The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1903-08-06
Old Hydrant Engine No. 2.
AHuNNIMAN HAND TUB SIXTY YEARS
OLD, BUT EVER READY"
BY j. S. FERNALD.

partment in Memorial Building, High
street, are two hand fire engines, both
named Hydrant No. 2. One is Hun
niman, which did good service here from
ls4S to 1878, and the other Button,
bought in July of the last named year.
'Old' Hydrant bears on her brake-shaft
the legend Every Ready" and with
some slight repairs would still be able
to do warfare against her old enemy,
fire.
From Williamson'S History of Bel
fast we learn that the hand engine now
known as ''old Hydrant No. g" lin dis
tinctiOn from new Hydrant No. 2"
bought many years later was bought
by Major Timothy Chase, as agent for
the town of Belfast, in 1913, and was
received in January of the following
year. The cost of the engine was S690.OO;
of hose carriage, $500; 400 feet leading
hose, $40; pairs couplings, S2S; flex-
ible pipe and fittings, $1,000; torches,
$3.50: total 81 ,017.50. The next spring
all article was inserted in the warrant
for the town meeting ''Io see if the
town will vote to sell the new engine
and the town Clock but it was mega
tived by decided vote. The first Of
ficers of Hydrant Engine Co. were as
follows: Foreman, stephen B. Day;
assistant foreman, c. B. Merrill; direc-
tors, John W. White, Jos. Bean, I'd,
Benz. Griffin; clerk, M. c. Hazeltlne;
foreman leading hose, Nath'l Merrill;
foreman suction hose, Josiah Ames,
Jr.: assistant, Charles Giles; hosemen,
Josiah Hall, Jr., John S. Caldwell; pole
men. VIM. Beckett, D. Murch: torch
men, A. D. Chase, S. A. Moulton.
Hydrant engine house was on Miller
street, on the lot now occupied by the
Methodist church.
The following particulars are COM
piled from record book of Hydrant
Engine Co. in possession of Samuel l..
Sleeper, who for many years was an
active worker in the fire department.
The records begin with the regular
meeting May 2 1888, at which the fol-
lowing officers were elected:
Foreman, Salathiel c. Nickerson
Assistant, Samuel A. Blodgett.
Clerk and Treasurer, Thomas H. Mar
shall.
Standing Committee, Sam'l A. Howes,
S. 5. Lewis, George B. Moore.
Foreman leading hose, Frank a. How
ard.
Assistant, Benz. F. Trussell.
Leading hosemen, Jones 5. Davis,
Frank NJ. Swan, Frank b. Frederick,
Hollis NJ. Poor. Daniel Hamblen, lo-
seph F. Wight, Lot NJ. Wiggin, Edward
Davis.
Foreman suction hose, Barker B.
Glidden,
Assistant, George Colley.
Suction hosemen, :. :. Lewis, Geo.
L. Wight.
Axemen, John b. Redman, Simeon
J.arrabee.
PoIemen. Everett $ Carter, Horace
;. Perkins.
Torchmen, Geo. w Burgess, Edwin
j. Redman. John Wight. James W.
Hall.
standard bearer, Brian y. Hall.
Banner boys. Daniel II. Lane Saml
J.. Sleeper.
The other members were as follows:
Thos Marden. John II. Quimby, Chas.
r.. Thombs, I. G. Hilton. James r.
smith, Alfred W. johnson, Joseph Viii
hanson, j., VIM. II. Houston, c. b,
Moore. \. ,mdson Card, Ira q. Morrl-
son. Henry f. Burkmar, W. y. Snow,
y. NJ. Carter Henry ID. Grindle, Peter
Osgood. J. f. Mariner, John Esten,
samuel e. Howard G. y. Nye, John
7. Shaw. Wilson Carter, a. y. 1loWes,
T. y. Phillips. l. c. Rich, II. w. Thorn
as. y. b. Wooster, John +. Gould,
stanford Wells, stephen G. Bicknell,
John F. Morrison, 7. ]. Burgess, Dan
lei Mureh, George Whitney, Matthew
Il. Pease. /. w. Parker George Smith,
Lemuel Wentworth, VIM. S. Thompson,
Ephraim c. keene, Isaac Cook, Jr.,
Reuel Stanley, John Blake, B. ID.
Kinds, d. II. kimball, Philip Mariner,
Fitz W. Gilbert, Salathiel Walton,
Henry H. Herrick.
Honorary members, Calvin Hervey.
Charles Giles. Nath'l Wiggin, S. f.
Miller W. A Swift, II. H. Forbes.
Every member was required by the
bylaws to provide himself with uni
form. Members leaving the company
were to return their uniforms, for which
fair equivalent was paid.
The company hired the Marshall Hall
for its meetings at rental of $50 pei
wear. and Peirce's Hall was used oc-
casionally for drills. The engine was
kept in the engine house on Miller
street.
Hvdrant Engine Co. entertained
Pioneer Engine Co. of Biddeford, Sept.
s, 1858. There was parade in the fore
noon, dinner in Peirce's Hall at noon,
speeches in the afternoon and ball in
the evening. An address was made by
Governor VIM. G. Crosby at his resi-
dence.
Thomas H. Marshall withdrew from
the company in May, 1854, and John H.
Quimby was elected clerk and treas.
urer. Mr. Marshall, in retiring, sig,
nified his attachment to the company
by presenting it with a beautiful and
costly signal lantern. A vote of thanks
was passed to Mr.. Marshall.
June ), 1854, the company took the
engine out for trial and was escorted
to and from the trial by the Belfast Sax
Horn Band. B. B. Glidden, j. F. Mar.
riner, B. F. Trussel, F. A. Howard,
John Esten and H. NJ. Poor, members
of the Sax Horn Band were given hon
arabic discharge and placed OH the
honorary list.
June 8, 1854, John H. Quimby re-
signed as clerk and was placed on the
honorary list. William H. Quimby was
elected clerk.
July 4, 1854, the company did escort
duty in uniform at the celebration
There was a parade, VIM. G. William
sou, Esq, delivered an Grafton in the
Unitarian church, and dinner was
served at the American House. In the
midst of the dinner the company was
called TO duty by CRY of fire. The fire