The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-05-18


OF the proposed publishing Of History
OF the Wheeling Firc Department, I'M
der the auspices Of tho firs laddies, the
proceeds Of the sale Of the book to be
the start Of a firsmen's pension fund
For the past t@o months Mr.. g. H
Grant, OF Columbus, and Chief Frank
Healy, of the department, have been
engaged In compiling and getting In
shape the vast array Of facts and dg-
ures that would make up historical
recital of tho department In this work
they have received invaluable assist
ance from Capt. c. J. Rnwllng, who had
at his commanu. prob1bl" more intor.
nation than could haVe'been obtained
from any other source. The booei which
came from the press Of the InteliBeneeT
| Publishing Company last Saturday,
will be distributed to subscribers this
week The edition 10 1890 copies, most
Of which are already pledged, one gen
tleman, who has the welfare OF the de-
partment at heart, having subscribed
| for 900 copies. From the sale OF the
bonk 5000 will be realized. This sum,
which will be added 10 IN various ways,
will form the neucleus OF hremRn's
pension fund that win reach lnrgcr pro-
portions later. The plan at present u
not to pension members Of the depart
ment, but ID TO take care OF disabled
flremen and pay whatever expenses that
may attend the .njurieS. Later, when
tho fund becomes larger, It is proposed
TO mOdestly pension flremen who are
retire. on account OF inhrmitles brought
about by their service In the depart
ment.'
Many OF the facts brought out in the
new publication have never before been
printed, and had heir publication been
innR delayed ther would have been lost
forever. Now they will be preserved
in substantial form for the benefit OF
future generations. The book 10 hand
some volume OF 1874 pages, tastefully
gotten up by the compilers, full OF
photo-engTaVinEH Portraits Of Mayor
Caldwell. Chief Healey, ex-ChietS Dun
ming, Eccels, and Winder, Mayor An
''the firemRn'S friend" and many
others, including all the members OF the
fire department, engine houses and
equipment, etc.
The opening chapter Of the history ls
an Interesting review Of affairs carly In
the present century, before there was
anything more effective than the old
time bucket brigades in the way Of pro-
lection against fire. At this period IN
the clty's history the young men took
no interest In the formation OF fre CON.
panieS. Their fancy turned toward mill
itary companies, Of which there were N
1890, three, two Of infantry and one OF
artillery. But the old state OF Virginia
did not properly encourage the amateur
soldiers, and then Il was that the hrst
volunteer FIRE company was organized
in Wheeling. The young soldiers who
were afteF excitement, numerously
Joined volunteer FIRE companies. Among
the young men who Joined the eompan-
les were William Hall, W. s. Wickham,
James 8. Wheat, Jacob r, Greer. Ar
thur Little, Daniel Lamb, G. D. Hub
bard, Daniel Bodlcy. Thomas o'Brien
and many Others, who afterwards be-
came prominent figures In the COM
munIty. One OF the organizations was
the Independence fare Company: whose
motto was, "Our impulse to action the
danger OF Our citizens.
Interest In the volunteer organIEa.
lions continued until lASS-A when II be-
gan to nag. principally on account OF
the rivalry existing between some OF tho
companies, which, however, in no way
injured their efficiency when the alarm
called them forth TO duty. AT the
breaking out OF the rebellion In 1851,
nearly the entire membership OF the
Rough and Ready flre company enlisted
IN the Union forces, and making up
nearly the entire membership OF Com
pany A., First Virginia, the flTHt COM
pRny that was formed In western Viz
Elnla. Members Of other IRE companies
who were southern sympathlEerS went
south and formed Company C., OF the
Twenty.seYenth Virginia (Conteder-
ates).
In 1862 the first steamer was pur-
chased, and in the next two Year, two
more were added to the equipment. Il
was at this time too, that the hrSt paid
flremen were employed, two or three
being attached to each fire company
In 1869 tho paid flrc department was es-
tnblIshed. The first chief was William
WIndcr, whose assistants were Andrew
], Sweeney, formerly mayor Of the city
and William H. Harrison. At this time
there were four FIRE stations or cons
pnnIes, as follows: United, Atlantic
VIgilant and Hook and Ladder Chiei
Winder served until December, 1878
when he was succeeded by William A
Eccles, who served until 1881, James a.
Dunning succeeding him. Then came
the present efficient chief. Frank J.
healy, who was elected In December Of
49,.
The book is brlmful of interesting
matter from the first page tn the last
and viii no doubt be read with Interest