Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-02-03
NEW YoRk,s FIRE PATROL.
1t Had Its Origin In an Association Of
Merchants For Mutual Protection.

1t Had Its Origin In an Association of
Merchants For Mutual Protection.
Mr. Charles T. Hill, writing in st.
Nicholas of the New York fire patrol,
says:
The history of the New York
branch OF this novel addition to the
fire service is not uninteresting, for
its establishment dates back to tho
beginning of the present century, at
which time it was known as the Mu.
tual Assistance Bag company.
Originally this was a banding to-
gether of New York merchants for
mutual protection at fires. Each
member of the above company
wore badge of distinction" at
fires, consisting OF round hat with
a black rim and white crown bear.
ing the initial letters OF the organ
ization, M A., - on the front. He
was also armed with two stout can
vas bags about by 3 feet in size,
having upon the outside his name
in full and the letters IN. A." sur-
rounded by circle. At each alarm
of fire the members of the company
responded with hat and bags, and
it a fellow members property was
in danger saved what they could
and conveyed it in these bags to
some place of safety
We find among the list of men,
bers of this organization in 1903
such names as Beekman, Blocker,
Cruger, Cutting, De Peyster, Resse-
| welt, Stuyvesant and others as we'll
known, showing that many of the
pioneer merchants of New York
city were incorporators of this mu-
tual fire protective association. 1t
is extremely interesting to picture
to the mind a group Of these sturdy
old Knickerbockers, working ener-
getically amid the exciting sur
roundings of fire, slowing goods
and chattels away in canvas bags
bearing names that have since be-
come historically famous or promi-
nently identified with the growth Of
old Manhattan.
In 1889 the present fire patrol was
organized, practically evolving, SO
far as records show, from this same
Mutual Bag company. Their head
quarters were on Dutch street, where
a small wagon, pulled by hand, was
kept stored on the top floor of the
building. This wagon was lowered
to the street each evening at p.
M. and hoisted back again at a.
m. Between these hours the fire
patrolmen were on duty. Later the
service was increased by the addi-
ton of another wagon and more
men, and in 1870 the patrol was re-
organized and put upon a more sub
stantial and more effective basis.
Three stations were opened in
different parts of the city, and the
companies, under command of three
officers, were taken from the regu-
lar fire department.. The most APP
i proved wagons and the best tele-
graphic instruments were intro
duced, and the finest horses obtain
able were purchased for the service.
| 1t is a question whether any
branch of the regular fire depart
ment responded SO quickly as the
detachments from these different
stations, and they presented stir
ring picture as they Numbered along
on their way to a fire.
The service in New York has been
still further enlarged, and today
there are FIVE stations, each contain
ing two sections, or two complete
companies, go when one section re-
spends to an alarm another COM
plete section Officer, men and wag-
on) is left in quarters. Each station
is manned by captain, lieuten-
ant, sergeant and from Is to "a
permanent men, and is further
strengthened at night by the addi-
ton Of ten auxiliary men, who can
be called upon at any moment for
service These are men who work
during the day at various other oc-
equations and are paid only for the
time they are at fires. The perma-