Norwich bulletin., 1909-07-20
SUDDEN DEATHS AT WESTERLY
Edwin c. Kings Active Career Ended-Mrs. Sarah R.
Beardsley Dies while Visit-Not Easy to Sell
Old Armory Site-Stoninston Women Injured in
Driving Accident.

Not only firemen of today, but many
Of the older residents who ran wild
re machine in the days before horses
took The fire apparatus to fires, are
enterepted in the proposition of the
Pawtucket Veteran Firemens assocf-
alton to celebrate the centennial of the
birthday of William Jeffers, who
brought fame to Pawtucket, as a
builder OF the old hand engine fire
tubs, so called.
William LETTERS, who was one of the
most noted builders of fire tubs in his
day, was born August 81, 1909, in Mil
ton, Mass. When a>young man he
removed to Pawtucket and it was
there he made his name and fortune.
I'm 1874 when the big double-deck hand
engines, built by Agnew at Philadel-
phia, was received by the volunteers
of Pawtucket, Mr.. Jeffers, who had
been experimenting with fire pumps,
took the machine in hand and rebuilt
IT SO far as the pumps and other ma
chinery were concerned, and the ma
chine was sold to Westerly and known
as Rhode Island No. l. Subsequently
the engine went back to Pawtucket,
was rechristened and has been known
since as the Hay Cart outstripping all
ether machines Of her class in spirit
"a contests.
Mr.. letters devoted his attention to
the building of hand fire engines and
the first product of his shops was the
Gaspee No. . for the Providence de-
partment, and now owned by the Prov
idtnce Veteran association. This was
so successful that he constructed and
put into commission about $50 tubs of
the same type of pumps, though of
differing styles of box and superstruc-
ture.
The Pawtucket association plan is
20 in that oil o%
"a, and invite all the machines of the
letters make in and about New Eng
land to participate. There are about
twenty-five of these within a radius
OF fifty miles and it is believed they
will gladly accept the invitation to do
honor to the memory of the famous
IRE engine builder.
IN Rhode Island there are at least
nine muster engines of the letters
build, which includes the Hay Cart
of Pawtucket, formerly owned in
Westerly, and the Gaspee of Provi-
dence. Also, the Nameaug formerly
of New London, later the Rough and
Ready OF Johnston. and now owned
by the Watchemocket company of
East Providence. Besides there is the
Ocean of Knightsville, Star of Grams
ton, Narragansett Of Riverside, Wat
chemoket of East Providence, King
Philip 81 Bristol and Mechanic of
Warren. At Phillipsdale is located the
old Grasshopper of a special expert
mental type, of which only two were
built, the other being sold in Texas.
In addition there are a few other JEFF
ferg tubs in the state that have not
been in use or at musters in so many
years that they have been practically
forgotten.
In connection with the celebration, 1t
is planned to have crews of the pres
ent active members of the Rhode Is
land Ones of Westerly and of the Ma
meaugs of New London man the
brakes of their old machines, Shake
her down" and squirt stream over a
measured distance for a suitable prize.
Edwin c. King died suddenly of pull
rnonary aPoplexy Monday morning at
his home in High street. in his seth