Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-05
VOLUNTEER FIREMEN
WESTINGHOUSE BIRTHDAY ANN1-
vERsARY OBSERVANCE.
Veterans to Give a Ball - The Ladies
Invited-Fire Fighters Of
Former Days.

volunteer cIIeIIftN ASSoC1dIlOA was Aoio
at the old Union engine house. 10th and
H streets, Tuesday evening. President Jas.
H. Richards occupied the presiding otti-
GERS chair and Mr.. J. J. Peabody. the sec
rotary, took notes Of the proceedings.
The committee having in charge the ar
rangements for the ball Of the association
and Of the ladies' auxiliary, to be given
at Odd Fellows Hall Wednesday. Feb
ruary II, reported that the indications
were that the affair will be eminently sue
cessful.
1t was voted that the association should
observe Washington's birthday by giving
dinner at o'clock Monday afternoon.
February g. The members of the ladies'
auxiliary will be invited to attend.
Mr.. Peabody continued his sketch of
the old volunteer fire companies based on
the pqblished notices in the 1ntelligencer
In the intelligencer, he had found calls
for meetings as follows: The Washington
Fire Company at the engine house adjoin-
ing the general post. office, on August 5;
s, December T. 1880: February /. April s.
April IL, for drill and Inspection, and June
Z; the Columbia at Burdici's school room,
on East Capitol street. October 8, 1880, and
engine house January 4 and May 8. 1881;
the Phoenix at Browns Hotel. now the
Metropolitan. September 8. September IL
and October s, 1880, and at the city hail
May rs, juno ID. Is and q. These were
signed by the secretaries: J. T. Clarke for
the Washington, ]. A. NJ. Duncanson for
the Franklin, William Ingle for the Co
lumbia and NJ. P. Callan for the Phoenix.
He had found only the one notice Of the
Washington and none Of other companies.
and it Is likely. the speaker said, that, be-
cause of the absence OF calls to service,
but little interest was then felt in volun-
teer fire companies.
Call for Reorganization.
The Phoenix company, 1t will be seen. was
called for reorganization in the latter part
of 1880. and to elect officers May rs. 1881,
but he had found no list nor up to this
time no other place Of meeting than Browns
Hotel and the city hall.
In a preceding paper 1t had been shown
that the Columbia company had been de-
prived Of the use Of the house and appa-
ratus by the commissioner Of public build
ings, who had turned over the keys to a
Gen. Roger G. Wright was the president.
The latter presided at a meeting held at the
engine house on Capitol Hill on January
Is, 1881, to devise measures for the relief
company, the Columbia, regained possession
Of the house and apparatus about this time,
for, by notice Of January "A, a special meet
ing was called for that evening. and subse-
QuenIly IQe COlu1nNa met Ln0T0.
The Intelligencer Of May notices con-
hagratton, as follows:
"a fire occurred yesterday morning, the
9Th instant, in this city, which for q short
time seemed to threaten, beyond the possi-
bility Of saving it, the destruction Of a
large amount Of property. The fire orig
mated in a cabinet makers shop, In the
rear Of Mr.. Forces residence, on 10Th street.
1t was observed to burst out while the
workmen were at breakfast, and, being
l1o6 wit oha nd
by the time the alarm was given, to the
extent Of two squares, the workshop ana
some contiguous outhouses, to Wnlcn the
fire Instantly communicated, presented an
appalling mass Of flames. There was, Tor
tunately, very little wind. or all the houses
west Of the fire on 10th street, and prob
ably all Of Varnum's row. on pennsylvania
avenue (sate Of the Traders National Bank),
would have been destroyed. 1t seemed IN
deed, at one time impossible to save them,
such was the scarcity Of water, ana the
absence, until the danger was nearly over,
of fire hooks. The fire reached street;
consuming Mr.. Kirby's cabinet shop, and
then was fortunately arrested: Our city IS
extremely we'll supplied with water for
every purpose but the important one OF
extinguishlng fires. For the want OF 1u-
ddcious arrangement II Is very pauy SH III
this respect"
Relief Of the Sufferers.
The Intelligencer Of May 16 has the fol-
lowing under the head of "'.rhe Late Fire:"
1.-THE meeting called by the citizens few
days ago to raise funds for the relief Of
the sufferers met in tile mayors Office and
resolved that they meet tagain the 10th
(this) instant. when the1distribution VIII
be made. Will not the benevolent consider
that this Is not an everyday occurrence
and every one remembar that he may be cne
subject Of a similar visitation2 Josiah POLK,
secretary" .H1s.n
This fire was followed by the publication
OF corporation ordinance on June q. max
ing 1t the duty Of the ward commissioners
or constables to coll&ct the fire buckets
after any fire. -
On June 10 q city ordinance was published
in the Intelligencer authorizing the convey
ance OF water in iron pipe on the north side
of F from 18th to 18th Areets. agreeable to
the act of August, 1872, and the supple
mentary act of March %, 1929. This was
to take the water which had some years
before been run In wooden pipe from
Franalin square along 18th street to F
street.
In the Intelligencer Of June "a, 1881. is a
communication based on a. recent awful
calamity by fire at Fayetteville. N. c., and
the subsequent appeals for aid. The writer
asks: Are we prepared to extinguish a
large fire should one occur, which heaven
forbid?' and says: I'VE have, 1t Is true.
some half q dozen engines. Some of them
In tolerable condition: others, am in
formed, are next to useless even II we had
a ready supply of water. which is not the
fact. Our city boasts of having the best