Evening star., 1901-10-02
OLD FIRE COMPANIES
Continuation of Mr.. Peabody's Mar
rative of the Organizations.
SUGGESTIONS OF INCEHDIARISM
Alarm Caused by Frequent Fires
Early in Nineteenth Century.
FOUR ENGINES PURCHASED

--
The regular monthly meeting of the Vet
eran Volunteer Firemen's Association was
held at the old Union engine house, 10th
and H streets northwest, last evening,
James H. Richards, president presiding
and j. J. Peabody serving as secretary.
The president reported that Monday OF
last week delegation of the association
met the Highland Steamer Company, No.
4, Of Newburgh, N. Y, and escorted the
members to the Oxford Hotel The secre-
tary also reported the visit of the company
to the engine house, which was opened to
them, and that they held several meetings
there. Mr.. Genau spoke of the visit, and
said the members all expressed their appre-
citation Of the attention shown them while
in the city.
Reports of the secretary and treasurer
were made, showing a healthy condition of
the treasury.
Gen. Boynton. the marshal of the civic
portion of the procession on the occasion
of the funeral of President Mckinley, and
the marshal of the division to which the
shown.
A bell of the Hope engine of Philadel-
phia and a photograph of the apparatus of
the Antietam company of Hagerstown were
presented.
Mr.. Peabody continued the reading of his
sketch of the old city fire companies. He
noted that the National Intelligencer of
January q. 1919, published the list Of Off
GERS elected by the Union company of the
first ward, January 2, follows; John N.
Moulder president; Thos. Sandiford and
VIM. O'Neal, vice presidents; James H.
Handy, secretary; Joseph Brumley treas
urer. Notice was given at the same time
for members to call for their badges at
John Powling's, near the Seven Buildings.
Mr.. Moulder was a leading printer of that
day, prominent in Masonic circles and in
corporation affairs as a member Of the
board of aldermen, at that period repre-
senting his ward. Mr.. ONeal was the pro-
prietQr of the Franklin House, the father
of Peggy O,Neal, who was a prominent
figure In society during the days of Jack
son, and then represented his ward in the
common council. Mr.. Handy was also in
the council.
Other Companies.
| January 8, 1919, a meeting was held OF
the Columbia Fire Company at Pics tav-
ern, Capitol Hill, when officers were elected
as follows: Daniel Rapine, president; An
| drew Hunter, vice president; VIM. 1ngie
| secretary; Andrew Mccormick, treasurer
VIM. ]. Mccormick, Richmond Johnson
| Andrew Baer, John P. Ingle, H. V. Hill
David Stewart, Joseph Ingle, John Pic, en-
| gtneers; John Dunnfng, Edward D. Tip
| petit, Ignatius Wheatley, Thomas Burch
| axmen; Henry Tins, James Carlin, Solo
mon Stewart and Mark Hickey. laddermen
Benjamin Birch, R. P. Washington, A R
Dawson, w. A. Scott, John Love and
| Thomas Dunn, sentinels; James Young,
| Griffith Coumbe and Chas. l.. Nevett. di.
| rectors. Among the new members elected
| not included in the above were George
| Phillips, John c.. Brent, James McCor-
| mick and James Claxton. In this list were
| some of the leading citizens of that section
| Of the city. Mr.. Rapine was leading
| fnfa nd y,,,fli oh ND M
the city and member Of the councils; Gen
Hunter, afterwards of the council and
marshal of the District Alex. Mccormick
Henry Tins, James Young and Richard
The Patriotic Fire Company appears to
have been organized at that time, for the
! Intslligencer Of January 20, 1919, called a
| meeting for that purpose, to be held that
| evening at Holtsman tavern on Sth street
| for the election Of officers. January 29
| the list Of officers elected was published, as
follows: Andrew Coyle. ST., president; Da-
| vid OFT, vice president; VIM. H. Barron
Coyle, jr.. VIM. Wood, Thos. Gilpin. Ste
phen P. Franklin. Jared j. Sample. John
B. Martin and Charles Graeff. engineers;
Henry Ault VIM. P. Holtsman, James
Shields and A. Van Coble. axmen; F. H
| Reeder, F. G. Dyer, James Wilson, VIM
| Cooper, jr.. Christopher Byrne, Alban
Clarke. Edward Holland and James Moore
jr., laddermen; Joseph Ward. John CASA
way, Thomas Wannell and John Stettinus,
sentinels; Benz M. Belt, John Hughes, Sam
uel Bacon and Ezekiel Young, furniture
men: Joseph S. Clark, Seth Hyatt, Henry
| Smith and T. Mauro, directors.
Among these will be recognized number
| of prominent citizens Of the central part
| Of the city-the father of the late General
Bacon VIM: Hewitt, register Of the city
for over thirty years; Henry Smith, the
builder of the city hall, now the court
! house; Andrew Coyle, ST., one of the city
merchants; Mr.. Van Coble and Mr.. Wood
priminent builders, and others.
The Intelligencer of February "a, 1919,
publishes the following list of officers OF
| the Anacostia Fire Company, elected at a
| meeting the 9th Of February. at Hens
worth's tavern: DR.. Alexander McWilliams,
president; John, w. Brashears, vice presi-
dent: Noah Brashears, secretary; Robert
Desher, treasurer; Thos. Halliday, director
of engineers; Robert Clark and Colmore
| laddermen; George Adams, director of sen
| tinels: VIM. Prout, director of furniture
men, and Edward W. Clarke director OF
line or lanemen.
Locating Fires by Signals.
| At this period, Mr.. Peabody stated, the
question of locating the scene Of a fire by
signals engaged the attention of the volun-
teer flremen, and the Columbia company
appears to have taken the initiative. At a
meeting Of that company held at Fitzmor-
ris' tavern March 2, 1919, the following pre-
amble and resolution were adopted:
| Whereas, 1t is necessary in many In
| stances where fire exists that all the citi-
| zens be informed as speedily as possible Of
| the calamity, in order that they unite their
| efforts to check its progress, and expert
ence has proved that in many instances OF
| an alarm of fire the citizens have been at a
| loss to ascertain where the fire exists;
| Therefore, Resolved, That a committee
| be appointed to confer with any committee
| or committees appointed by other fire COM
panies to devise plan for making signals
| in the night time to designate the precise
| spot where the fire exists"
The secretary was directed to notify the
| other companies of the adoption of the res
| olution and Charles L. hewitt and Joseph
| Ingle were appointed as the committee.
This Mr.. Peabody said, appears to be the
| first move toward a fire alarm system, but
| he had not yet found that anything effec-
| tive had come from this move.
BY the act Of Congress of March 3, 1919,
an appropriation of $500 was made for
| four fire engines for the protection of the
public buildings The Columbian company
made application for one of them March 2,
| 1919, adopting resolution that in the
events of the passage Of the measure by
Congress the president and vice president
| of the company, Messrs. Rapine and Hun
| ter, should wait on President Monroe and
| ask that the engine for the Capitol be