Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-22

| After the burning Of the Capitol ant
other public buildings. and the end O
the war Of 1872 was in sight normal con
ditions were resumed, and among othel
matters the necessity Of extinsuishinl
fires led to a revival Of interest in thu
few fire companies which were then in {
disOrganized state. December %, 1914
slight fire on the premises Of 0eorg'
Moore, near 10th and c streets, EN-
phasized the need Of fire fighting ap
paratus "A meeting was called Of tn
citizens Of the second ward In the coun
ell chamber on nth street between
and d streets December 81 to organic,
fire company in the ward, and q notic
was given at the same time Of an ex
animation Of premises to see who wer
delinquent in keeping fire buckets read!
for use. At the meeting the mayor
James II. Blake, presided. with Charles
| Glover as secretary. committee Il
| solicit subscriptions was appointed. con
sisting of Peter Lenox. Clothworth!
Stephenson. James N. Varnum and r. c
Weightman. A fire damaged the brew
| cry of Henry HEREFORD, on the south sid
| of Pennsylvania avenue between 9th ant
| 10th streets, on the night OF January ID
| 1916, causing q loss of nearly $20OO be
fore it was extinguished by the citizens
ity was saved by them, water being clos
at hand in Sluice run. This fire awok'
an interest in the fire companies, for thu
want of discipline and efficient apparatui
was sadly felt.
| In the public prints the necessity O
new companies, as well as apparatus,
| was urged, and the citizens of the
second ward. then extending from "a
| to 14th streets. from the river to the
Boundary, were called to form com
1 n N
| Of the Metropolitan Hotel. on January
| "a 1915. Nor was the interest confined
| to citizens. for February 10 Congress
appropriated $1,000 for a fire engine
partment. but these were not then pur-
| chased, for the building had not been
| rebuilt.
Company Is Formed.
On April IL. 1915. meeting was held
| in the Franklin House. 21st and
streets. to organize a fire company fol
the first ward, then embracing all the
city west Of 14th street.
Fires took place at the houses OF
Samuel N. Emallwood. afterward
mayor. and Mordecai Booth. clerk to
| the navy yard, near the corner OF n
| and LIST streets southeast. in May, 1919
John Achman, engine builder. was then
/
in July was offering fire engine for
| sale In March, 1916, the commits
sioners Of the wards. William Waters
Henry Hereford, Henry Ingle and John
| W. Brashears. were engaged in In
| speeding the buildings as to the pre-
! cautions against fires and requiring
the owners to provide the requisite
| number Of fire buckets. In May the
mayor provided for the inspection OF
| the engines of the second and third
| wards. The first was the Center mar
| ket engine, near 9th street and Penn
! sylvania avenue, and the other that OF
the Capitol Hill market, on East Capt.
| toll street. In the same month $500 was
| appropriated for an engine and $3.50
| for an engine house on K street near
| 9Th street southeast, at the Branch
market in the fourth ward. which then
| included all east of 4th street east.
| The commissioners Of the wards had
| custody of the engines pending the
| formation or organization Of COM
! was appropriated for an engine and
| $3.50 for a house, fire hooks and lad
| ders for the. first ward engine, located
on the West Market square, Pennsyl
| vania avenue and 25th street.
| On the morning of December 7, 1916, 9
fire broke out in the two-story brick hous
occupied by David Westerfield as 8
cabinet and upholstery shop and ware
| house, on the south side of Pennsylvania
avenue between 18th and 18th streets
which, with the adjoining frame dwelling
of R. Estep. was totally destroyed, an6
two other brick houses damaged. The
papers noticed the activity Of the citizens
On the same evening meeting was hello