The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-17
BlRMINGHAM'S FIRE DEPT
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27o

sistant commanding officers, presl dent. orator. secretary, vice president, steward. treasurer. Engine, first as- sistant commanding; hose truck, sec ond assistant commanding.
 sBurlesoue upon Birmingham paid fire department.
 "The company moved from the en- zine house to Nineteenth street and after marching all over the town, halt ed for the purpose of exhibiting the city water works. Hose was attached to plugs on corner of Second avenue and Twentieth street, and First ave nue and Twentieth street, but finding no water the company proceeded doWn Second avenue to the engine mousse. It is interesting to note that R Il. Pearson was heavily fined for non-at- tendance at the parade.
 Another entry Report of the wash ing on Monday received, embracing the fact that T. Daniels, superintend- ent of water works company, shut orr the water and the company was conf- pelled to wash by force. When the company finally secured it's uniform 1t consisted of a blue leather cap with front piece, on Which the name Pioneer" appeared in raised letters, a blue flannel shirt bound with white. with collar and shield on breast. and could be bought for $5. They were finally gotten out of the express office on August 4, '77, three years after they arrived. Tn 1880 a negro com pany attempted to rival the Pioneers, but were soon run out of business. The last meeting recorded was Febru- ary '. 'S1. and the last action left it to the city council to decide whether the | company should disband or not. Eyl- dently the city council so~decided. In 1885 the paid department was or 1 ganized, with Chief Neville in com mand. He only had seven men and | one steam engine. Between that time | and 1890 Frank Gafford was chief for
 a while, but on the first of 1890 J. T.
 Mullin entered his successful term of IA years. His was record of hard
 pulling and great fighting. With lit | tie company of IS men for a start. he resigned in August, 1905, with a force l of 60 men and seven fire stations.
 Tn 1894, on October 21. the burning Of the Caldwell hotel marked the most costly fire in the history, amounting ]; in loss to about a quarter of million 1 dollars. Not until September 22, 1902,
 were the correct losses recorded when
 we have Louis Saks' corner demol- ished, September 22, 1902, loss $100,-
 900; October 8, 1902, Moore & Hand
 ley, loss $16O,OOO
 The Morris avenue Jonah was the
 hot bed of confagration during the next few years March 5, Collins and
 the Standard grocery companies were demolished, followed in the same year l by the Alabama Mill and Elevator
 company. and J. H. McCary's place.
 May 1, 1904, saw an $80,000 fire on
 Morris avenue when Boardman and
 others were burned out.
 1 On December the first fire in 1 steel frame office building was re-
 corded, originating in the janitor's
 room, on the eighth floor. Since then
 the fireproof feature of these buildings has often been tested
 The hardest fire ever fought by the l local department occurred on Febru- ary ,, 1905, at Morris avenue and l Twenty-frst street. The sleet had
 frozen over the pavements, and the water would almost freeze in the noz- 1 zles with all pressure on. It was this | loss of $175,000 and a few which fol. | lowed which lead to the insurance I rate being lowered to the second class
 on May II, 1905. Other large fires in 1 that year were the Birmingham Paper company, Morris avenue, $90,000; the
 Tyler Grocery company, $40,000; Peo- | r.Jn Ta1onhpna oor,,r, Qd0 000 on November the destruction of
 Moore & Handleys large plant re- suited in loss of s1S4. GOO. This was Chief Waltons first big fire.
 After Chief Bennett took charge only two record-breaking fires oc- cured The first was on October &. 1906, when Challfoux and the Prowell Hardware company and the Alabama Printing company's buildings were de- stroyed, loss $22O000, the second high est in history, and on June 28, 1907 at the same place again with loss of S175,000. The loss for the first ten months of 1907 has been $24S.500 Four men have given their lives in the battle against the flames. T. o. Keith was killed by live wire on De- cember 4, 1905; Bremen Huffman and Spruel were crushed to death under falling walls on July 3, 1905, and Lad derman J. s. Melton fell from truck wagon on September 8. 1906, and was killed by the rear wheels.
 Birmingham holds two worlds records. On October 19 1906, ten men were burned to death in little frame building on Thisd avenue and Twelfth street, which has no parallel in his tory
 Another wonder resulted on Septem- Der 26 1902, in the instant death of IF negroes, who were crushed to death in riot, while Booker T. Washington was making a speech at the Shiloh Baptist church. It was caused by a false alarm of fire. To look back over such records of destruction and death. loss of both life and money. should give the Birming- ham citizens just pride in their mod. ern protection of today, and make them resolve to keep the fire depart. ment up to a comparative standard