St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-19

THE PRESENTATION
took place at Rice park The easy in
formality IN social matters of those
invitation received and read at the
time and publicly read to the depart
ment by its chief:
Fuller House, st. Paul, Nov 5. 1885,
Charles H Williams. Chief Engineer-Dear
Sir: You are respectfully invited to extend
your line of march in your parade TO-DAY as
lar as the Fuller house and partale of a few
refreshments and strengthened" Yours
very respectfully $ Long
1t was thereupon unanimously Re
solved. That we accept the liberal in
Vitation, and call round there" After
parade of the principal streets of the
city and the reception at the Fuller
mouse the two engine companies as
sembled for a rival squirt" for the
paclty OF the two machines and the
ABILITY OF the companies to handle
them. The engines were quickly
placed and manned-they accommo-
dated about forty men each-and very
shortly began to surge like ships in
a stormy sea as the boys proceeded
to jump 'er." An unofficial record of
the test states that single streams
were thrown through an inch nozzle
and 200 feet of hose 10 feet horizon
tally, and 120 feet high; but no one has
ever been able to say which engine
earned the victory. Both companies
claimed it, and the surviving members
MAINTAIN the same position today.
From that time on the engine COM
panies were able to do splendid work,
and the record of fires, which is long
one, shows the great efficiency of both
companies at all times. In after years
when the steamers came to take the
place of these hand engines, the lat
ter were sold by the city to smaller
towns Of the state. The first cost of
the two engines was s., 000
ENGINE HOUSES.
In 1859 houses were built for the sew
eral companies, the Pioneer hook and
ladder house on the southeast corner
OF Fifth and Wabasha streets, which
In 1874 became the court house and was
so used until the present city hall and
court house was COMPLETED; Hope en-
CINE house, on the south side of Third
street, at the crossing of Washington;
Minnehaha engine house, on the east
SIDE OF jackson street, near Fourth
The plans were prepared by A +.
knight, and each building was fur
nished with a cupola or belfry. The
houses were two story. about twenty
five feet wide and sixty deep, and of
brick. President Emerson, of the city
| council who was the leading munich
pal economist of those days, thought
| the buildings too elaborate and the
| cost 81, 800 for the three, extravaganza
The cupolas 0hey called them cupa-
los them were particularly obnoxious
| to him and he complained bitterly of
| so young a town as st. Paul putting
| on such frills as to build and main
| tain the three finest engine houses
in the country-perfect palaces" But
| others thought differently, the plans
We're carried out, cupOlas and all, and
| the fire companies and apparatus fifty
| housed. The Pioneer and Hope houses
We're torn down a good many years
! ago, but the Minnehaha house still
| stands, having been moved TO the west
! side Of Jackson street, midway be
tween Fourth and Fifth, where it now
is. If any one is curious to know what
THE FINEST ENGINE HOUSE
in the country-perfect palace" was
according to the standard of 80, let
| him go down there and inspect the
quaint old structure with its old-style
| cOrnice, bow windows and weather
stained front. An exterior view will
| suffice.
The volunteer department of St
Paul during It's twenty years of active
service has had thirteen chief en-
gineers, as follows: Washington M
Stees, Nov, "a, to July IA, 81; c. H. Will
Jams. July, 81, to August, go; J. B
Irvine, Aug, go to Nov. co; w. r
Donaldson, Nov, so, to Nov, '6l; J.
e. Missen, Nov, 81, to Nov, '62; L.
H. Eddy, Nov, go, to Nov, SO; B. Ro-
deck, March, SO, to Nov, SO; J. c. A.
Pickett, Nov, SO. to Nov, "a; c. II
Williams, Nov. '64, to April. '66; B.
Presley, April, sc, to Nov, '68; Frank
| Breuer, Nov, 6S, to Nov, 10; j. c.
| CT ID
! o. Strong, Nov. II, to Nov, ~; NJ
B Farrell, Nov, ~, to Jan, '76, about
| which time
THE PAY DEPARTMENT
was established. In January, '76, r. o.
| Strong was chosen chief engineer OF
the pay department and served many
| years, being succeeded by John G.
| Black, who in turn gave way to the
! present efficient chief, John Jackson.
1t would be pleasant and interesting to
| give the full roster of officers and mem
! bers of the volunteer fire department
during its term of existence, but want
! of space and the impossibility of secur-
! ing reliable data forbid.
| The fire department association was
organized Dec. 81. 1857, with the fol-
! lowing officers: President w NJ
| Stees; vice president, F.. Caldwell; sec
rotary, John B. Oliver; treasurer. r. G..
| Sharp. 1t disbanded, as an active or
| ganiZatiOn, on formation of the pay
| department. The Benefit association.
| organized in 1851. disbanded last year.
On Aug. II, 1866, the
FIRST STEAM FIRE ENGINE,
City of ST Paul" arrived and was
assigned to Hope Engine company. In
| the following April, Hope Hose COM
| pany was organized, followed by Trout
| Brook Hose company the same year
! Two additional steamers were procured
July 2, 1870 Minnehaha No. 2, and
Hope No. 8, and shortly after came
| Trout Brook Steamer No. A.
| The Sixth ward was represented dur
! ing the closing years of the volunteer
| department by the Rescue Hook and
Ladder company. of which e. H. Wood.
! w. Bircher, w. Berlandi, Paul Martin.
Michael Griffin, James Griffin, James
F. Maloney, Thomas Walsh. Jerry Nc
Carthy, Dan Shea and others were
| members.
! The fire department has always and
everywhere had a strong attraction for
the boy of tender years. His hero was
/ the man who wore a red shirt and fire
helmet and held the pipe next the noz-
| zle. The youth of st. Paul in the vol
unteer days Of the department were
| like their kind Of other cities, and
awaiting the arrival of that happy day
D y y AAGAr1DR