The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1900-02-05
FIRES IN OLD NEW YORK.
The Bucket brigade of n Century
Ago Worked ON a Home
Rule Principle.

Fire engines in New York century
ago were Of very inferior quality and
of primitive design. The only water
there was for fire purposes was obtained
from wooden pumps, and by law of
the corporation every owner of a dwell
ing was obliged to supply fire bucket
for every fireplace in the house or back
kitchen; these buckets held three gall
Ions and were made of sole leather;
they were hung in the passage near the
front door. When the bell rang for fire
the watchmen, tiremen and boys, while
running to the fire, cried: Throw out
your bulkets!" These were picked up
by men, women and boys running to the
fire. Two lines were formed, from the
fire to the nearest pump; when the
pump gave out the lines were carried
to the nearest river; one line passed
down the empty, the other passed up
the full buckets; if person tried TO
break through the lines he was COM
PEELED to fall in and help, under penal
ty of severe drenching for refusal.
The buckets were marked with the
name and number of the owner, and
any householder not supplied with a
bucket was liable to fine and in some
cases imprisonment.
Every morning after a fire the corpo-
ration carmen went to the streets near
the scene, picked up the buckets and
dumped them in the lobby of the city
hall. People then senttheir children or
servants to bring home the buckets, to
await the next fire.
This method of fire fighting had
many disadvantages, though at that pc
riod most of the inhabited part of New
York was below the line of Fulton
street, and in consequence the distance
to either 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.
AZ the city grew northward and as the
distances from the central Broadway
lire to the river front were gradually
it was no longer practicable
TO depend on buckets passed from hand
TO hand, and therefore there was adopt
ed a copper pump for drawing water
out of the river in case of fire, and there
by avoiding the disagreeable necessity
Of the inhabitants going down TO the
slips and handing the water up in
buckets. This was ordered by the cor
poration in 1899. One year afterward
this pump was deposited. by authority,
In the rear Of the city hall. The wheels
Of the engines were at that time so
small that locomotion was extremely
difficult when there was much snow.
Accordingly a new style Of sled was
tried and similar ones were ordered TO
be made for the other engines. But
hey were found 10 be worse than use
ess. for in attempting 10 turn a cor
Der the engines were often upset and
iamaged. In very narrow streets some
lines they were left 10 be burned. be-
'ause it was impossible 10 get them
WAY.
About this time each engine house
vas supplied with two poles long
.nough to carry y buckets each. These
'oles were borne on the shoulders Of
our men. The general rule was that
be first fireman TO reach tie engine
.ouse after an alarm Of fire should haze
right 70 the pipe ard take IL with him
b the fire. that fhe next four frfmen
b arfire siouId bear away the bucket
1lfs. and that TIE rest n the company
.oala rrr cr Hth tte eneire Ia fesf Z