The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-08-28
MARION RBJOICDS.
AT Last That Section is to
Have a Fire De-
paTtment.
OLD VOLUNTEERS
How They We're Organized and
Protected Their Part Of
the Town.

the Town.
There was great rejoicing In Marion
last night. The people were happy.
Every man, woman and hill seemed in
stilled with a new life. Their faces bore
expressions of joy and contentment.
The reason for hi jubilation was the
fact that at the meeting OF the Board Of
Fire Commissioners, held last night, de-
cided steps were taken toward locating
an engine mpa in Marion. The
Board Of Street and Water Commission
ers were requested to select a suitable
site for an engine house. They win
most likely select an advantageous posi-
ton on West Sid avenue, near the Penn
sylyania Railroad tracks.
h company will be formed about the
first of the year, at least that is the In
tention Of Chief Conway, and with its
formation ends the organization of the
company known as the Marion @yolun-
teers..
The Marion Volunteers, was organ
lied about three years ago, when fires
were epidemic in the Marion section.
The residents there made repeated eff
forts to have a fire located in
their section, but to no avail. The Board
had not the necessary funds at hand to
warrant such a step.
The citizens of Marion recognized the
fact hat something would have to be
done and quickly done. or some night q
fire might visit them that would sweep
away their all. A committee was or
80 utuod rxrf+1 GAhoty nrl-rn on.;-Z
man. and meetings were held at the diff
ferent members houses and various plans
of relief were considered. After the mat
ter had received due elaboration the
committee decided. one night, to call for
volunteers to organize q fire company.
A call was sent out. The result was
surprising to the committee, for almost
every man in Marion volunteered. n
was willing to sacrifice his time Ind risk
his life to ave his ~neighbors' and his own
property. and possibly their lives.
There were enough volunteers to or
gandxe b company, and 50 the commit
tee started In. The men who had vol
unteered were divided into three divfs-
ions or SHIFTS. Each worked or, rather,
was prepared to work for four hours
during the day and our more during the
night.
When the mi had been organized
and the shifts made VI, a meeting was
held in one Of the halls In Marion. At
the meeting ABE" Brown was unand-
mously chosen to lead the boys as Chief
of the Marion Volunteers. All this had
been done before an engine had been Sc
cured. The first thing Chief Brown did
upon Acquiring the Office was to make
ovart,,ras for tina nroe,,ytng If an an
-
sins ls sihvtas ~ shS HUE "sfe o'~A
rewarded, n one day there arrived In
Marion a large fire engine. resplendent
IL hrass trinominoa ara bavinr fo,r
l1 ~
r:va! OF the engine was q great gay ZOE
marion. Inc elelzens ana lAApaySls
ana the prospective cltizens ana aApay
az surnea oSl snois e neg 49, ua'e AZ $3.50 asa,s
~ 80 - ssae 49, - & asa ~. L1 49,
g tppe W. iBa saHn y !, X haaS II ngifyaS
- nntSa paUsn = orar bsaa,t;ftl ~
. rat,.s tbro,,Sh al tbe ,rrsnc;1aa1 straafs
aS &C.,. re- $3.50 ,,nn,,ia ion @l,rnes5
o. Naraon. me aemass Repu,S lfo sdr na !
1870 wera cas- unnn tho handsoma
atbietsc ioolxine vo,3nr men Who had
heen selected Ia s4Iard their homes. and
if neeesssrv their lives against maj
demon, fire
A stabie an West Side avenue was
selected a. the Temporary Quarters Of
the engine After the parade the ap-
Daratus was housed and that evening the
Young men and their young lady friends
danced and ate and drank In honor of
the day.
Now that the company was formed, an
engine secured and a chief installed
measures for notifying the members of
the presence of a fire We're ~nsidere
ana an amateur fire alarm was erected
BY the ever-ready and Industrious chief.
This completed the service and all that
was wanted was a fre to test the ability
OF the .boys." Those individuals lay
nights lest they should sleep too
soqrndly and nof hear the bell. All through
the day ewes were east upon that bell
watching for the tongue to move. In their
feyertsh anxiety time seemed to pass very
slowly, and it was thought that the ardor
of the volunteers would cool before they