Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-03
VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES
"reminiscences of the Secretary of the Vet
eran Firemen's Association.
Some of the Notable COnfingrat lions
That Occurred in the Early Years
of the City.

At the corner Of 10Th and II streets north
west stands the two-story brick building
occupied for many years by one of the
volunteer fire companies an engine house.
the use Gf which has been given by Con-
gress to the Veteran Volunteer Ffremen's
Association of Washir gton. The place is
headquarters for the veteran volunteer fire.
men of the whole country whenever they
visit the capital. Among the members of the
association are to be found many OK Wash
ingtons prominent citizens, who. in their
younger years, Were sufficiently public
spirited to sacrifice time health and money
ia their efforts to protect the lives and
property of their fellow citizens from the
ravages of flame.
Here each Sunday afternoon may be found
gathering OF "a score or more of the old
riMe fire laddes, who while away AN idle
hour or two with "reminiscences of other
days or a discussion of the present situa-
ton as it appears to the veteran volun-
teers. On the first floor of the building
stands the hose reel and suction of the
Columbia Company-the very same engine
which did such noble service in the rotunda
of the Capitol at the memorable fire of
1851. The second story Is fitted up as
meeting room for the association. The
walls are covered with relics and souvenirs
OF other days. massive gilt frame in
closes the pictures of the members of the
Veteran F'irem EMS Association of California,
which visited this city as the guests of the
Washington association about one year
ago. Portraits of presidents and other Off
GERS OF several similar associations adorn
the room, and altogether the surroundings
are such as to cheer the hearts of the vet
eran volunteers.
a visit to this place last Sunday after
noon by Star representative found Presi-
dent James II. Richards and Secretary
John j. Peabody and some twenty or thirty
other members. Among those present in
addition to the officers named were Charles
S. Denham, Julius Strobel, Joseph William
son, Charles CoomeS, Alexander w. Eaton,
James r. Darbon, John w. Thompson,
Joseph b. Walling and others, all seemingly
rs much interested in fires when, at the
tap of the bell or gong, they turned out in
the middle of night to run with the ma
chine"
Asked to relate something Of interest
concerning some of the more memorable
of Washington fires. the reporter was re-
ferred to Secretary Peabody as 1.-The ency-
clopedia of information" Mr.. Peabody was
the last chief engineer Of the volunteer de-
partment and the first chief of the paid de-
partment in Washington. He is still on
the sunny side of seventy and cheerfully
answered all questions asked.
Mr.. Peabody's "Reminiscences.
as to the relative risk or loss Of life at fires
between the days of the volunteer and the
paid departments said Mr.. Peabody.
Scarcity of water supply was one of our
greatest obstacles in early days, and 1t was
not unusual for the suction engine pump
to be located at long distances from the
fire near some cistern or canal, from where
the water would be forced to another engine
and from there to the fire. Washington has
one of the best paid departments in the
country, and / believe that the loss of life
and property at both the Knox and Stumph
fires was unavoidable In the days of the
volunteer department do not now recall but
one man killed at fire. Several men were
hiiled by accident going to fires but that
was due to circumstances beyond control.
"a case of this latter kind was the death
of Benjamin Greenup, who was killed by
Columbia suction engine running over him
while on the way to the big fire at Shreeve's
stables On 7th street in May, 1856. When
the alarm sounded Greenup was singing the
familiar song, Good night" little dreaming
1t was for him the eternal farewell. While
the funeral of Mr.. Greenup was taking
place another alarm was turned in for a
second fire at the same place, during which
another fireman, EbeneZer Lord, was buried
beneath falling wall He was rescued
alive, however, and lived for many years
afterward The fireman killed on duty at
a fire was John Anderson, and that men,
orial on the wall yonder tells the story.
MIR. Anderson was killed at what is
known as the Taggart fire, I'D and G street
northwest, March 70, 1856" continued Mr.
Peabody. Another fire, at which there was
great loss of life, though not of firemen,
was that at the arsenal on June IL, 1864,
just before the volunteer department went
cut of existence. The fire was caused by an
explosion in the main laboratory, where
over one hundred girls were at work filling
cartridges for small arms. Seventeen lives
were lost, all of them women and girls, and
the scene at the fire was one never to be
forgotten. Coming, as 1t did, at the close
n any fireman carried with him out of the
service the recoliectons of that terrible
struggle to save life and property. While
a portion of the department were endeavor-
ing to rescue the remains of dead and
wounded from the flames, the rest were
in one of which there was stored
several tons Of giant powder. BY nard
work the flames were confined to the one
story building in which the explosion took
place.
Il shall J ever forget the scene at the ar
{ email an hour after the fire broke out. In
a row lay seventeen dead bodies, while
twenty or thirty badly burned or crippled
were being conveyed to the hospitals
Relatives and friends of the parties employ
ed at the arsenal were running about, maxi
ing anxious inquiry for their loved cnes
while the firemen and soldiers were busy
subduing the flames and caring for dead
and injured. 1t was heartrending in the
extreme.
1.-The Capitol and patent office fires? Yes
1 remember them both very well. The
former occurred Christmas eve, 1851, the
latter in September, 1877 while Martin
Cronin was chief of the paid department.