The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-07-03

fire broke out in the chapel there was
no organized effort to extinguish the
flames. Neighbors ran with buckets,
pals, dish pans and washtubs and each
individual did his best to save the
structure. The water supply was soon
exhausted, however, and the edifice
was doomed.
Not long after that fire, which was
severe blow to the villagers, the coun-
Gil enacted an ordinance, which, in
view of the changed conditions, APP
pears primitive in the extreme. The
rules laid down at that time were as
follows:
We Early Ordinance
EVERY owner Of any house, store,
cellar, warehouse, or other building in
which any stove, fireplace or f1ue is
used. shall provide and keep in repair
two sufficient and substantial buckets,
which shall be marked with paint in
plain, conspicuous letters with the word
fire on one side and the owners name
on the other
The ordinance further provided that
the pals should at all times be sub
ject to inspection by a fire warden.
Burning Of chips or shavings within
sixty feet of a building was prohibited
by another clause.
Having provided that regulation, the
villagers felt safe from further loss by
fire, but they were again aroused not
long after the burning of the Presby-
terian chapel by destructive fire
which leveled to the ground the DAN
iels hotel, which was located at Eagle
and Third streets. When that fire oc-
CURED the villagers worked hard to
save the building. A line of men reach
ing from the structure to the river
bank was formed and pals of water
were handed along. The work was in
vain, however, and the citizens were
then convinced that some sort of an
organization was necessary.
r. c.. Knox, who has been called the
founder Of the fire department, inter-
ested q number of men In the project
of forming volunteer fire corps and
from that time to the present the city
has had brave men ready to sacrifice
themselves to save life and property
exposed to destruction by fire. AS q
result Of the movement started by
Knox few ladders were procured
and dedicated to the use Of the vol
unteer force. The organization created
by Knox continued to serve until 1854
when, with the establishment of the
town government under it's Charter. the
xfh "a s,;o
ing.
First Hook and Ladder Company
The Pioneer Hook and Ladder COM
pany was organized on Nov. s, 1854,
and it became the nucleus of the VOL
unteer corps which served the city un-
til 1877, when the paid department was
established. In order to provide COM
pensatfon for service in the volunteer
department the town council, in 1854,
passed an ordinance excusing fremen
! from jury duty. poll tax, from working
on the roads, and from state military
service for five years.
The members of the first company
of volunteers were Isaac Banker, fore
man; H.. B. Pearson and George b
Blake. assistant foremen; Richard
Galloway, treasurer; Robert Mason
, secretary, and Henry Buel, ]. w. Cath
cart, Charles D. Elfelt, Edward Heenan
Thompson Richie, Philip Ross, Wash
: ington M. Stees, J. w. Stevenson, Ben
r jamin F. Irvine. John McCloud Jr. R
l L. Thompson J. Q. A. Ward and
, Charles H. Williams.
! In 1855, an appropriation was made
+ to purchase new equipment, and the
, department was increased by the adj
dition of the following men: e. G.
Durbfn, c.. H. Mix. Simon Kern, T. M
: Newson, G. w. Prescott, G. v. P. LuIl
s. L. Hosler, Louis Mix, Jonas Gise
Alfred Elfelt J. w. Bond, J. Lyman
. Kellogg, John Tudor. The designation
{ of the company was at that time
changed to the "Hook and Ladder