Evening star., 1902-03-10
VOLUNTEER FIREMEN
VETERAN ASSOCIATION HOLDS
ITS REGULAR MEETING.
Continuation of Mr.. Peabody's Historl-
cal Sketch-The Old-Time
Fire Engines.

At the meeting of the. Veteran Volunteer
Firemens Association at the Union engine
house, 10th and H streets northwest, re-
Gently. President James H. Richards an
nounced the death Of Veteran A. T. L.
Reese. whose funeral was attended by
delegation Of the association. A letter OF
coincidence was directed to be sent to the
family A resolution Of thanks to the ladies'
for the handsome manner In which they
entertained the association on the ia OF
February was passed.
Veteran G. w. Dove. for Mr.. VIM. King,
presented the silver name plate OF the
Western Hose Company as "a relic OF by
gone DAYS. 1t was accepted with thanks
and the secretary directed to acknowledge
Mr.. Peabody read an additional install
ment of his history of the fire department
Of old, gathered from the newspapers and
hooks Of the companies covering the first
part Of the year 1922. The history opened
with the notice that at the annual meeting
of the Columbia Fire Company, January .,
the following were elected omcers: Johh u.
Mcdonald, president; John T. Frost, vice
president VIM. Ingle. secretary, and John
Pic treasurer, with James Young, Thomas
Dunn Griffith Coumbe and Daniel Raplne
directors
The Intelligencer Of January Is states
that at a meeting of the Star Fire Company
the 5th the following were elected: w. w.
Billing, president: Thomas J. Sessford, vice
PRESIDENT G. Given. secretary; John Doug
lass, assistant secretary, ana DaVld boS-
worth treasurer.
The Intelligencer of January IL notes the
election Of the officers of the Union Fire
Company, as follows: John N. Moulder,
president: Thomas Sandiford and S. W.
Handy, vice presidents; Henry NJ. Steiner,
secretary, and Matthew Hines, treasurer.
The Gazette of February 26 contains a
call for a meeting of the Alert Fire Com
l - 1,n ,Oin
18th street, signed j. A. NJ. Duncanson,
secretary, and the issue Of March con-
tanned a call for meeting of the Column
bia at Queens Hotel that evening.
The Gazette Of Tuesday, March ., con-
tained the following:
'Washington Fire Company. late Patr1-
otic: stated meeting Will be held on
Thursday next at Is o'clock pm. at the en-
CINE house Punctual attendance of the
members is requested, as business Of inn
portance to the company will be trans
acted on that evening. w. Hunt, secre-
tary
This company had been organized to take
the place of the Patriotic, and the engine
house was located on 7th street adjoining
the Post Office Department the Great
HoteD building, which was burned in 1886.
Here was kept the post office engine. II
was a two-s -storied frame. on which the
word Washington appeared, and the upper
portion was used as an armory by the
Washington Guards. a crack infantry or
ganiZation In the tWentleS, Which COL oea-
ton commanded.
The Alert Fire Company by a notice in
the Gazette, was called to meet at the en-
CINE house on 13A street March 0,
The Navy Yard Company.
The minutes of the Navy Yard Fire Com
pany show that a quarterly meeting was
held at the Masonic Hall March s. and
five furniture men were appointed. Notice
was. directed to be sent to the members to
attend meeting the 1st of April and de-
clare whether they intended to continue as
were so few present that it was not called
to order, and the subject went over to the
quarterly meeting in June.
The Gazette of April Ii and 16 respective
w. contained notices for meetings OF the
Alert Fire Company the evenings Of the
18th and 18th, at the Lancasterian school
house, 14tn and G streets. This building,
once stable, had been converted into
public school house but short time before,
and the school superseded. that at the
western Academy, on l street near 18th
street Here Henry Ould, Joshua L. Hen
shaw and Samuel Kelly were the teachers
ranks Of the Oldest Inhabitants and Vet
eran Firemen. The Small building now oc-
cupies the site.
The Intelligencer of April IL, 1892, con-
tained the announcement of Andrew Coyle
that he had been appointed agent for the
sale of riveted fire buckets and riveted hose
by Messfs. Sellers and Pennock of Phila-
delpnia, the inventors. The law required
householders to keep fire buckets on their
premises and buckets were also used to
pass water for filling the engines at fires.
The hose carried by the companies was
barely sufficient for carrying and directing
the stream. Both bucketmen and hose
men served. and the cost was therefore very
considerable The introduction of the rivet-
ed bucket and hose at this time was warm
ly welcomed, though there was some objec-
tion. That the riveted leather hose was a
success is proved by its general use till