Waterbury Democrat., 1900-11-01
WHITE HOUSE FIRES.
Twice the Executive Mansion Was on the Verge of Destruction.
Saved by the Heroic Work of Gallant Firemen-President Johnson's Generosity to the Bfave
 Boys. r n-.-
Especial Washington Letter.1
0 OTNHERE are only two of U

who draw the maximum
 II pension of $50 per month" says Calhoun Clark, one of the retired veterans of our city fire department.
 This pension roll is kept up by the voluntary contributions of the fire men. For many years I gave up one dollar every month for the pension fund. The lowest pension paid is six dollars per month and the highest is. $50, which amount I draw, and it gives me a competence"
 The old gentleman will not discuss his career and his deeds of daring, but he is known as enc of the bravest of the brave. a man whose career in the fire department of the national cap ital would fill volume. He likes to talk about the fire department and it's good work. but never about himself.
 Ut is not generally known nova days that on two occasions the white house came near burning down. said MT. Clark. Both times the fires cured during the administration of Andrew Johnson. In 1867 the white house stables took fire just before daybreak Those stables were To- cated on the ground just east of the white house and opposite the west entrance of the treasury department. They were brick stables. but the woodwork and the infammablc con tents made a hot fire. We had a hard time that morning, for = was one of the coldest mornings I have ever known. I was driver of Hibernia En- zine company, which was located three blocks west of the white house. The alarm was brought to us by cav alryman, and we were very soon on the scene. In these days we did not have electric alarms, as they have now. Well, very soon after us came the Meigs and the Fucker engines with their firemen. All three engines worked hard that bitter cold morning. We prevented the 'confagration from extending to the white house, but we could not save the stables.
 'When our work was over we were all taken down into the basement of the white house and supplied iberally with coffee and other things to drink. and everything eatable that there was on the market was spread out for us and served to us in elegant style. We had an iI2;promptu state dinner there that morning, and I never ate a meal that I enjoyed so much, because I wds hungry and cold end in good condition to enjoy meal. I was the greatest breakfast the frcmen here ever had rendered to them, and, 1 guess, we were the only fire1nen in the world who were ever entertained at break fast by the executive head of a na tion.
 ''Col. William Dickson was chief en- gincer of the government fire depart mcnt at that time. He is the man who was foreman of the star route jury, and who was for many years democratic national commits tteeman for the District of Columbia, and one of the most popular of our citizens. He was a brave man and successful chief.
 The other time the white house was in danger was when the conser- vatory took fire. That, you know, is adjoining the west wal Iof the white house, and it was diff At to keep the fire from taking Id of the main building. But by hard work and care. ful attention to every detail of the