The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-24
WHEN FIRE BELLS GLANCED
DAYS WHEN JERSEY CITY's ELITE
RAN WIN THE MACHINE.

Dances Interrupted by the Tap OF tho Bell,
and Partners Left standing on the Floor
ofthr Fire House Pnrlor-scenesR Recalled
by the Removal of Bell Tower,
The old bell tower on Communipaw avenue,
near Monticello avenue, in the Bergen section
Of Jersey City, q land mark for twenty nine years.
has been torn down and carted away. Tho old
structure, which did duty for years both for FIRE
alarms and as an observation tower. was sold
by the unima ginatve Fire Board to a Newark
hrm for old iron.
There were ive bell towers In the city until
this year. Three were Of wood and two were Of
iron In Mayor Hoos's FIRST term II was decided
TO have still alarms entirely and dispense with the
ringing Of the bells and in 1895 sternly practical
chief engineer reported 10 the Fire Board that the
bells were only used To strike the hours at A. NJ.
and o L. NJ. and he commended that as they
didn't pay for the cost Of their mainten anco they
DO sold"
The bell tower in the Bergen section was pur-
chased shortly after the consolidation Of Bergen,
Grcenville and Hudson City with Jersey City.
II was ordered by tho Common Council, March
e. 1870. II was attached TO Hook and Ladder
Company No. 8. formerly known as Bergen Hook
and Ladder Company No. 2.
Tho company was formed in 1868 II was
In the days of the old volunteer fire dcpartmet
when tho young swclls Of the town were on It's
1rf Fl Fs G"ii' Assa s!GiS'Ia / hS'ssi
Tna @Sn Philemon II HasG Pf 3 it1s
J. ~ Bluxome. W Wand, A. Thompson, C. f.
'Ha sI,an pqH2 Pre-. j. NV s S@o hS sns
iji il. a g Z. baa'ST:X; Towel: v III eli.
HALEY. Z NJ Allen j. d. I Ioveiamd Joseph God
fey, G. T. Racbugh III J. ! Romaine. 2 W,
y RI. sSns Of mos of Rssy SoG Sys
and some Q. the men themselves are prominent
The Bergen bill tower stood on the highcs,
point o. land IN Jersey City. Il was 200 feet
part Of the city. In the days OF the volunteer
force the location Of a eonnagTaton was learned
This bell and tfc bell that was located at Grove
stree, and Newark avenue rang out many peel
The girls OF, twenty years ego as well as The youths
haye tales TO tell Of those days and those bells.
In thosc days no fireman ives paid !, was
lower srction q The city was the HooE and Ladder
Compfnyi known as Truck No. /" This was
Bows, David b wakcman, Henry Southmayd.
phincss c. Dnmm,., NJ olco't Bury, George
later at the time when the Grove street bell was
h i use the Truck Company was more exclusive
The Young i society men found in the FIRE depart.
with athletics and The volunteer company. soon
a truck housc Al Van .yors, and Grand streets.
where Engine HGpte No; ! now stands The
II had a large and handsomely furnishcd parIor.
snd there The volunteers gave the, most popular
were heard the gallant volunteers must drop the
pretty girl, even in the middle Of dance, and run
the S 3 IT ne p,'S 10 ding for Ell
Ore. 1t IS told by some Of thc girls Of YESTERDAY
Sns held l 5,s ,, SspSs
rushed every man in the room The girls thus
lei lind waited only long enough to grab wraps
happened. to watch heir partners ply the hose
us told Of one volunteer strong this hnh hit
old frrbcil in No midst Of his marriage ceremony'
ne dropped his hriGcs hand and started for tho
,,, not ,rmG g a ~ he csched The doc,
days when Jersey cry had a conGAgration the
frrmcn who rescued your household treasures and
sometimes yourself were your friends and neigh
bors
When the Civil War was begun every member
were filled by the Home Guard" and little by little
the department dclcroraicd. until the public be-
! began Ia h. bitter rivalry between tho companies
| When the alarm sounded every company would
When Two companies met they would race, re.
gardlcss OF wnyfarcrs, and sometimes at the an
NV" mem % G 2Ra tho, he MGSd h
! would forget the FRI and indulge In a row. So
i3nd did the tough element get of this that false
alarms We're sent IN simply 10 get the companies
| out The false alarm nuisance reached such q
| point that an ordinance was passed forbdding
me alarm clerk 10 send out the alarm unless
brought by member of tho Fire Depart menS
who had with him his badge
Finally the fight for a paid department was
won. and a. tho men now lived at the engine
house the usefulness of the bell tower was gone.
Little BY little II icll into disuse and last spring
the bells that rang out so many memories oil old
days 10 the older residents OF the city were AUG
toned OIL for old metal
The bell downtown rang out the news OF the
mring on Fort Sumter and the victories OF the Civil
War. II and the Bergen bell rang on Aug. IL,
1879 In celebration OF the centennial OF the battle
OF Paulus Hook. The day Dewey steamed into
New York harbor ahead OF time Tho old disused
bell startled every one by pealing forth and ring
Ing steadily for two hours