Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-29
OLD FIREMEN, 182O-'25.
By James Croggon.

was then no engine within it's bounds.
| The third ward. north of E street south
| between LIST and 10th streets west, had
the Patriotic Engine at Center Market.
and the Post Office engine. The fourth
| ward was east of the third ward to Sth
! street east. and it's engine company was
Columbia on Capitol Hill. The fifth ward
| took in what was south of Z street south.
between 4th street east and 10th street
| west, and included the Phoenix COM
| pany, near the south end OF Sd street and
| the Potomac. near what il now the War
| College or Washington barracks The
| sixth ward included the balance Of the
/ city. and the navy yard and AnacoStia
| companies were in its bounds.
For Hydraulian Engine.
| BY the act of July 10. 1920. 500 was
| appropriated by the city for the pur-
chase of a hydraulian or suction en-
CINE for the former second ward, and
also for the additional sheds to the en-
CINE house. In September the govern
ment engine for the protection of the
Presidents house, etc, was received
from Philadelphia and placed in charge
of the Union company, which Septem-
| Der Is gave 1T a trial at the West
| Market.
| In December. 1920, question was
| asked in the Gazette why the ordinance
| in reference to keeping fire buckets
was not enforced. the writer stating
| he knows Of some of them being filled
with potatoes, eggs. etc, and some or
them are kept in garrets and kitchens.
| The Star fire company held its meet
| ings in the f1reproof Office of the Treas
ury. The annual meeting of Columbia
was held January Q, 1921, at which
Messrs Rapine. Hunter and Ingle were
reelected president. vice president and
| secretary, respectively. John Pie was
| elected treasurer and John q. Melon
aid of the secretary Of the Senate's
Mccormick There were then about
fifty members. At the meeting of the
| Star company Col. w. w. Billings was
reelected president, T. j. Sessford vice
president, J. A. NJ. Duncanson secretary
and David Bosworth treasurer The
Union elected officers January s.
| Messrs. Moulder. Sandiford and Handy
being elected president and vice presi-
dents. H. NJ. Steiner secretary and
Joseph Bromley treasurer. There were
about the same number OF engineers.
linemen, etc, as formerly. January IL
the Patriotic company met for the first
time at the engine house near the east
end of the old post Office, a small
wooden building on eth street above E.
Congress had made an appropriation
of $4,000 for the purchase of an engine
for the protection of the department
and the erection Of an engine house.
The Patriotic company was composed
to large extent of clerks of the post
Office, the president Mr.. Coyle. being
chief clerk of the department.
Fire in Presbyterian Church.
In January. 1921. fire took place in
the Presbyterian Church on South Cap
itol street February the building at
the southeast corner of 18th and C
streets, known then as VOLTS French
Hotel, was burned. The streets were
almost impossible at the time, but the
engines were soon on the ground and
succeeded in combining the flames to the
building in which they originated. The
property Of Mrs. Clark, east Of the build
ing, with other property, was in great
danger, and Mrs. Clark expressed her
appreciation of the services of the fire.
men and others. The building belonged
to Col. Thomas Monroe, and was soon
after in service as the mansion Of Maj.
Gen. Jacob D. Brown, who died there
in 1925, and subsequently again a hotel,
run by La Bile, becoming in the thir-
ties the famous boarding house. con-
Quoted till the civil war by Mrs. II. III
rich. which was patronized by diplomats,
congressman and government officials.
An incendiary attempt was made at
house near the navy yard February 10
cellar. but it failed. The old officers
of the Navy Yard company held over
this year. On the 31st Of May the trial
of engines took place. This trial took
place on the Weghtman buildings, at
corner Of Pennsylvania avenue and 9th
street.
Negroes Man Engine.
The Union engine, made by Patrick
Lyons of Philadelphia. known by the
boys of that day as the Paddy Lion"
and that of the Patriotic took part, Will
liam P. Gardiner and Jonathan Elliott
being the judges. They decided in favor
of the Union company. 1t appears from
a card Of Mr.. Moulder OF the Union in
answer to one by Mr.. Coyle of the Pa
triotic that the latter was manned by
stout black men from the brick yards
and the former by her own members
Mr.. Mouder stated that his company was
ready for another trial, but would not
again suffer themselves to be insulted
by Mr. Coyle placing negroes on his en-
CINE in competition with the Union. whose
members worked their own engine and
the Patriotic ought to and should work
theirs. In June. 1921, the corporation
made an appropriation to purchase a bell
for the Union company. The Navy Yard
fire company was at this time holding its
meetings in the new Masonic Hall, COR
ner Virginia avenue and 9th street south
east
In 1922, at it's annual meeting, the Co
lumbia Fire Company elected John G.
Macdonald president; John II. Frost, vice
president, and rejected William Ingle
secretary and John Pic treasurer 1he
directors chosen were James Young OF
the engineers, Thomas Dunn of the AK
men, Griffith Coombs OF the laddermen
and Daniel Rapinc OF the sentineis.
Star Company's officers.
The Star Company elected ". W. Bill
! lings president, T. J. Sessford vice presi-
dent, George Given secretary and John
| Douglas treasurer. The Union elected
John \. Moulder president, Thomas San
diford and s. W. Handy vice presidents,
Henry NJ STEINER. secretary. and Mathew
| Hines treasurer. The Alert fire COM
pany had it's engine house on 1917 street
south OF the Avenue. In March the
Washington fire company succeeded the
Patriotic fire company. holding its meet
ings at the post Office engine house. While
! the engine house of the Alert was on
LII: street, the meetings We're held at
the Western I.ancasterian School house.
corner u and 14th streets, known as
Henry Odds. In July OF that year. under
an appropriation Of $50. the gravel foot
way was laid from the Alert engine house
to Pennsylvania avenue. The Washing
ton Gazette Of August % published an
account of a fire which took place at
2 O'Clock in the morning of August 10, at
the livery stable of Thomas Smith, 18th
street north of Pennsylvania avenue the
site being still used for livery stable
| The building and its contents, including