New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-02-22
WASHINGTON RELIC.
He Bought the First Fire Engine
EUer Used IN alexandria.

Alexandria, Va. Feb 1.-Washington's Birthday
will be celebrated here tomorrow on a larger ana
more extensive scale than for many years. the
citizens of Alexandria uniting in one grand effort
to make the occasion one which will long be re-
membered.
There will be grand parade and review IN the
day. and at night banquet viii be given, to
which number of prominent men have been m
vited The oldest inhabitants have taken an
active interest in arranging the programme. and
the completion paving of King-st- with vitFi-
fed brick will enable many an old resident TO take
part in the parade who could net have done so
had he been forced to march over cobblestenes
which had done duty for so many years.
Old Friendship fire engine Will play important
part i'm the days celebration. tine machine to be
decked with flowers and drawn by six coal black
horses followed by the veterans who belonged TO
the volunteer department of fire fighters in the
wears gone by Friendship Fire Company was or
ganized by George Washington on August Is, lT54
and soon became a popular institution In fact
the membership increased so rapidly that Wash
ington himself introduced resolution limiting
the membership to the seating capacity or the nan
The first membership OF the company comprised
those citizens who out OF mutual friendship
agreed to carry to every fire two Ieathern buckets
and one great lag of Osnaburg or wide linen
When Washin-ton went to the Congress OF Ia
at Philadelphia he examined the fire engines in use
in that city and on his return to Congress the
following year he bought from one Gibbs a snlaH
fourth class engine for $50 los just before ne
set out for Boston Heights to- become commander
in-chief he dispatched the engine 10 the company
in Alexandria. The company has aLways pee ossn ,, q
central institution of the city and ITS meLnoershlP
made up of the foremost citizens AIsnou in ~ -
started early did not long go II alone. TOT IN
1776 the Sun Fire Company was orsanl zee SS ana
the only thing which prevented Geherai WSsnliiS-
ton from taking part in he many water oa' .s
between the membership OF the companies Was tne
fact that he fighting the battles OF Ms country,
During the Revolution when the BRUSH came up
the Potomac. the Friendship company manned
one of the gunbOats that went down 10 meet the
enemy and the old minutes OF the company record
that only one of the monthly meetings was sus-
pended. because the company had stopped nshting
fire and gone fight the Br1tlSh ,. 49,,
In the last year Of General Washingtons NE
a fire occurred near the old market house IN Al
exandria as he was riding Down klng-st.. folowed
BY his servant also horseback. He saw the
Friendship company poorly manned Riding up 90
a group of well dressed men VINO were standing
the street he called out,
why are you idle there, gentlemen IL Is your
business TO lead In these matters. and throwing
the bridl- of mis- morse TO his servant he leaped
OF and seized the brakes, followed by a crowd that
gave the engine such a shaking up as IL never
knew before since,
The last act.v service that the engine performed
WAS nearly twenty-five years ago. and although Ii
was much base. by General Washington at q small
IL has perhaps saved as much property ans
fire apparatus now IN existence, and - far more
valuable today than ~ when ~ hrst landed
In Alexandria. revelation 20 Its citizens and onA
OF the wonders OF the day.