Evening star., 1901-08-07
oLD-TlME FIRE FIGHTERS
MEETING OF VETERAN ASSOCIATION
LAST EVENING.
Secretary Peabody Continues His Re-
citaI Respecting Early Organise
tiOns in the District.

The regular meeting of the Veteran Vol
unteer Firemen's Association was held at
the old Union engine house, 10th and II
streets northwest, last evening, Mr.. James
h Richards, president, in the chair, and
Mr. J. ]. Peabody serving as secretary.
letter was read from j. H. King of New
burg, n. Y, stating that Steamer Company
No of that place was arranging trip
for sightseeing and would arrive here Mon
day September 2S, with 100 men, including
the drum corps. The veterans directed
that Mr. King be informed that they would
be met and welcomed by committee.
Mr. T. A. Kahlert said that at a recent
visit to Colonial Beach he had found that
a member of the organization, Mr. Daniel
Pfeil, was yet an active fireman, having
charge of the fire apparatus Of that town.
His house adjoins the engine house, where
he keeps combination engine and hose
carriage.
Mr.. j. ]. Peabody resumed last night his
discussion of the early history of the WASH
ington fire service. opening with clipping
from the National Intelligencer of January
6. 1878, follows:
Between II and IL o'clock on Sunday
night, the 4th instant, our citizens were
dom heard among us. 1t proved to be in
Commodore Decatur's stabling, just erect
ed. the principal part of which was speedi-
ly consumed. 1t being remote from other
buildings, no further damage was done
than that which that worthy gentleman
sustained"
Within a week. in the issue of January
3D. Mr. Peabody said, "the Intelligencer
records a fire at o'clock the previous day
In the house of Mr. Stewart on Greenleafs
Point"
The paper noted that the dwelling was
situated in part of the city remote from
the body of population, and was speedily
consumed, with the adjoining house of Mr..
Benjamin Sprigg. who lived there as also
two unfinished houses owned by Edward
s. Lewis and Daniel Pagan, respectively.
Two adjoining houses, owned by VIM. Jones
and Thomas Dougherty, were saved by the
exertiOns of citizens.
The engines of the second and third
wards were there, and were well served,
said the Intelligencer. but 1t was impossible
not to see how deficient we yet are in the
art and means of extinguishing fires. The
houses destroyed were large three-story
buildings.
Number of Engines in Use.
There Is but little doubt" continued
Mr.. Peabody, that at least two engines
were used at the Decatur fire, though there
is no mention Of them. the location of the
fire near st. Johns Church not being dis
tant from the first ward engine at the West
Market, and the engine attached to the
treasury building, of which company
known as the Alert had the use. The
corporation having only year or so be-
fore located an engine at the market, there
was doubtless an organized company to
man 1t. The fire at the Point was attended
by the engines of the second and third
wards-the first may have been that pro-
cured for the protection of the Marsh Mar
ket. and the other that of the Columbia
Company on Capitol Hill.
THE 1ntelligencer, in its issue of jan
uary Is contained a call for meeting of
citizens at Davis Hotel. 18th street and
PENNSYLVANIA avenue, this evening for the
relief OF the suffering by the Point fire, and
also published the proceedings Of the meet
ing. Mr.. Richard Bland Lee presided, with
John G. Mcdonald as secretary, and reso-
lutions were adopted, reciting that it is
the peculiar duty of the habitants to con-
tribute to the relief of the sufferers, and
being in fact proper on all such occasions
for fellow-c1tizens to regard each other in
some degree as mutual insurers COM
mittee was appointed to collect money for
the purpose. The committee was composed
of Rev. DR.. James Laurie, John Davidson
and Satterlee Clark of the first ward; Peter
Lenox, Christopher Andrews and William
Hewitt of the second; John P. Doyle Grit
fifth Coombe and Rev. John Chalmers of
the third, and Mayor s. Miller John Crabb
and VIM: Dougherty of the fourth. To dis
tribute the money Elias P Caldwell, Saml
Eliot and Overton Carr were appointed
What the result was is not known, but the
sentiment of the resolution indicates the
1T appears" said Mr.. Peabody, that If
there were any active fire organizations
then existing there was need for better
service, for the 1ntelligencer of January IS,
1918, contains a call for citizens of the
third ward to meet on the 10Th at Queens
Hotel to form a fire company for that
ward. The old Columbia company had at
that date apparently gone out of existence,
but was thoroughly reorganized at this
meeting The place of meeting was 1st
street between East Capitol and A streets
southeast, now the library site, and it will
be seen by the names that many of our
best citizens then living in that section
took an active part in the reorganization
of this company. The proceedings of this
meeting show that Daniel Rapine, who was
leading printer and bookseller, and had
served mayor of the city, presided and
John P. Ingle was the secretary. A COM
mittee reported code of articles for the
government of the company, the preamble
reading. We, whose names are hereunto
subscribed, reposing special confidence in
each others friendship. do for the better
preserving of our own and our fellow citi-
zens' property from fire, mutually agree to
the following articles
Organization Completed.
January p a meeting held in the
same place, and the articles being ready
for signature were signed and the organ
iZation completed by the election of Off
GERS. James Young was chosen president;
Daniel Rapine, vice president; VIM. Ingle,
secretary; Alex. Mccormick, treasurer;
Daniel Homans, John p. Ingle, N. L.
Queen, VIM. Erly, Richard Johnson, W. ].
Henry v. Hill and John Dun
ming. engineers: James Middleton, Ignatius
Wheatley, John Wood and Thos. Hurdle
axmen; George Dawson, Henry Tins, John
Carns and Thos Burch, laddermen; Alfred
r. Dawson. Henry Ingle. R. p. Washing
ton, Joseph Ingle, James Hickey and Benz.
Burch, sentinels.
Mr.. Young declined the presidency, and
Mr.. John G. Mcdonald was elected Com
mittees were appointed to select badges for
the officers and members, to procure axes,
fire hooks, etc. and resolutions were adopt
ed closing up the affairs Of the old COM
pany.
THE Intelligencer of Saturday, January
"a, contains call of citizens for the pur-
pose of forming a fire company in the first
ward at the Western Academy. This was
the public school house on l street near
nth street, in after years known as the
school Of Prof. Abbott. The same paper for
January 81 contains call for the Union
Fire Company at the same place, signed by
J. w. Moulder. This is the first mention Of
the word Union as applied to a company in
that section"
President Richards said among the names
mentioned In the organization of the CO.
lumbia Company were those of many Of
WasninetOn'S best citizens but that WAS