Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-05
EARLY-DAY FIREMEN
NARRATIVE READ BEFORE VET
ERAN ORGANIZATION.
Mr.. J. J. Peabody's Search Of the
Records for the Year
1929.


CINE house, 10th and H streets last evening,
President Richards in the chair. After
some routine business. the secretary, Mr.. ].
J. Peabody continued his sketch of the old
time companies, reading the chapter for
1929. The annual meeting of the Columbia
Company on Capitol Hill as he read from
the minutes was held January 6. and Major
Mcdonald and Messrs. j T. Frost, VIM.
Ingle and w. A Bradley were elected, re-
spectively, president. vice president. secre-
tary and treasurer. and John Coyle, ST.,
James Young, Alfred R. Dawson and Ben
iamin Spriggs were chosen directors. The
new members elected were w. w. Stewart,
Dr. j. Fred May, jr.. VIM. II. Campbell,
RoberGeau Amin, Mason III. Stansbury ana
Jared j. Dunn. A resolution was adopted
requesting, through the commissioner OF
public buildings, an appropriation by Con-
gress for the expenses of keeping the appaf-
atus in repair from 1925 to 1879.
Annual Meeting Held.
The annual meeting of the Washington
Company was called at the post office en-
CINE house on January II, by Andrew Coyle
president; but no report of the meeting was
published A notice of the death of VIM.
Hunt. the secretary. on the Odd of January,
appeared in the paper, and A. c. Gibbs was
subsequently elected to succeed him.
The Anacostia Company near the navy
yard met on March II. At that time the
officers were: E. w. Clark, president; jon
athan Prout. vice president; VIM. Spelden,
secretary; Mathew Wright treasurer, and
James Orme, director of engineers:
The Intelligencer of March 26 mas the
following account:
Between and o'clock yesterday morn
ing fire broke out in the brick dwelling
of Mr.. Dashiell directly opposite the dwell
ing of the late Colonel Tayloe. The ire
was communicated to the roof by the Chin
ney catching fire, and being in the silent
hours of the night obtained such an ascend
ancy before it was discovered that 1t was
impossible to save the house. Even II the
engines could have arrived in time the wa
ter was too scarce in the neighborhood to
extinguish the fire, and we were sorry 10
hear that the first engine on the ground
leaked so much as to render it almost use
less The furniture in the lower part OF
the house was principally saved
President Coyle's Warning.
On the next day, March 81, the Intelli-
gencer published the following:
Fire Department.
''To the Young Men of the Third Ward:
The undersigned, from a sense of public
duty feels constrained to make an appeal
to his fellow citizens on subject in which
all are interested. and cannot but Halter
himself that it will not be made in vain.
1t is, or ought to be, known to you that
the fire companies exist only In name, and
he deems it an act of sheer justice to his
fellow citizens to apprise them of the fact,
in order that they may arouse from that
fatal security in which they have been and
are now resting. owing to our proVldentlal
exemption from the ravages from fire, I'M
der the belief that there are well-organized
fire companies capable of meeting and sub
DUNG that terrible element in our hour or
sad trial The undersigned mentions the
fact with regret and modification that dur
ing the last year there has scarcely half a
dozen members attended any of the stated
meetings of the company with which it has
been his pleasure and his pride for so many
years to have acted, and the unsustained
efforts made at the late fire by a few faith
full members have quite discouraged even
them 1t now remains to be seen whether
valuable apparatus for the eXtinguish-
ment of fire, which has been furnished by
the liberality of the government and placed
in the care of the citizens of this ward,
shall be rendered valueless by their refus-
ing or neglecting to render personal ser
vices in the properly organized form. 10
take charge of this apparatus and manage
to the best advantage two separate compa-
MES ought to be formed of thirty to forty
men each-one for the hydraulion and hose
and the other for the engine. The under
signed invites all ab!e-bodied men, particu-
larly young men, and the more mechanics
the better to meet at the engine house at
tached to the General Post Office on this,
Friday, 9th instant, at o'clock, for the
purpose of devising and adopting such
measures in the premises as shall appear
Signed "ANDREw CoYLE."
Reorganization Effected.
In the Intelligencer of April 3 Is report
of the meeting called by Mr. Coyle, which
was held at the Washington Fire Company s
house adjoining the post office, on the 9th
| of March. Mr. Coyle made an address and
~
| the company. Mr. Coyle by request acted
| as chairman, and John B. Martin served as
| secretary The following officers were
! chosen: Jacob a. Bender, president; Joseph
| H. Bradley, vice president: A c. Gibbs
secretary, and Andrew Coyle, treasurer; j
| B. Martin, captain of engineers, Joseph
| Bryan. captain of hosemen. committee
| consisting of the president. vice president
| and secretary and Edward Jones was ap'
| pointed to revise the constitution. Thanks
| were voted to Mr.. Coyle for the faithful
manner in which he had discharged h.
| duties of president, and he was elected al
| honorary member.
| At this time the councils passed an ord
nance making it unlawful for any person
| to kindle or set fire to or TO aid and abe
| or cause to be kinded on any street, alley
| or lot, any barrel, straw, shavings or othel
| combustible between the setting and rising
| of the sun. whereby false alarm of fir'
should be created. and any person offending
| was made liable to a fine not to exceed IS
| and if a slave he should be given not eX
ceeding thirty-nine lashes.
First Ward Without Protection.
| Calls for meetings of the Franklin ant
| Washington appear in April, and a MOTTO
| appeared on April as follows: AS per
| haps the citizens of the first ward are no
| aware that the Union Fire Company Is de
| funct, it is proper that they should know
| the fact that means may be taken to or
| ganiZe an efficient company, calling
| meeting at the West Market on the 9tl
| instant. The report of this meeting ap
pears in the Intelligencer of April II. Ow
| few attended but 1t was deemed importan
| that steps should be taken to accomplis,
| the objects of the meeting with the follow
Ing results: constitution was adopted 70
| company, to be styled the Phoenix Fir
| Company, and a president was elected, tn
| further organization being postponed to tn
| evening of the 11th. No further notice O
| the company was published during tina
| year
There were notices of meetings of the Co
| lumba, Washington and Frankling Com
| panies during the remaining months of tn
year. but there appears to have been littl
or no business transacted. But one repor
| appeared of fire during the year.
Relief Society Chooses Officers.
At the annual election of officers of tn
I c., Dali Co. ,,.~t.k