen was enforced under penalty Of
fine, and the officers were elected by the
people.
The Old Eagle Fire Company
'The volunteer service was the second to
be established. 1t grew out of the other
system, supposedly on account of dissatis-
faction. The Eagle Fire Engine and Hose
Company was the first Pittsburg company
ever actually organized on the volunteer
principle. This occurred in the year
1874. There was great time in the
village when the Eagles secured an
engine. When the wagons which brought
it from Philadelphia arrived the town could
hardly contain ITSELF Everybody turned
out to see the wonderful machine and
scarcely an eve winked while John john
son, the village mechanic, put the pieces TO-
gether. The new engine was rude in the
extreme. 1t consisted of plain box, which
contained the mechanical works of the en-
gine, and was operated by first pouring wa.
ter into the pump by means of buckets and
then forcing it ont through the base. The
fire plug was then unknown.
"As the success of the Eagle Company de-
pended msinly on the bucket brigade it is
not surprising to find law in existence
authorizing ali citizens TO have on hand
ready supply of good buckets. One of the
Eagle captains was a Quaker He was q
very strict old fellow, and one day, catching
Friend, thee had better remove thy hand
Receiving an offensive reply the Quaker
fireman added: Then / shall smite thee
and he proceeded to do so, flooring the med
dler. This inc;d dent caused much scandal st
the time.
Eagles - tho Crows Nest
ba of L..
undertook to inculcatr morality by means
of the shower bath. Whenever q false
alarm brought them out they invariably re-
paired for practice to Virgin alley and
played upon a house there called The
Crows Nest which possessed an unsavory
reputation and was one of the earliest land
marks of the alley. In vain the inmates
would cry from the doors and windows that
there was no FIRE there. The boys always
replied that the place needed washing
anyhow, and this method of getting rid OF
residents was winked at by
the authorities
SIN the year 1859 the Eagle Company was
fortunate in having enrolled among its mem-
bers trio of valuable mechanics Their
names were James Nelson, James Reese
and George Wilson. These men got to-
gether and planned the building of q steam
engine. Nelson drew the plans, Reese made
the castings and Wilson put them together.
When everything was complete the dubious
builders took the odd looking craft down to
Water street to give it trial. As they
preferred to experiment alone the trial was
arranged to be made at midnight. But the
intention of the schemers became known
and long before they appeared on Water
filed with spies. The engine sputtered and
puffed beautifully, but without much
promise OF success. The men were deeply
engaged in a consultation when from behind
4 neighboring tree some one shouted: Take
your old steamboat home. 1t won't SQUIRT
The builders acted upon the advice. They
hauled the old steamboat home, repaired
Ind fixed it, and then gave it a second trial
This time it proved a success and covered
is makers with glory. The old engine en-
1ured and did service until the Johnstown
1ood. 1t was destroyed in that memorable
lisaster
''The second volunteer FIRE company or
,anized in Pittsburg was known as the AL
egheny Engine and Hose Company. It
erved the city for more than half century,
md, like the Eagle, had enrolled among its
members the names of the best pioneer citi-
ems of Pittsburg. The original engine Of
his company was very crude old machine,
,ut it was always on hand when needed,
nd delivered its stream with an effect that
gon the gratitude of our early fathers
Rivalries of the Old Volunteers
"When several companies had been or.
,anized an intense rivalry sprung up be-
ween them. So bitter was the partisan
pirit that lively pugilistic encounters
ometimes took place, and, indeed, it 10
aid some of the good church people of that
ay took hand in the contests. One Sun
ay afternoon while returning from
fire the Eagle boys met the ALLIE
heny company at the corner of Market
nd Liberty streets. The Eagle captain
rdered his men to march quietly by with
ut any demonstration. The order was
beyed by all except one bully. who tried
o provoke a quarrel. The captain there
pom become enraged, and, rushing tos
eighboring stable, secured pitchtork and
lade for the man who showed fight The
litter lodged the weapon and ran. From
nat day on he never showed rebellion.
"On another occasion when these two
ompanies were returning from q fire, side
y side, each crew waiting for the other to
.art up a row, one of the Allegheny men,
reat big fellow over six feet in height, who
as casting threatening glances at the foe,
tipped and fell down. A little Eagle man,
le smallest member of the company,
epped over to the PROSTATE giant, and
1aking his fist at him, said: There, you
light have known / would knock you down
,r looking at me that way Your re-
oonded the big one as he struggled
his feet, you, knock me down! Why
Al 7 -