Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-01
OLD UNION ENGINE HOUSE
By James Croggon.

ton had beneficial effect. During the
war the companies, as such, were in
state of lethargy. The membership, how
ever. were mostly in military service
Soon after the burning by the British
measures We're taken to revive an inter-
est in the fire companies. In January.
1915. the partial destruction by fire of
Herford's brewery, on sluice about the
site of the present Safe Deposit Company
on Pennsylvania avenue between 9th and
10th streets, was an incentive. and In that
year an appropriation was made for the
purchase of an engine for the Treasury
Department The first ward company
was reorganized July 81. 1915. at ONeale' s
Franklin House. corner of 21st and l
streets, when 1t took the name Of the
| Union Fire Company of the first ward.
although there was company OF that
name in the second ward
Among the personnel of the company
were John N Moulder. president; Thorn
as Sandeford and Richard S. Briscoe,
urer: Col. John Davidson. Col Thomas
Carbery, afterward mayor; John Potts of
the War Department, James A. Ken
| needy. William Linkins, Matthew Hines.
Ed Hines. Col Michael Nourse of the
Treasury. Thomas Brown. Lewis Lee
proux, William Ford. Joseph Forrest and
others. These were divided into engi-
| neers. hosemen. laddermen. lanemen. fur
nituremen and sentinels. The apparatus
was mostly furnished by the government
near the market. There was little ac-
| commodaton in the building for meetings,
and these were held at the town hall over
the market house, then at the Western
Academy, and later on l street west Of
18th street which was one of the two
public schools then in operation. Meet
ings were also held at Pawling's Tavern
in the Seven Buildings and other places
Does Good Service.
Among the fires the company attended
was that of the theater at the corner of
18th and streets. April 10, 1920. as also
a fire nearby April 4, in which they did
good Service. Under the act of June 81
1921, $50 for a bell was appropriated. and
1t was placed over the engine house. IN
1893 another location was chosen for the
engine house on the south side of the
. Avenue near list street. and in the same
year there was added to the apparatus an
hydraulion This they tried on July %
at the Treasury Department.
The hand engines were worked by levers
with longwooden handles. and when one set
of men became exhausted new set would
take their places. The water with which
the engine was supplied was conveyed
from the nearest cistern or pump by the
firemen forming two lanes and passing
the buckets from one to the other until
the engine was reached, and the other
lane returning them. THESE lanes were
who carried a trumpet and a white staff
five feet long. The method Of filing the
engine with water by hand was aban-
doned when the suction engine made its
appearance about 1892 To this engine
hose was attached and placed in the
nearest cistern or well. The engine and
hose carriage were not drawn by horses.
but by hand and to the hand-tongue was
attached a rope about 100 feet in length
with which the firemen and citizens
| dragged the apparatus to the scene of
fire.
September 90 1904 the company's pres
| ident. Mr Moulder. presided over meet
ing of the general staff of the Dis
| trict companies. to prepare for gen.
eral meeting and a trial of the apparatus
in front OF Appler's Tavern. corner of 18th
| and Pennsylvania avenue, the present site
| of the Raleigh Hotel
Extends Aid to Alexandria.
On the morning Of April IS. 1927, the
great fire In Alexandria was discovered
and the companies of the District re-
| sponded. some Of them running the dis
lance of seven miles, this company-the
Union-among them. With number of
marines sent down by Col Henderson.
| 1000 men went to the aid Of the firemen
| of that city. The weather at the time
| was exceedingly cold, the thermometer
standing at Ii degrees above zero. and
| much shipping was ice-locked at the
wharves; but after fve long hours the
| flames were extinguished. and credit was
given the Washington companies for saw
/ ing the shipping. They participated in
| the fire OF the Union Hotel in Georgetown
| in August. and also at the Treasury on
| the night of March 80. 1888
| At the convention of the fire companies
| September IL, 1893 this company was
| represented by Alexander Mcintyre and
William b. Magruder. The object of the
/ convention was to secure legislation for
the proper government Of the companies
/ Of the District. including Alexandria and
| Georgetown. With other companies they
participated in saving property in the vi
| entity of the general post Office and
/ patent office. which were totally destroy
| ed by fire December. 1885. January ).
| 1887. the Union appears to have been re-
organized. Rev. Frank S. Evans was
+. elected president: Ed Hanley, vice presi-