The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-08-21
VENERABLE Ex-FIRE CHIEF.
Some "Reminiscences of Old Hand Engine
 DaVS.

Days.
 Our esteemed townSman, Charles A. Nettleton, was one of the most striking figures in the fire chiefs excursion of Thursday This venerable gentleman. now over eighty years of age who has been somewhat indisposed this summer owing to the warm, sultry weather, was able to join in the festivities with some of his old-time vigor and ardor, and all were glad to see and welcome him. He was New Haven's fire chief half cen tury ago, and admirable service did he render in those old days of exciting runs to fires by the hand engine com panies, and when some splended fire fighting was done, even though fire steamers had not yet come nor aerial trucks, nor the city water supply. Those were the days of the street res ervoirs, and great days were those. when the rival hand engines of this and other cities had their trials of power and ability to squirt to high al- titudes, the said contests taking place on the old green before admiring thou sands. There were eleven hand engines in those days, and among the men who ran with the machine" and were af- terward promoted to be fire officials, were Hon. John Woodruff, who became fireman of old Mo- 4, and afterward a member of congress and later United States collector of internal revenue for this district; and Hon. Hiram Camp. the famous old clock manufacturer. president for years of the New Haven Clock company and who was for years chief of the fire department-a striking and commanding figure. Then there were Charles w. Allen, chief for years of the department; Assistant Engineer George D. Sanger who was afterward an officer of the old fighting Seventh c. 1 V. and wrote very interesting letters 1 for the papers from Tybee Island; As sistant Engineer Edmondson, a large, 1 portly and vigorous man; Assistant Engineer Howard B. Ensign, also a l large, portly figure, who afterward be- came big steamboat magnate at Ball. timore; foreman of Peacock Ten, Will liam W. Hubbell; foreman of Big Six. James w. Madden, and many others of more or less local renown as fire fight CTS. Timothy Woodruff, now. lieuten- ant governor of New York, is a son of the late Hon. John Woodruff. MT. Nettleton has host of old memories of volunteer firemen days slowed away in his recollections of the past, and long may he live to relate them.
 l Of the above mentioned, Messrs. i Woodruff, Camp, Allen, Sanger, Hub bell, Edmondson and Ensign have join ed the silent majority" There was also perhaps no more striking figure of the old firemen parades than "Roz'' | Waters, whose wonderful act of pois- ing his drun1stick in the air, in the in- tervals of beating his big bass drum, excited the wonderment of all the boys in town and of the bigger boys, too. and who was one of the show features of the parade. Jeff Storer was also one of the notable firemen of those days and he, like MT. Waters long since passed away. He was one of the sons of our esteemed and venerable towns men, Alexander Storer, who is still with us and able yet to be about town. an honored and esteemed figure and a we'll preserved old gentleman. There were many others who were prominent in those old days of whom perhaps some of our old citizens can give in- formation through these columns