The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-09-04
The First Fire Company Was Organized q
Hundred Years Ago and Did Some
Notable Work With It's Prim-
tive Annarat1IC
tive Apparatus.

the occasion Of the death Of Greenup.
He and one other member Of Columbia
Company were the first to arrive at
| the engine house.
Without waiting for the other mem
bers. these two dragged out the engine
and commenced the run. In descending
! the steep hill leading down to Pennsyl-
vania Avenue the heavy engine got be-
yond their control, and the pace became
so swift that Greenup stumbled and
fell. Two wheels Of the engine passed
over his body. crushing him so badly
that death occurred in a few hours.
Fatalities Were Few.
This custom OF taking out engines by
two or three men appears dangerous TO
modern ideas. and it is an occasion Of
wonder that more men were not killed
during the runaways. which were not
uncommon. As a matter OF fact the
fatalities among the volunteers were
remarkably few~
The death OF Greenup. and that OF
Anderson who was crushed under a fall
ing wall at Taggart's fire. on Twenty
second Street, between F and G., ap-
pear TO be the only fatalities that are
readily recalled by the old firemen.
Anderson was member OF the Western
Hose Company and met his death Just
two months before Greenup was killed.
Good Old Reliable.
Columbia Fire Company IS generally
conceded the palm for continuous ser
vice in the District Of Columbia. Some
Of its members claim for Il the honor
Of being the first organization in the
city This is disputed and reliable
records are adduced to show that at
least two companies antedate #.
one Of these was organized on the
18th Of July. 1904. and the other several
days later. They both went out Of ex-
istence during the year Of 1914. and
very little Is recalled Of their history.
II IS remembered that the first organI-
zation held its last meeting the Satur-
day before the city was captured bv the
British army.
It was the second day. OF October 1904
that Columbia Fire ComDanv vvos for-
mally organized. The equipment OF the
company was very primitive. The en-
glne was kept in the old market house
on New Jersey Avenue. and the mem
bers OF the organization held their meet
ings at Stelis Tavern. Queens Tavern.
and the old Carrot Hotel. In 1920 the
Government built a house in CapitoI
Square, across from the site Of the old
Ben Butler house and near the spot
where the statue Of Washington is now
located, and presented IT 10 Columbia
Company.
Volunteers Worked Well.
The early history OF the city shows
that the members did splendid work i'm
the fires Of the first half Of the nine
teenth century In 1927 by their prompt
response 20 the alarm and without the
assistance Of any other company they
saved the Library OF Congress from
I burning. TweHty-four years later the
Library was entirely destroyed In spite
Of the efforts Of practically every vol
unteer company in the city.
The personality that stands out most
| prominent in the history Of the volunteer
companies is that Of the man who was
! largely instrumental in securing for the
| city paid department with steam en-
sines. This man. who was the first chief
J Of the reorganizcd volunteer companies.
and later the first paid chief OF the mod
/ ern department, is suu living.
indebted TO Peabody.
The city Of Washington owes debt OF
! gratitude 10 John J. Peabody, who for
/ years fought against innumerable obsta-
| Giles to secure a department adequate 10
the needs Of the rapidly growing CITY
Although his work as a fire fighter was
in the ranks Of tine volunteers and with
the old-time equipment, he saw clearly
/ the deficiencies OF the old system and
kept up a logged fight until he had Sc
cured the commencement OF the present
| competent department
John J. Peabody was born on the 9Th
Of May, 1881. in an ola house on 7 Street
between Seventeenth and Eighteenth
Streets. which stu stands He has been
| a skilled machinist all his life. and as
such has participated in many works of
public Improvement.
lie Is today employed at the United
| States Navy Yard I'm this city
lie was one OF the engineers during the
work Of the Capitol extension. and
hoisted about one half of the iron work
that sUrmounts the dome. He was like