Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-04
ONE HUNDRED YEARS.
ANNIVERSARY OF THE VoLUN-
TARY FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Celebrated by Veterans at Old Union
Engine Housekeeping Cup
for Chief Belt.

| for Chief Belt.
| An important event was celebrated last
night by the Veteran Volunteer Firemen's
| Association, at the old Union Engine House,
! 18th and H streets northwest, the occasion
being the centennial anniversary of the or
ganization of the volunteer fire companies
| of Washington. In the course of the
| evening 1t was shown that the first COM
pany was formed August IS, 1904, but had
not continuous life to the entry of the
| modern system, and October was the date
| of the company which had a continuous
| existence
There were present a number Of visitors
who viewed the o1d-time relics with inter-
| est. The old Columbia suction engine used
| in the fifties as well as the old hose car
rlage used by the Sun company of Alex
andria, in the same period, with the old
| bells of the Anacostia and Northern Lib
! erty companies, and the quaint fire
buckets, capes hats, ETC., of the old fire.
men were carefully. inspected.
| The address of Judge Alex. R. Hagner was
| one of much interest to the audience and
was appreciated. and the unlocked for pres
| entation of a loving cup to Chief Belt OF
| the present fire department, the only old
fireman serving under the new system, was
a most agreeable surprise.
Among the visitors were Thos B. Wheel
er, Baltimore veteran; Thos Cook, who
| was member of the old Anacostia Com
pany, lately returned after forty years abb
| sence; b. w. Reiss of the Oldest Inhabitants
| Association, and many ladies, some of
whom are members of the auxiliary to the
! veteran organization.
Roster of Old Companies.
The meeting was presided over by Presi-
| dent James H. Richards, who briefly stated
| the objects, and the secretary, Mr.. J. j.
Peabody, read the roster of old-time COM
| panies as follows:
First fire ward company, 1904 to 1918, at
| West Market
Union of second fire ward, 1904 to 1914
| first near the treasury and then at the
| Center market The last he heard of this
| company was on the eve of the battle of
| Bladensburg.
Columbia, fourth fire ward, 1904 to 1864
| first at Capitol Hill market, on New Jer-
| sey avenue
Third fire ward company 1904 to 1873,
| near 9Th and K streets southeast.
| Star fire company, 1917 to 1897, near treas
| ury.
Union of first ward, 1918 to 1864, at West
| market
Navy yard, 1918 to 1929. in the yard.
Anacostia, 1878 to 1864, near 9th and X
| streets southeast.
| Patriotic. 1919 to 1922 at Center market
| and at post office.
Phoenix, fifth ward. 1919 to 1897, at to-
| oacco warehouse, Sd between M and N
| streets southeast.
| Potomac, 1920 to 1866 near Unified States
| arsenal.
Alert 1921 to 1897, on 1914 below E street.
This became the Franklin.
| flee h -
Phoenix of third ward 1897 to 1887, Cen
| ter market.
Franklin. 1897 to 1864, at AIert's house
and 18th and E streets
| Columbian. 1890 TO 1891 paar C,oni+o,
| Perseverance, 1857 to 1864 near Pennsyl-
Vania avenue and 9th street site of EN-.
| pire '
Northern Liberties, 1910 to 1873 9th and
! X and 9Th and L streets northwest
Island, 1910 to 1916. 10th street and Marv
| land avenue southwest.
western Hose, 1855 to 1864, near 2sth and
| K streets ~ o'i'
| METROPOLITAN hook and ladder. 1875 TO
| 1864, site of No g engine. Massa ch,isetts
west. r : oi III
| American hook and ladder. 1873 tn 100.
georgetown companies-Union. 1919 tn
| 1913: Potomac. 1913 to 1919: Columbia. 1914
1oel lsl9: Sun. 1913 to 1919: vigilant 1917 to
ISo.' Mechanical, 1919 to 1926; Columbia
~ to 1887: Eagle. 1927 to 1890: Western
| 1867 'iose' 1904 10
Judge Hagner's Address.
Mr.. D. oC. Callaghan In presenting Judge
A H. Hagner spoke OF his long service nm
| the bench and of his having as bow "r,,n
| with the machine"
Judge Hagner said he well remembered
the old time companies, especially the Union
and its motto: I'm Union there is strength:
the pubic good our only aim" His older
| prothers were enrolled in 1897 and 1t was
| dlf1cult for the parents and others to keen
| him and other boys away from the rones
me methods then were crude. he said. and
| he described a scene where a solitary crv of
| fire would be taken up the streets would
| rapidly fill, the bells ring and apparatu
would be drawn by man power to distant
fire, when, fatigued as -they might be- the
| brauny arms worked to extinguish the
| flames.
Judge Hagner quoted Dickens description
OF the old Franklin engine house at 14th
| and E streets: IAN old lop-sided, one-eyed
kind of a wooden building that looks like
| church, with flag staff as long as itself
sticking out OF the steeple something larger
| than tea chest
| He then spoke of the meager provisions
! made by the general and municipal govern
| ments for protection against fires. and said
| the escape of the city from destruction by
| fire in the early days was due to the
| scattered situation of the buildings and the
| devoted labor of the volunteer fremen, who
| worked as if it was a matter Of life and
| death. He noted many prominent men who
| were fremen, referred to the more destruc-
| tive fires, and the growing necessity for a
| steam fire department, eliminating In 1864
in the volunteer companies going out Of SER
| vice
| considering the difficulties encountered
| by these public spirited men," he said,
not few having lost their lives in the peri
| lous service, they deserve from their fellow
I citizens in whose behalf they made secri-
| fees, the verdict well done good and faith
| full servant
| Loving Cup Presented.
| Mr.. Callaghan here arose, and speaking
| of Chief VIM. T. Belt as a young man,
though member of the Franklin Company,
| and from the volunteer service entering the
| new department and successfully filling all
| the positions from private, had reached
| the head. The days of young men, he said,
| running with the machine had passed, and
| today no bell is needed to call out the de-
| partment. Horse and steam and electricity
| do the work, while the chief In buggy and
| behind a swift horse, bastens to the scene.
| He did not know but the Chief was looking
| out now for an autofnobiles to carry him on
| his errands. but he thought the horse was
| as safe as electricity. He looked upon
| Chief Belt as the last link which binds the
| old era to the new, and handsome loving
! cup being brought forward, he presented 1t
| to Chief Belt. He remarked that some
people contend that as much property is
| destroyed at fires by water as by the flames,
| but such, he said, is not the case here. He
| read from a letter in TheEStar regarding