The Jersey City news., 1903-03-21
NE " ARK'S FIRE
DEPARTMENT.
Wild Scenes in the Old Days
When the Alarm Rang
Out in the Night.
FROM BUCKETS TO HAND ENGINES
When Streets Were in Poor
Condition Resort Was
Had to Sidewalks
Torch Boys to Light
the Way
FROM BUCKETS TO HAND ENGINES.

An old writer of "reminiscences has
said: s'The romance of the earlier days
Of the City of New York is largely and
closely associated with the Eeroism and
hilarity of the members of its old volun-
teer fire department" The same may
be Exclaimed for the earlier days of New
ark, where the enthusiasm and acts Of
heroism were equal to those Of any town
of like size, says the Newark Sunday
News"
The old-time fremen were unique in
every way, and as they dragged the 1T
tie box engine to a fire through our
streets they formed picturesque spec
taele. The very thought of the old hand
engine rouses the old boy who once
worked on the arms of No. or No. 6
at a big blaze in Newark. How many
men today who look on at fire and see
the powerful, throbbing steamer at work,
manned by an engineer and his assist.
ants, all enveloped in dense smoke, and
kissing steam, forcing powerful streami
Of water on the burning building-ho
many Of these spectators have ever
locked upon the oldtime hand engine,
with its score or more of stalwart men
dragging it to fire? Or at work, with
y half-dozen men on each side, manning
the long arms or brakes, with tseady,
powerful strokes, up and down; while a
relay of dozen or more men on each
side of the engine stadn ready to relieve
exhausted ones as they let go and fall
back to rest and recover their breath.
i required considerable alertness to-
secure safe grip on the moving brake
in order to avoid an accident, or to let go
and spring backward. Many mashed
hnd in those times led to caution in this
act. The safe motion for either move
ment was when the brake was down on
the engine box. A case illustrating the
danger of seizing the brake of an old
hand engine in motion is that of the vet
eran New York volunteer fireman, George
NV. Wheeler. On one occasion, in 1889,
he slipped while about to take hold of the
hral-n af his o,,or;rx xr.s ,.o,, II, : ,,~5s- -
and severely struck on the shoulders ana
back. The blew laid him up for several
weeks. And yet the writer has known
risks even in icy weather, when ma
chine was short-handed of men at some
Of the Newark fires.
How many men Of this generation as
they look with admiration upon our
splendid, intelligent fire horses, as they
rush to their places at the pole of the
Rngine, impatient Of moments delay,
and then fly along the streets with every
muscle strained, their muscles quivering
with excitement and their eyes kindled
with eager expectation, taking their pom
derous load at mad gallop toward its
geal-how many Of these onloekers have
ever witnessed the old way of getting the
machine to the fire? Then the numbering
machine was ju@ped out of the engine
house BY the half-dozen men and boys
who happened to arrive first, fer freInen
did mot live in engine-housea then. The
tiller was manned by two of the early
cemers; the darg rope was played out
gradually on the route, as reinforcements
Of men made it necessary, till the long
double line Of rope ws::s all lte out, and
beys.
Aud then, at the fire. Not the dull,
menotonous thud Of the steam engine,
and its regular exhaust puff and cloud Of
steam and black smoke and the scarcely
distinguishable orders of the chief; but a