The Somerset reporter., 1908-01-30
Reunion of Veteran Firemen.
The Fire Fighters of Past Years Enter
tanned by the Members Of the Skowhe-
gan Fire Department.

II
gan Fire Department
SkOwhegah's first reunion of veter-
an firemen Waa he'd AT the Fire De-
partment building on the Island last
Monday evening, under the auApice-
Of the members Of the present fire
fighting force. Plans for this reunion
had been discussed for some months
and at the union meeting Of the
three companies, The Steamer Com
pany, Union Hose No /, and the
Hook Ladder Company, held on
JaH. -. the day was set and com
mlttee Of three, John H. Steward
Chas. Griffin and Nathan Thomas. the
assistant foremen Of the three com
panles alre ady named, were appoint
ed 10 make all arrangements. The
purpose Was 10 assemble Ar many as
possible Of those who hae been con
nected with the Skowhegan Fire De
partment in its earlier days and invi-
tations were issued accordingly.
skowhegan town officers were IN
cluded in the invitation. also the
drivers Of the teams that are depend
ed upon 10 haul the apparatus at fires
and trials.
A phonograph, furnished by Adrian
Day, supplied music while the com.
pany was gathering, and at 745
Horace NJ. Weston, the present Fire
Department Chief, called Tor order.
Mr.. Weston stated the purpose OF the
meeting and the program of the even
ing was carried out under his direc-
ton. Webster Keyes sang several
songs very acceptably and George
Simpson gave as re,itaUons The
Picture on the Floor" ard "rhe Old
Man ia TToubie.o {. +. Rochester
was down for song but asked TO be
excused as a severe cold had made II
impossible for him to sing. In re-
sponse to invitation from Chlei Wts-
to, Lew W. Weston, who had much to
do with the fire department te early
days told of important fires in 1918 TO
1850 and incidents connected there
with.
Mr.. Weston was followed by O. \
Priest 4. l.. Ford, Hiram Thing, Geo.
Simpson, B. S. Flagg, a II. Myman,
Lew &. Emery, I. j. Abbey. {. L.
Young. h f. Parker and others, in
Guiding f. L. Doyen, chief OF the
North Anson Fire Department, por-
tion Of the speaking taking place
after the steamed clam banquet which
was served in the basement after ad
journing from the upper hall. From
the remarks of the various speakers
it was learned that Skowhegan's first
- Ar H., 6 h.
name, was a "hand tupo, so called,
which became the the property of the
town in lS44 and was first used at the
starch factory fire Of the following
January. The machine was some
thing ON the lines of the later fire en-
gines which were perated by hand
but had no suction hose and the sup
ply of water had to be kept up BY
hand to hand along lines of men
formed at every fire for the purpose.
The starch mill referred TO was after
ward rebuilt on the same site near the
south end of the railroad bridge, and
is now known as the old paper mill.
The provision for fighting fires
passed from the control of the town
to tue Skowhegan Village Corpora
the engine house, in the location of
ihe Pishon hay depot, was abandoned
in 1856 and new one Quilt ON the
Island, the same building now in Use
! by b. s. Flagg as a grocery store.
/ Me@srs. l.. W Waston and Jos. ID.
SaNWard were the committee to build
the engine house and these same
gentlemen were sent to Boston 10 Sc
cure new engine, this resulting i'll
the purchase OF the famous K. E.
Lyon hand tub ire m the municipal
officers of East Boston. In January
1872 occurred the Brewster House fire
and the II. Z. Lyon and corporation
force pump both served to save sur
rounding property, the former how
ever the more effectively.
The next important addition 10 the
fire apparatus was the steamer, this
being bought in 1882, shortly after the
Turner house fire. The steamer was
first used at the time the Congrega-
tional Church steeple was struck by
lightning and set on fire. The K. h.
Lyon hand tub after doing excellent
service for nearly 25 years was sold
to a veteran tiremen's ass ociation in
Massa husetts city and is still used by
them at the competitive trials OF
hand fire apparatus.
Ii is impossible to cover all the IN
teresting history brought out by this
reunion. The remarks of L. l.. Ford
recalled a secret society known as the
Golden Orient, to which only mem
bers of the department were eligible,
of which Mr. Ford, during his connec-
tion with the department was chief
officer with the title of G.. K. W, The
steamed clans, which were the prin'
cipal feature of the banquet. were
cooked by Harry Sedgeley and
proved most appetizing Among the
exercises which followed the serving
i of the steamed clam supper was the
calling of the 63 names on the roll Of
the old X. E. Lyon Co., formed June
II, 1850 OF these but twelve are now
! living and but two, .. A. Priest and
| l.. G. Emery were present TO answer
to their names.
After the banquet and the eGer-
cises which followed it, the many Of
the company adjourned to the De
partment Headquarters on the man
/ floor of the Department Building and
passed an hour at games OF cards and
in further recalling memories et the
department OF previous years.
Town Improvement Society.
The regular meeting of the Town
Improvement society was held en-
FRIDAY, Jan Path, IN the Library Pa
lors with Mrs. Ellen :. Dow and Mrs.
Maria Folsom as hOAfeNApS