The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-23
Raleigh Department in
Days ofPump Machines.
Major A. B. StrOnach Writes Enter
tainingIy Of Ten Years When Sim
uIants During the Fire Were the
Proper Thing.

something of the Olden DAY IRE HSul-
! ers. 1t is entertaining, and one Will
read with pleasure what ne says OF the
Raleigh fire department from 1865 to
1875.
II do not know who ran with the
| machine before or during the Civil
War but in 1866 some of the younger
men who had served in the Confed-
| crate Army finding that end OF the
war was not the end of all things, ana
! that possibly a little practice hghtlpS
fire in this world would furnish some
experience for things that might come
| after organized two companies to man
the hand pump machines, owned by
the citv of Raleigh No. l elected as
fireman. DR.. Jas. Mckee, at that time
a medical student; assistant fireman.
w. G. Stronach. | do not recall the
name of the fireman of No. z. There
was of course great rivalry between
the two companies, No. l was the lar
ger and we who were members OF
| the company thought the most eff
cient machine
with these old out of date hand
| pump engines we never failed to save
| tho adjoining buildings, and to TINS
end our efforts if fire was under much
! Roadway were always turned 1t was
considered highly important that the
| fremen should be furnished with a
| stimulant to stimulate them during
| the fire and as a reviver after the
! fire
| When the Buttermilk Tavern, as it
was called. burned down the fireman
! of No. /. that being quite large hre'
| deemed it necessary to order four gal
! Ions of the best at six dollars per
gallon. The Buttermilk Tavern oc-
! cupied the space on East Morgan
! street, between what was then the
| Catholic church, now the First Baptist
| (colored) and the Carolina Wood
! Workers. at that time Harp's carriage
shop. The Tavern was" a long old
two-story building. Many of the m
mates lost their lives in the fire, for
tunately they could well be spared
in the community, being rats and bed
bugs.
"Mr w. C. Stronach. assistant the
man of No. /. used to tell this story
of the morning OF the fire:
II was going down Wilmington
street q little after sun up on the
morning of the fire that burned the
old Buttermilk Tavern, c}when SAN
coming up the street four members
of No. J.. One of the party was IN
front with a lighted lantern IN his
hand: whenever he was able to get
his balance he lowered the lantern
TO the pavement. Following him two
Of the party were supporting the
fourth member at least Mr.. Strohach
said they Thought they were sup
porting, for that every few steps inc
supporters and the supported would
separate all hands balance come to-
gether proceed a few steps to go
through the same performance. Again
MI Stronach said that he asked:
What is the meaning of the process
sion?' One of the party, between NC
coughs, gravely informed him that ola
Charlie II. was mashed all to pieces
inside. and they were taking him to
the doctor. An inquiry as to the light
he was told that Mustn't have hght
sho' dark couldn't shee' how to walk.
cat the Butermilk Tavern fire there
being no cistern available I'VE carried
water in tubs and buckets to the en-
CINE The writer was making MS way
from the pump at the corner OF VII
mington and Morgan streets with
tub of water on his head when some
one dropped a piece of bedstead
from the porch of the tavern on the
tub turning the tub over and drench-
ing the bearer, extra stimulation
therefore required.
1T was at this fire that Mr. r. *.
Ferrell staggering out under the
weight of a feather bed which could
have been better and easier thrown
out, received the headboard of bed
stead on top of the bed, thrown from
the upstairs porch by Dean Smith,
with the remark, Take this with you
too On account of his ridiculous ap-
pearance, squirming and twisting NV,
| der the weight of bed and headboard'
we did not rescue MIN as Speedlly as
we might have done, this and the
! laughter Ono bones being brOken)
J caused Mr.. F. to retire in disgust. Inc
/ importance of having some system 10
| furnish the engines with water caused
us after the Buttermiik Tavern IRE
to organize a Bucket Company. Mr.
| w c. Stronach was made fireman.
This company with No l and :, did
valiant and efficient service.
1T was bitter cold night When
the wooden building that stahds
where Berwanger's store is nov,
burned down So cold that the water
| dashing back from the brick walls
adjoining froze on our clothes as 1t
| fell nevertheless, as usual, nothing
burned but the building in which the
| fire originated, in 1870 / think.
Feeling the necessity of more up
| to-date apparatus, members OF the
three ORGANIZATIONS and citizens of
| Raleigh bought a steam fire engine at
| the time the best and most powerful
steam fire engine manufactured. The
| Rescue Company was organized, many
of the best citizens of this city be-
| coming active members. The Rescue,
as the engine was named, weighed
| something over 5000 lbs, and cost
$4,000.
THE day of the arrival of the Res
cue engine the company was formed
al the court house and marched to
the railroad depot to bring the engine
up town, (reader will understand we
had no horses. and that for years the
Rescue was pulled to and from fire
by hand and man pOwerD passing up
| Fayetteville street two and two, un-
der command of the foreman, S. G.
Brewster. Frank Brennan, a witty
Irishman. was marching behind VIII
Harris. Now while Bill had been a
soldier he could not keep step very
well thereby continually throwing
Brennan out of step. John MurrilL the
) hook director. called out to Brennan
saying that he was not in step with
Harris, Brennan why don't you keep
the steo?"
"'Kape step is it said Brennan and
how the devil shall l kaDe the step
t to march behind man with two lift
: QefD legs
M