The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1900-11-02
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
Boys.
Ispeelal Washington Letter.l

who draw the maximum
Il 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 l 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 competence"
The old gentleman viii not discuss
his career and his deeds of daring, but
be is known as one of the bravest of
the brave. 2 man whose career in the
fire department of the national cap
ital would fill a volume. He likes to
talk about the fire department and its
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
Mr. Clark Both times the fires oc-
Cured during the administration of
Andrew Johnson. In 1867 the white
uOuoC SAaOACo NOOA 4AlO Juob ONAOA =
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 inhammable con-
tents made hot fire. We had a hard
time that morning, for it was one of
the coolest mornings 1 have ever
known. l was driver of Hibernia En-
CINE 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 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 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 l enjoyed so much, because l was
hungry and cold and in good condition
to enjoy a meal. 1t was the greatest
breakfast the firemen here ever had
rendered to them, and, 1 guess, we
were the only fremen in the world
who were ever entertained at break
fast by the executive head of a ma
ton
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 brave man and a successful
chief.
1.-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
ton of the conservatory, too. But il