Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-06
THE VETERAN FIREMEN
REGULAR MEETING HELD An
UNION ENGINE HOUSE, 4.
Association Decides to Abandon Trfu
to Frederick-Sketch Of Old
Time Companies. sui

Time Companies. ,ss
| The Veteran Volunteer Firemen's Assoc
citation met last evening at the old Union
| engine house. 10Th and II streets, President
| James H. Richards in the chair and John
| J. Peabody serving secretary. Messrs. q.
| w. Keithley, Thomas Cissel and 5ohn F.
johnson were reported as still on the sick
| list.
A letter was received from the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad Company giving a rate
| for Frederick on the occasion of the Mary
| land firemen's convention of 81. % per man
and no charge for the apparatus. After
some discussion, in which 1t was stated that
this rate was greater than that granted at
| n former convention, the trip was declared
| to be abandoned, on motion of Nj. Strobel.
| Mr.. Peabody read the chapter for 1884 OF
| his sketch of old-time fire companies. He
noted that during the year there were calls
| for meetings, as follows: Columbia, January
and October u Franklin. March 4. No
! vember and December 8: Union, April 10
| for the election of officers and November 4;
| Washington Hose Division, November IL.
and Washington December 9. VIM. Ingle
signed as secretary of the Columbia, y.
Callan, jr., Of the Franklin, and Drs. VIM.
b. Magruder and +. Howard. respectively.
| of the Union.
|
pany show that at the annual meeting on
| February there were present c. L. Colt
| man. president; Robert Coltman, VIM.
| Archer, ]. A. NJ. Duncanson, N. Callan, jr..
Wallace Kirkwood, Isaac Craven, John
Reitz. Jacob Janney, Henry Janney and
| Edmund F. Brown. Officers were elected
as follows: Charles l.. Coltman, president:
]. A. NJ. Duncanson. vice president:
Nicholas Callan, jr.. secretary, and w. w.
Billing, treasurer. The election of the di-
| vision officers was postponed. and vote
of thanks to the retiring secretary, E. F.
Brown, was adopted. a resolution was
adopted asking il the notices and calls for
| meetings could not be inserted in the Ma
| tional Intelligencer, as formerly, without
| charge. and letter from the late secretary
| appears, stating that the charges had been
| made without the authority of Messrss
| Gales & seaton, and thereafter no charge
would be made.
Reservoir Authorized.
A resolution Of the corporation of Washs
ngton of September is given, which aus
thorizes the mayor to grant permission ia
Commodore Isaac Hull, commandant Of the
navy yard, to cause a reservoir to be made
| near the pump at the intersection Of 9th
street and Georgia avenue southeast and
| to convey water therefrom to the navy
| yard, provided it could be done without In
| jury or prejudice to the inhabitants of tha
neighborhood.
Two fires are thus noticed IN the Intelli-
| gencer of Wednesday, October 29'
THE shop of Mr.. Plant, cabinet MAKER
| in the third ward. took fire on Monday
| night about IL o'clock. and in spite of all
eXertions to save IT was entirely consumed,
| together, we are sorry to hear, with his
| tools, a considerable stock of material and
| a number of valuable articles of furniture.
Mr.. p has been peculiarly unfortunates
| having been once burned out in Alexandria
! and once before in this city.
| "a second fire took place yesterday
IL, \ oInrr in
brick house occupied by Mr.. Douglass on q
street. Assistance being promptly render-
ed the house was saved with loss OF the
roof, In which the fire originated
These fires brought out the following com.
municaton:
Washington city:
THE experience of last night and this
| morning has shown the necessity OF tho
| organizati ton of at least one fire company
| in the third ward i need not say one word
| about the most disorderly and ill-dlrecteu
| eXertionS of those who We're present az
| these fires. but at the instance OF others
1 take the liberty to call IA meeting Tor TINS
evening at o'clock at the engine house OF
the general post Office. of all those VINO ara
disposed to lend their aid to an efficient orr
ganization Of at least one fire company IN
the third ward l. B. B.
In the Intelligencer Of October 81 report
of this meeting appears, as follows:
"At meeting of the third ward held IN
the engine house at the post office on Wed
nesday evening. the 18th instant, to discuss
the propriety of reorganiZing the old or
forming an entirely new company, as wen
as of procuring a set Of apparatus sultaDio
for hook and ladder department, JACOB
Gideon, jr., called to the chair ana Il.
Coyle was made secretary. Several lmpor.
tant resolutions relating to the objects OF
the meeting were submitted Tor consloera.
ton which, on motion. were referred 10
committee consisting OF John y: MoH.aea:
Ingle, Jacob A. Bender and Jacob Gideon'
jr to report thereon at the next meeting:
He had found no report of that meeting, put
on November II a call for meeting OF the
hose division of the Washington Fire Cons
pany appeared M.
Company to dispose OF all the dilapidated
or defective apparatus Is pupllshcu IN the
Intelligencer of November H.
Indifference and Apathy Noted.
November % the Intelligencer has the
following communications:
THE indifference and apathy of the citi-
zens of this city on almost all subjects and
objects calculated to benefit, improve and
prosper it is too notorious not to be mo-
ticed by the most superficial observer. But
the object to which / wish to invite atten-
ton at this time is the inefficient organizes
ton of the fire companies
LAS they are at present organized Qf In.
deed there is any organization at alO they
are quite as useless at a fire as would be q
reason to expect much improvement until
we are made to learn wisdom by dear-bought
experience. The warning We have had with
in the last thirty days in the destruction
of four or flve houses has not broken our
slumbers Nor do 1 believe anything less
than the destruction OF one OF moro of our
most valuable squares of property will suf-
flee to convince us of our culpable neglect
of our interests and give the impulse to q
proper organization OF our fire companies.
How stood the case on Sunday last? At tho
alarm Of fire some eight or ten members be-
longing to the Washington endeavored to
take it to the fire, though first compelled to
break through the arch over the door to en-
able them to get 1t out Of the house (the
key being safely locked up In Major Barry's
strong box), and other members OF the COM
pany high in office, too, took foot In hand
to the fire, presuming doubtless that the
engine would follow by instinct, whilst the
remaining three-fourths were probably
more comfortably employed playing tho
game of knife and fork. This. how
ever, is an exhibition of patriotism Pc
culiar to this city. And let me ask il there
is no danger in relying on fire company Of
such patriots thus organized and disci-
plined? Let those interested answer. and
see to the speedy, thorough and efficient or
ganization of the Washington Fire Conn