Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-25
THE CAPITOL WAS ATTIRE.
The Veteran Volunteer Firemen in q
Reminiscent Mood.


the discussions at their open meetings are
interesting.
Thursday evening, at the second Of the
open meetings of the association, held at
their hail. 18th and H streets northwest,
Vice President Goodwin Pierce presiding,
with j. j. Peabody. secretary, the subject
Tor discussion was the fire at the Congress
s1onal Library on the morning Of Deem
Der "a. 1881. Mr. Daniel Genau was the
nrst speaker, and said he lived opposite
the grounds at the time, but was not work.
Ing at the fire. He remembered that 1t was
bitter cold weather. He did not think they
mad ever seen such weather since. In order
TO Keep the water in a fluid state whisky
was put In the hose 1t was after that he
Joined the company, and he had made a
name when attacked by some of the boys
by standing his ground in a stone battle
and firing back. Mr.. Genau then related
now some of the boys, in 1852, got hold of
little box engine. which was always first
at a fire, and the fires were then numerous
There was a fire in an unoccupied frame
mouse, so old that one of the fire boys told
MIN ne had set fire to 1t five times and it
would not burn until he set fire to the gable,
wnen 1t burned downwards. He well re-
membered the Capitol fire. and how they
ii
toi grounds and threw gold fish with the
water on the fire.
Running ON the Pavement.
Mr. Genau then related how Mayor Ma
sruder, on the complaint of ladies, ordered
.nat the apparatus should not be run on
the pavements. but that frernen must run
In the streets like other animals. A short
time after there was fire in the navy yard
and on the way down on the pavement
they were halted by Officer Simonds who
placed them under arrest. They then re-
turned and meeting the Northern Liberty
boys told them what had happened and the
Cnunker boys turned back with them,
saying: IF you are under arrest so are we E"
A warrant was issued. but when the trial
came they convinced the magistrate that
there was so much snow on the pavement
that the charge Of running on the pave
ment would not hold.
Mr.. Peabody's Recollections.
MIR. John ]. Peabody said the fire at the
library was discovered early in the morn
Ing just as he was starting from home on
street near the Capitol 1t was a bitter
cold day, the thermometer at four degrees
below zero. Mr. Meehan. the librarian,
lived few doors from him and he ran to
Mr. Meehan's house and told him. Having
every reason to believe that it would be
a serious fire. and having his membership
with the Northern Liberty at Sth and X
streets. he then ran to that house, a good
mile and a half. meeting Mr. John T. Suter
on the way. When they got there the boys
had just returned from the fire at Baker
Hotel. corner of Sth and e streets north
west. cold, wet and hungry and the en-
gines frozen up. They were 10th to be-
lieve that the Capitol was on fire. BY
this time all the bells In town were ringing
They took the hose carriage and started,
leaving it near the pool on the west front,
and then took the engine there. 1t was
necessary to thaw out the engine before
getting to work. but he could not say how
long 1t took them to do So At any rate
they went to work and theirs was the only
engine that forced water directly from the
pool to the top of the building.
The Columbia suction was taken into the
rotunda, and he believed the Perseverance
forced water to 1t; the Anacostia was on
the last portico and, he believed, was SUD-
piled by her own suction. The Union and
Franklin were just south of the portico sup
piled by their own suctions. Who threw the
first water he did not know. but thought II
was the Columbia. but Columbia got no
water till 1t was forced to 1t by the Perse-
verance. There were some amusing scenes
among them being the fall Of Senator Lewis
Cass on the ice after he had berated the
fi-emen for their hardness without making
any allowance for the weather and the con-
dition of the apparatus after the hard work
at Bakers fire.
Bucket Line.
Mr.. James r. Dobbyn said that on the
west front a line passed buckets along and
the question as to who threw the first waite:
! could be answered from that circumstance
Mr. Julius Stroller said that the Persever-
| ance forced water to both the Anacostia
and Columbia He asked how the Northern
| Liberty carriage was'in the west grounds
| He was glad that the Perseverance was
| given credit for what she did.
Mr.. ]. T. Suter said at the Baker fire the
| Perseverance took water at Sth street ano
| the Northern Liberty at It'll street, the
| Franklin hose joining them later. They
worked till the fire was out, every time the
goose necks froZe kettle OF hot water
| being handy to thaw them out. The water
| froze on their clothing About sunrise a
| man on horse back told of the Capitol be-
| ing on fire and they would not believe 1t
| He and some others took the reel, ran tc
bad fire. and ne then ran back for the en-
| CINE. The boys would not then believe It
but they went up with the engine.
Mr.. Strobel said he had often wondered
| how the hose reel got there. Several mem
bers of Congress worked on the Perse
| verance and when the report got out thai
Senator Cass had telegraphed to Baltimore
some of them said they would not work.
| Mr.. Peabody said he understood that II
| was proposed to telegraph.
Mr.. Strobel said that the Baltimore fire
men were on the train ready to come.
| Mr.. Suter said that after the fire he wen
! to Baltimore and found that the Vigilan
| company had had their apparatus on the
| train ready to start, when the order was
| countermanded.
! Mr.. Peabody said that the dispatch was
| probably sent when the fremen were thaw
| ing out the engines. The Washington fire
men, however, had kept the fire to the
| room in which 1t originated. although a
| the time the dome stairs were several time.
| in danger.
The discussion will be continued the frs
Thursday in December.
| Naval Academy W.. West Point Foot
| Ball Game at Annapolis, Md, Dec. I'd
| For this occasion the B. and o. railroad
will run special fast express train. leav
| ing Washington at 1870 p. m. arriving a
| Annapolis at 40 p. m, without change OF
| cars. Returning, leave Annapolis thirty
| minutes after close of game. Other train:
| leave for Annapolis via b. and O.. at ii:
and $50 a.. m. and 1918 p. m. Tickets goot
| going on all trains of Saturday, with return
limit to Monday. $50 for the round trip
| The Columbia Athletic Club has selected
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad as thS
| official route on this occasion. Secure you
| tickets at b. and o. ticket offices, Nos. 81.
| and 1851 Pennsylvania avenue, and at de
pot, New Jersey avenue and street.-Advt
Real Estate AuctiOneering.
| Mr.. T. r. Brooks, GIG 18th street, fol
| many years prominent in real estate circles
| has added a new feature to his business
| that of real estate northumberland an.