The Winslow mail., 1900-12-13
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 Brave
Rows.
Especial Washington Letter.1

Especial washington Letter.I
OOHNHERE are only two of US
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 1 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 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 one 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.
cit is not generally known nova
days that on two occasions the white
house came near burning down." said
Mr.. Clark. ''Both times the fires oc-
Cured during the administration of
Andrew johnson. In 1867 the white
house stables took fire just before
daybreak. Those stables were To-
Gated 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 infiammable con-
tents made hot fire. We had hard
time that morning, for it was one of
the coldest mornings l have ever
known. | was driver of Hibernia En-
gine 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 those days we did not
have electric alarms, as they have
now. Well, very soon after us came
the Meigs and the Rucker engines
with their fremen. 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 literally
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 impromptu state dinner there
that morning, and l never ate a meal
that I enjoyed so much, because I was
hungry and cold and in good condition
to enjoy a meal. 1t was the greatest
breakfast the fremen here ever had
rendered to them, and, l guess, we
were the only fremen in the world
who were ever entertained at break
fast by the executive head of ma
tion.
"Col. William Dickson was chief en-
gineer of the government fire depart
ment at that time. He is the man
who was foreman of the star route
jury, and who was for many years
democratic national committeeman for
the District of Columbia, and one of
the most popular of our citizens. He
was a brave man and "a 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 wall of the white
house, and it was difficult to keep the
fire from taking hold of the main
building. But by hard work and care
full attention to every detail of the
work in hand we kept the white house
from taking fire, and we saved a por-
tion of the conservatory, too. But it
was a close call for the white house.
''We were in the federal government
fire department then. 1t is not gen
orally known that the city govern
ment and the federal government each
maintained fire department during
and after the civil war. But when
Grant became president, and Sherman
commander of the army, there was a
great cry about retrenchment and re-
form. AS result of this clamor
Gen. Sherman abolished the federal
government fire department, and we
all returned to duty in the city fire
department. There has been no fed
eral fire department since that time.
1t is as a member of the city depart
ment that am pensioned and on the
retired list.
THE hottest fire I was ever en-
gagged in fighting began at 10:40 a. m.
September IS, 1877, in the patent Of
flee, in the model rooms on the Ninth
and G. street wing. That fire ragged
for two days and nights. Fire en-
gines came here from Baltimore to
help US, and they rendered good serv-