Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-02
VOLUNTEER @FIREMEN
MONTHLY MEETING OF VETER-
ANS HELD LAST MIGHT.
Association Declines, With Regret, to
Participates in Virgins Convention
-old-Time Companies.

| The regular monthly meeting of the Vet
| eran Volunteer Ffremen was held last even
| ing at the old Union engine house with
President James H. Richards In the chair
| The question Of the company making a trip
| to Portsmouth, Va, August 20 to attend the
| annual meeting Of the Virginia state fire.
| mems convention--was considered and the
proposition was rejected, the association
expressing its regrets that It is impossible
! for it to attend. :
Mr.. Peabody made a further contribution
| to. the history Of the volunteer firenen of
| the city by reading his sketch of the year
1925 1t was shown from the minutes Of
| the Columbia Fire Company that at the
| annual meeting held January 4, 1926 the
| apparatus was reported to be in serviceable
condition and John g. Mcdonald. John r.
! Frost, VIM. IngIe and John Pic were elect
ed president, vice president. secretary and
treasurer. respectively, with Messrs. Jas.
Young, James Middleton, Daniel Rapine
and Benz. Sprigg as directors. The new
members admitted were Eleazer Lindsay,
| John Underwood, John Coyle, jr. VIM.
| Hickey, John Williams, Hugh Mccormick,
| Alex. Mccormick. Geo. Mccormick Simon
Bassett, Alfred Thurston, Edward Martin
and VIM. A. Bradley.
Report Of Election.
The National Intelligencer Of January Z,
| 1926 gave the names OF the officers Of the
Union Fire Company who were elected
| January 4 as follows: James n. Moulder,
president: Thomas Sanford, vice president;
| VIM. Ford, secretary, and Matthew Hines,
| treasurer
The minutes Of the navy yards fire COM
| pany's meeting February Z, 1925, show that
| it was held at the house Of Solomon Drew
| at "early candle light and a motion was
| adopted for the appointment Of committee
to prepare a list Of all the employees of the
| navy yard for the purpose of forming of
| them two companies for the two engines
In the yard. John Davis Of Abel. NJ. Dove
| and James Barry were appointed and an
| adjournment to February II was ordered.
Then from the general list two companies
| were formed-Nos. l and 2.
The minutes of the Columbia company
show that the president was directed to
| wait the commissioner OF public build
iEgs and ask him to settle the claims Of
| the company for keeping the apparatus in
repair.
! Calls for meetings Of the Washington
| Alert and Union fire companies appeared in
| the Intelligencer and the Gazette. the first
| a. the engine house at the post Office, the
| second in the LancaSterian school house and
| the third in the room over the West mar
! ket. Some of these were for drill and in
| spection Of apparatus The Washington
| company in the can for, December 49, urges
| a punctual and general attendance.
Notices appear from John B. Forrest
commissioner Of the sixth ward, and F.
| Singer, commissioner of the second ward
of the inspection of fire buckets the citizens
| were required to keep.
Fire at ithe Capitol.
| The Intelligencer Of Saturday. December
| "a, 1925 published the following account Of
fire at the Capitot ae
| About - O'Clock on Thursday night, the
22d inst, Vincent tie sergeant of the guard,
| on duty at the Capitol being appraised OF a
| light IN the apartment of the Library of
Congress. alarmed the librarian. who in
| stantly came to the spot, and opening
| the doors perceived the gallery {Of woody,
| which was around the apartment, to be on
| fire. He Immediately removed the books in
| the alcove adjoining. and the alarm being
| spread. the citizens promptly assembled. An
| engine and hose were brought, and by the
| very active exertions of the fremen aided
| by a number Of members Of Congress, who
! WED with one another in their exertions to
save the library, the flames were exdngutsh-
| ed in less than an hour. @",-~
! VERY few books, and those Of little value.
| are consumed. Some others, of course are
| injured by the wet and by hasty removal,
but the loss Is trif1ing to what might have
| been expected. The ceiling Of the saloon Is
| partly destroyed and one Of the alcoves Of
| this beautiful apartment. 1t Is believed that
| the fire originated from a candle left In the
! gallery by a gentleman who was reading
there till late hour, and which. being up
stairs, was not noticed when the library
was closed The unusual light was per-
ceived by Mr.. Everett OF the House OF Rep
| resentatives, who was returning to his lOdg-
| ings from an evening party and who indi-
Gated It to the guard.
| Among the earliest aroused and most &C.
tive were Mr.. Houston, Mr.. Webster. Mr.:
| Dwight and Mr.. Wickliffe. Mr.. Ward Of
| New York narrowly escaped great injury
from the falling plaster. Two Of the citi-
zens were reused and the members Of Con-
| gress are entitled to much of the credit Of
| cd tp9, q ND A.
| nent part of the building"
Representative Everett,s Account.
| Mr.. Peabody said that Mr.. Everett wrote
an interesting account OF this fire to e
friend in Boston the following day. Mr.
Everett said he saw the tight about IL
o'clock when returning to his lodgings with
his wife; that after he had taken her home,
| at Mrs. Hickey's, New Jersey avenue be-
| tween and streets southeast, he re-
| turned and was challenged by the guard.
He could not convince the man that there
was fire and went to the west front and
| then attempted to convince the guard, and
| finally, as he would not break open the door
/ they sent for the librarian. At that time
| two or three buckets of water would have
| extinguished the blaze. He became dis
| gusted and went home, but returned.
| The fire was quite distance from the
| pump on the east front and the only means
| Tor alarm a small bell used to call the
| Workmen, and this, with the awakening of
! the neighbors by the guard, brought help.
| The engine house was locked but the door
was wrenched open and buckets were pro-
cured: The members and citizens began
| to collect rapidly and an admira BILE hose
| several hundred feet In length, was conduct
ed through the building to the hall. This
| saved the Capitol, though with great diff
nculty and with very narrow escape. 1t
| was between two and three hours before
| the fire was extinguished, and by this time
! the library hall. lately most beautiful
| room was a sad spectacle.