The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-07-12
CAUGHT
On the Fly

The Old, old days when Scranton was
borough and when in case of fire
the leading citizens of the town would
jump from their beds aud make for the
engine house half clad, and "hump'
the old hand engines to tho scene of the
blaza, are recalled just now by thu ru
mored presentation Of the old Neptune
double-decker to the Veteran Firemen's
Mutual Benefit Association by the eX.
ecutors OF the estate of the late DR..
George S. Throop DR.. B. Ii. Throop
disclaimed any knowledge of the pro-
posed gift, hut remarked that the old
relic might very properly DO given to
the new borough Of Throop. Robert
Reeves superintendent OF the Scranton
Gas and Water company, one of the
executors of the estate of Dr. George
Throop, says the matter had been sug.
gested, but that no definite action had
been taken. Some facts about the old
machine and her younger days were
obtained by a TRIBUNE reporter from
ex-Alderman Charles w. Roesler.
Mr.. Roesler of today, with his vener-
able gray beard and graceful old age
would be hard to imagine as one of the
boys who had run with the machine"
or whose sturdy muscle Of years ago
had quivered under the foreman's COM
manu- to "Dreak her down boys" He
had not heard the rumor OF the pro.
pose d gift when the reporter called but
seemed very much gratified when the
| fact was told him. When asked to live
over again for few minutes the old
fire laddie days, his eyes twink!ed as he
asked his visitor TO be seated and said {:
ut was in So or SO. l think, when
Frank Watson and | went to Philadel
phia as a committee from the Neptunes
to purchase an engine. Steamers were
then being put into use in the Quaker
| City, and we succeeded in purchasing
second. handed the old Neptune from
Philadelphia Fire department for ST.
900. think that's the figure. She was
double decker made by the Decatur
company and bore picture Of the adj
niral of that name. When in use here
we called her both Decatur and Nep-
tune.
"What power she had can best be
| told by circumstance which happened
few years after We bought her. The
Nay Augs had purchased steamer and
held their heads high az they proclaimed
| that the steamer could throw a higher
stream than the Lady Washington. It.
all ended in contest one evening at
the First Presbyterian church, where
the steeple was used as u stream mark
1t Is immaterial which won, because
several days previous some Of the Nep
tune boys, of which | was one. went to
work at our machine to get her in con-
dition to beat both the other com
panies. got permission from our
foreman to select my own men to pump
her--and maybe we didn't win. put
all the long legs on the bottom handles
and placed the short legs on the plat.
form--a brawny lot of boys they were.
too. They watched the motion of my
hand until the pumps sounded ciickety
click and the stream went fully twenty
feet over the top of the steeple,
| w uCll iJIl dbNbll was ihOOi ppl hbVN u
city the old machine was sold vt auc.
ton to make way for the new tangled
steamer / bid her in for the company
and she was later sold to Colonel Jacot
Robinson and housed on Cedar avenue
until the late Dr. George Throor
bought her.
No doubt the boys would be PLEASED
to know that the old machine, fol
which we all have an affection might
be given the Veterans association.
certainly shall not be absent from any
ceremony attending a presentation
At n meeting Of the Veteran Fire
mems Beneficial association, held n
Durr's Hall last evening, it was
unanimously decided to admit IN IN.
byrs of the Dunmore Fire department.
A committee Of five was appointed t
receive applications from fremen who
are eligible. The matter of securing
POSSESSION of the old hand engine was
discussed informally and it is probabl,
that steps will be taken soon to secure
the old relic for the association, which
, | II. ,orn,nrl,. a.