Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-29
RICH FIRE FIGHTERS
MiIlionaires Hustle Side by Side With
Their Servants,
BEST DISCIPLINE And EFFICIENCY
Insurance Rate Almost as Low as
New York City.
FIREMEN IN EVENING DRESS
Copyright. 1901. by E W. sarsentJ

Copyright 1901, by f. w Sarsent)
Written for The Evening Star by E. w Sargent
Every suburban town whose population is
made up largely of men of wealth and more
or less leisure has its own particular fad
In one place it is golf, in another tennis. IN
a third polo Larchmont. one of the most
beautiful of the suburbs OF New York city,
has for many years been famous for It's
yachts But of late years there has come a
new and Iivelier interest The Larchmont-
ers have turned from water to fire and to-
day the town has the distinction OF pos
sessirg a volunteer fire department the as-
gregate wealth of whose members mounts
far UP into the millions. Half dozen of the
Woodworking firemen are millionaires, and
a score of others are worth half a million
and upward. each What is of far greater
Importance in the local estimation is the
fact that the department is regarded by
professional firemen az the most effective
volunteer fire organization in the country.
1t is open to any man who has the requi-
site strength Intelligence and amenabillty
to It's rigid discipline, and in it's ranks the
railroad magnate vies with the day iaborer
and the millionaire suhurbdnite with his
coachman gardener in an equal rivalry
When the IarchmOnt volunteer hTe de-
partment was organized in 1870 Its equip
rnent such as might be expected in a
-
time brake engine, hose reel and a small
collection of ladders Its discipline was on
a par with it's outfit. AS the department
grew older its discipline improved some
what, but 1t was not until last year when
MAYHEM W. Bronson became chief that a
high standard was reached Mr.. Bronson
is a man of considerable wealth and leisure
to follow out his bent for fire-fighting.
Three years ago he Joined the Larchmont
department, and becoming convinced that
the way to learn fre-fighting was to go to
the men who make a Hfework of It, he sue
ceeded in gaining the privilege of a proba-
tiOnary course in the New York fire depart
ment, taking the regulation thirty days in
the training school, under Chief Instructor
McAdam. after which he was assigned to
duty with one of the engine companies as
ordinary fireman. He was made chief
Instructor of the I.archmont department.
and organized its life-saving corps in the
spring of last year, and kept his two yachts
out of commission all summer. IN order
that he might have more fine to dev ote to
the organization of the department.
Force and Apparatus.
The actual working force of the depart
ment now numbers 21S men, with an en-
CINE. hose. and hook and ladder company, a
Hfe-saying protective corps and an ambu-
lance corps. in addition to three auxiliary
details. each provided with a hose reel, sta
toned at outlying points, where they may
quickly answer alarms In their districts
The men forming the auxiliary details live
near the reel houses, and the scheme is
worked remarkably well. The assignment
Is so arranged that there are ALWAYS some
men in the vicinity of the house and they
are able to get water on a fire from ten to
twenty minutes before the steamer arrives
The apparatus Is all of the type employed
IN the large city departments. with swing
ing harness all ready to drop on to the
horses. and the boiler of the steamer AL
ways not So efficiently has the depart