Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-01-08
An Interesting Letter.

An Interesting Letter.
Tn the Gazette's account of the 10Th
annual meeting of the Hydraulion Fire
Company held Monday night reference
was made to letter from Rev. Father
r. L. Carne, of Old Point Comfort Col
lege. Father Carne is now the Oldest
living member of the company. His let
fer contains history of the Hydraulion
Company and incidentally cotemporan-
eous annals of the city. Knowing it will
be read with interest by all Alexan-
drians, it is printed in full;
Old Point Comfort College, Jan. 2, 1908
Mr.. T.. E. Padgett, jr., Secretary Hydraulion
Steam Fire Engine Co:
Nv dear sir: 1t was with much pleas
ure that / received your kind invitation
to attend the 18th annual meeting Of our
old company. I have many remem-
brances in connection with it, for its es-
Establishment was almost coeyal with my
birth and that took place not more than
a hundred yards from the place of its or
ganization. Born of a great confagra-
ton which destroyed large part of the
business section of our dear old native
city, its originators were men of whom
we may justly be proud as our predeces-
sors-the names of Hallowell, Janney,
Miller, Cazenoye, Fowle, Dainger6eld,
Gardner, Morrell, Barton, Mckenzie,
and a host of others who had built up
the business of Alexandria again after
the British had plundered it in 1914.
AS little child, watched the two heavy
"HydrauIions, powerful machines, but
with their wheels only three feet in
diameter and having their hose wound
on spools between their levers, being
slowly pulled over the Fairfax street
cobble stones, only perhaps to meet the
lighter engines, which had put out the
fire, coming back, and, abandoned by
the motley gang of men and boys, white
and black, which had pulled them so
far, be ANONYMOUSLY hauled back be-
hind a cart and left at the engine house
door until somebody came along and had
them pushed in. You may judge what
jubiIation there was when the company
acouired an Alexandria-bu hose reel
whose two wheels made more than
eighteen feet of ground at every revolu-
ton, and which, despite its own weight
and that of 1000 feet of leather hose,
distanced every engine in town; none Of
which used hose The splendid process
sions of February %, 1889 and 40, with
their horses ridden by boys attired as
Turks, Highlanders, Indians, &c, took
the fancy of a boy 10, and | transferred
my allegiance to the Sun, whose boys
wore golden armor, as knights, while
the Hydraulion had nothing better than
English postillions, and for the next two
or three years my most cherished desire
was to put red badge on my hat, with
gilded sun on it, and be Sun torch
bearer / was however diffident boy
and did not seek the Office, and, of
course. + didn't get it. Then politics
absorbed the attention of boys as we'll as
men, and, considering myself man be-
cause | was nearly Is, became Presl-
dent of the Junior Clay Club; but Clay
was defeated and forswOre politics. In
Nav 1S45, the 'Old Highdrag," as she
was disrespectfully called, was greatly in
want of members and my friend Jim
Steuart asked me to be one of 81 young
sters he was going to propose that night.
OF course / agreed; we were all elected
by acclamation and on the 18th | was
duly enrolled, and, the secretary having
resigned, | was elected 10 that Office
unanimously. Besides the honor, there
was magnificent salary of twenty dol
lars year for notifying all members of
each meeting. | held the Office twelve
successive years. when | was made a
Fire Warden, and was for many years
vice president and president; but j was
far prouder OF that little Office than of all
the many | since received put together.
4 was by it recognized as a man and that
is what every boy Of that age longsto be.
Uenceforth | was a Hydraulion man,
Heart and soul. We got the little gem
of III engine which was ruined during
the war for Southern Independence;
af,ar,y uds we became custodians of the
FIRST ste AM fire engine in Virginia and
much Of, Yer fine apparatus, and, even
now aSe a, ID distance have not lessened
NV afIsction for the old Hydraulion,
and if INV duty 10 the college permitted,
would be with yCu. AS cannot. ! can
bnt exnress the hope that you viii elect
faithful and efficient officers who will
always be mindful OF our noble motto;
"Public Good our Only Aim. WIN
best wishes for the prosperity anc nap,
piness of all my fellow members, Sod
begging your indulgence for the innlc.
ton of these recollections OF your Oldest
fellow member, Yours fraternally,
RICHARD l.. CARNE.