The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-10
FIRE FISHTING ~ OLD NEW YORK.
The Bucket Brigade of Century Ago
Worked on a Home Rule Principle.

The Bucket Brigade of n Century Ago
Worked on n HON. Rule Principle.
Fire engines In New York century ago wero
OF very inferior quality and Of primitive design
The only water there was for IRE purposes
obtained from wooden pumps, and by law OF
the corporation every owner OF dwelling was
obliged TO supply Are bucket for every fireplace
in the house or back kitchen: these buckets held
three gallons and were made Of sole leather:
they were hung in the passage near the front
door when the bell rang for FIRE the watchmcn,
frcmen and boys, while running 10 the Are, cried
Throw out your buckets" These wcrs picked
UP by men. women and boys running To the Are.
Two lines formed. from tho fire 10 tho nearest
pump. when the pump gave out the lines wero
carried TO the nearest river: one limo passed down
the empty. the other passed up tho full buckets;
II person tried 10 break through tho lines no was
compelled 10 fall in and help under penalty OF a
severe drcnching for refusal. The buckets were
marked with the name and number Of the owner.
and any householder not supplied with bucket
was liable 10 fine and in some cases to mprison-
ment
carmen went 10 the streets near the scene. picked
uT the buckets and dumped them in the lobby
OF The City Hall People then sent their children
or servants 10 bring home the buckets, to await
This method Of Are lighting had many disad
vantascs. though at that period most Of the in
habitcd part Of New York was below The line
to cltncr river was not very great Moreover
the riparian boundaries OF New York were less
extended than they are now. Greenwich street
and Front street being the outside boundaries
As the city grew nUrthwArd anu IN the distances
irom the central broadway line To the river front
were gradually increased, il was no longer prac-
tir.bT 10 depend on buckets passed. from hand
10 hand and therefore there was ad'pt"d copper
pump for drawing water out ol the river in case
of hrr and thereby avoiding the diSaSrcehhle
necessity Of the inhabitants going down To the
slips AMI handing the water up in buckets This
was ordered by the corporation IN lI00, one
year hftcrwhrd this pump was DEPOSITED, by nu-
ihority in the rear oi the City Hall The wheels
OF the engines were AZ that time so small that
iocomotion was extremely difficult when there
was much snow. Accordingly u new style Of
| sled was tried and similar ones were ordered to
| be male for the other engines. ltut they werc
found To be worse than useless; Tor, IN attempting
| 10 turn n corner the engines were often upset
| and damaged. In very narrow streets some
| times they were left n be burned, because was
Impossible 10 get them away
kbn,It this time ca CHI On zine house Ssupplied
| with two poles long enough 10 carry twelve buck
| cts each. These poles were born, on Ihc shpul'
| ders of four men The general rul" was mat tho
| FIRST fireman 10 reach the cngin" house alter an
| alarm of flTc should have right 10 tho pipe, and
| tale il with him - the FIRE: that the next four
| frcmen % arrive should bear away inc huckri
poles and that the rest ~ tho company should
nm on with The engine AS best they might, "hawi-
| IN" out and demanding the rid 81 citizens MS
t thccv nrn mr., on" The "bawling out" pro
| cess which had the endorsement OF ordinance
| 40 vol rs custom, was not wholly satisfactory
| a. Nav Workers MS in tn" case OF false alarms
| IL often disturbed the SURVIVORS ol we Du'gn.eIs
| and al othcr times ompucl tayrns ana n.hci
meeting places without any prac'icai result