The Cairo bulletin., 1904-03-22
THE HIBERNIANS
WON LAURELS
Fighting Fire in the Early Days
OF Cairo
DAY We CELEBRATE"
SUBJECT OF GRAFTON DELIVER.
Ed BY NJ. 3. HARRELL, Ed
lTOR OF THE
BULLETIN.

As an old volunteer fireman. have
been much interested in the commun-
ications of G. O'Calahan, Fifty
Miner" and "Old Volunteer" in the
Sunday Bulletin of some weeks since,
and have felt considerably disap
pointed in not finding further articles
from these correspondents. or from
Others who have served the public
freely and faithfully in the good old
days of long ago The early days of
the Cairo fire department have been
well described by the above named
firemen, and should like to have the
subsequent history Of the department
along in the COS given by firemen
who have served their time
Doubtless there are a number of
old citizens who could contribute
something of interest if they would
As for myself | did not enter the ser
vice until early in the 70s and there
fore. | can not give any history Of
the department before that period. |
often watched the several companies
working at fires, and particularly re,
member the steamer Jack Winter =
referred TO by Mr. O'Callahan, as
having been a beautiful piece of
mechanism that made a fine appear
ance in a parade. with its brass and
nickelplated trimmings. polished to
a high degree, Ii sometimes did good
work at fires but often was of little
use, either being ont of order, or be-
cause the engineer could not be
found. or because the streets we're
muddy, etc.
Through the courtesy of the last
secretary of the Hbernian Fire Co.
have been permitted to look over
the early records of that organization,
beginning with 1866. previous to
which date the minutes are missing
The earliest list OF officers shown
BY these records is that elected in
September, 1864, which is as follows,
| viz:
| President, Patrick Mockler; vice.
pr sident, Wm Bambrick secretary,
Richard Fitzgerald; treasurer, Pat.
rick Burke; messenger, John Muir
! ply: foreman of hose, Timothy O'Cal-
! lahan: assistant foreman. John Fa
hey; foreman of engine. John Clancy;
assistant foreman. Patrick Cahill;
board Of directors, John 0'Callahan,
chairman; Martin Egan, Mike Bam-
brick, Thos. O'Callahan, Matthew
/ Walsh.
All the above named gentlemen
have passed away except Richard
Fitzgerald, John Clancy, Patrick Ca
hill and Matthew Walsh. These four
erstvhie active fire fighters have
! lost the vim and dash that character
ized the old time iremen, and they
can scarcely run as fast. or climb lad
ders as nimbly as they lid forty
years ago.
In those days the company was ac.
tive in public celebrations of various
Alnds. On March Is. 1861, ball
! was given, the price of tickets being
| g. each. On the fourth of July fol
! lowing, the company had a parade
and picnic AT the company meeting
held on Nov. II, 1867, bills amounting
to sl4 were allowed for refreshments
| furnished at the late fire which
certainly must have been exhausting
on the firomcn. In May. 1868. the com
pany officially assisted at a picnic
given in aid of St Mary's infrmary,
In May, 1867, the company moved its
engine house from Twentieth street
west of Commercial avenue, to the
vest side Of Commercial avenue,
above Twelfth street
II is evident from the minutes that
during this period of the company's
history the best of feeling did not
prevail among the members. In the
/ fall Of 1869 a number Of new mem.
bers were initiated. among them be
/ ing Mr. VIM McHale who, in Sep
tember of that year. was elected pres
! ldent That event was the beginning
Of a new. livelier and more prosper.
Gus era for the company.
The new blood began at once to
manifest itself Some boasting must
have been done about the wonderful
things the company would do, for we
find that in Nov. 1869, the Rough
and Readics challenged our friends to
a throwing contest This challenge
was promptly accepted The result
of the battle was favorable to our
/ friends, and this event brought con.
I siderable prestige 10 the company
and gave it courage to go TO work
for the foremost place in the Cairo
/ fire department
! In the spring of 1870 "a destructive
1 fire occurred on Ohio Levee, below
Sixth street. which destroyed the
First National Bank building, occu-
pied by the bank and by the European
hotel The reiuvenated Hiherniansl
won laurels at this fire In August,
/ 1870, the company voted to give a
picnic a committee on arrangements
was appointed with full power to act,
except that IL was Instructed TO pay
not slore than s22 box for lemons
In June, 1871. the company held its
first meeting in the new engine
house on the north side of Thirteenth
near Commercial avenue This build
ing had been donated by the city au