Evening star., 1901-05-13
THE EARLY FIRE FIGHTERS
HISTORY OR ORGANIZATIONS As RE.
LATED BY MR.. PEABODY.
Rise and Fall of Volunteer Companies
Prior to the War Of
1872.

~ tnS war OF
1912.
At the meeting of the Veteran Volunteer
Firemens Association at the old-time
(Union) engine house, 10th and II streets,
Tuesday evening last, Mr.. John J. Peabody,
formerly chief engineer. presented a copy
of the Utica On. " Globe of September
u, 1870, containing prophecy as to the
future fire departments, with illustrations
OF fire apparatus; the diminutive hand
engines, fire buckets, ladders, axes and
hooks of century ago; the more preten-
tious gallery engines, suction engines, hook
and ladder trucks and hose carriages of
half century since; the water towers,
steamers and chemical engines of the pres
ent and prophetic picture of the future
of electric engines, etc. The prediction
OF thirty years ago that the day would
come when fires would be fought under
orders transmitted from chief at his desk
was then regarded as being in the near
future.
Mr.. Peabody, having a a previous meet
ing sketched the old volunteer companies
to 1907, read his second chapter on the
same topic. This opened with the notice
of a fire at the house of John Dempsie,
January 81, 1907, as appears from the pub
lished card of thanks of Mr.. Dempsie in
the National Inteligencer of February
following. The Columbia Fire Company
passed vote of thanks, February 3, ito
Capt. John Cassin and other citizens of the
Navy Yard as testimony of the high es-
TEEN in which they are held by the Column
bia Fire Company for their vigilance and
meritorious conduct in the late fire at the
house of John Dempsie on Saturday, the
31st ultimo."
Mr.. Dempsie was a near neighbor of Mr..
S. n. Smallwood. afterward mayor, living
on Virginia avenue southeast, and at that
n oNnr Of &c. a;t,- ralc tn
house being near the Navy Yard, it is prob
able that Captain Cassin and his men beat
the fire company in responding.
Difficult to Maintain Organizations.
1t would appear from the wording of the
printed notices, said Mr.. Peabody, that it
was difficult to keep up the fire organiza-
tions, the necessity therefor not being ap-
parent until there was use for engines. The
call of James Kearney, secretary Of the
Union company, for a meeting of the in
hahitants of the second ward at the coun-
ell chamber then Masonic Hall, on 11th
street below Pennsylvania avenue), for
May 2, 1908, is particularly to those who
have been members of the Union Fire Com
pany and the object is to effectively cstao-
lish the association. second meeting was
called a few evenings later Friday), at
Rhode S tavern. near the treasury, not far
from Col. kearney's residence 14th and +
streets. Annually notices of J. c. Shindle,
by order of Mayor Brent. appeared. calling
the attention of citizens to the law requir-
ing them to provide a fire bucket of heather
of two and a half gallons capacity for each
story of their houses.
John Achman, coppersmith, timer and
engine builder, in December. 1903, an
nounced in the Intelgencer that he was
located on High street, Georgetown, oppo-
site Mr. Ritchie's. and prepared to construct
fire engines with the latest improvements
the workmanship and execution superior to
those generally in use" Further on Mr..
Achman appears to have met with some
success, for he states in his card III the In
telligencer OF February IS, 1872 that he
was bred to engine building in Europe and
had recently constructed an engine for
Freder!cktown, Nd, which gave great salts
faction. After describing it as having n
copper box with brass pumps, and the best
OF the work. besides the carriage of iron,
he says that trial "it conveyed water
through a tube Of three-fourths of an inch
100 feet distant, and through hose 1Oi feet
and with half-inch tube the water was
conveyed an additional length Of 30 feet"
Mr.. Achman advertised December %
1913, in the same paper that he has pro-
cured patent for fire engine. for which
he had state and city rights for sale Civ
ing his location at Pennsylvania avenue.
April y following he published an adver-
t1sement Of his patent fire engine, which
Included certificate Of John Peter Mayor,
John OFT and VIM. Marbury. that Mr. Ach-
man had built and delivered one for the
corporation of Georgetown and that the
tests OF capability were full and satisfac-
tory.
Just prior to and during the war of 1879
the military spirit prevailed and fire COM
panies waned. Uniformed military orsani-
zatlons We're more attractive. Small
though the population, there Were the
Columbian Dragons, the Washington
Troop, Navy Yard Rife Volunteers Union
Light Infantry, National Guards and other
companies; e fres Fortunately Fe there was
population numbered u
and there were 1000 houses. Nevertheless,
the trustees of the fire companies held their
meetings and the corporation recognized
the necessity of encouraging the fire COM
panies by passing an act, May % 1S11 to
pay a balance for the purchase of an en-
gine and the erection of a house for the
Columbian company. This undoubtedly
was the house located east of the Capitol
near Greenoush's Washington, which was
destroyed in August 1914, by the British
Meetings Called.
The Intelligencer during 1912 published
a number of calls for meetings Of the
Union Fire Company in the second fire ward
at Davis Hotel, now Metropolitan; the
council chamber, on 11th street; the hall
of the treasury and the engine house north
of the building. From these it is learned
that the company was reorganized badges
adopted and most likely one of the en-
gines purchased for the treasury in 1901
which was destroyed by the British. 1t
would appear that if they had the use of
this engine it was temporary. Proposals
We're called for by Mayor James H. Blake
for fire engine for the Union company
of the second ward, and the bids We're
opened at his office opposite the theater
tCaruSi $, now kerEan'S), February 2S, 1914.
On June 80 a meeting of the company
was called at Keowin's Hotel formerly
Davis. now Metropoltan), to appoint a
committee to receive the engine made for
that ward, and also to meet the following
Saturday with their buckets for exercise at
the rl,nt