Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-09
RETIRED AFTER
s. YEARS. SERVICE
Lieutenant George LeffingweIl
viii Leave Fire Department
at Own Request.

While the records of the fire depart
ment show that Lieutenant George w
Leffingwell, of Engine Company No.
13, who is about to retire has been in
the service for thirty five years, hrs
connection with Newark's f1re-fighting
force has extended over more than
two score years From the time that
he left school, forty-three years ago,
until the present, he has been at home
when fighting a fire or at the engine
house waiting for a call to duty.
Fire-fighting is an hereditary talent
with Lieutenant LefingwelI. He is
the son of the late Thomas NJ. Letting
well, who served as q volunteer fire.
man for about fifteen years prior to
1876. In that year the elder Letting
well was appointed to the city's paid
fire department, but resigned a year
later to join the police force.
From 1877 until 1905 the elder Lief
fingwell served in the police depart
ment in the capacities of patrolman
and doorman of the First precinct
He retired eight years ago and died
in 1908
Lieutenant Leffingwell was born on
August %, 1854, in the Leffigwell
home, at Is McWhorter street. He
was educated in the local public
schools and set out to make his repu-
tation as "a f1re-fighter when sixteen
years of age. Until he was twenty
three years old he served as run
ner," or volunteer, accompanying the
firemen at his own risk and without
pay. In 1877 he was appointed as a
~, to IL It,er nv
He served seven years as cali or
reserve man. being placed on the pay
roll of the eity's department wheneEr
an extra man was needed. While
serving in this capacity he was pro-
NOTED to assistant foreman and later
foreman of Engine Company No. 8.
On August /. 1889, Leffingwell re-
ceived the appointment of regular
fireman and was assigned to Engine
Company No. 4. A month later he
was transferred to Company ), where
he served several years. The fireman
was then changed to Company II,
then to Z and. later back to No. IL
Company, where. he was promoted to
the rank of lieutenant in August,
1899.
A short time after this promotion
the officials of the department saw
fit to again transfer the lieutenant.
This time he was sent to Engine
Company No. /, from which place he
was assigned to Engine Company No.
10, of which he is at present lieuten-
ant He has been with the latter
company for the past seven years
Recently the fire commissioners
transferred No. Is Engines equip
ment to the quarters of No. Engine
at 44-46 Mt. Prospect avenue, where
the members are now doing the work
of No. 9 Company.
During the entire time he has been
in the service Lieutenant Litfingwell
has never been brought before the
fire board on any charge. His fell
low members of the department are
envious of his record of forty years
in the service without once being
"placed on the carpet" as the pro-
ceedings of facing the commission
ers' grilling is termed.
The lieutenant has been lucky IN
escaping serious injury, although he
has been in the thickest of some of
the worst fires ever seen in the city.
On one occasion, as he was backing
the fire engine into it's quarters, ms
left hand was caught between the
heavy engine and the door OF the
frehouse. The member was crushed
so INdI StNtldl ppiSo WI -
After a short rest, however, he was
back in harness again.
During the winter OF 1900, when
Newark was visited by the famous
Snyder fire, Lieutenant Lefingwell
was dispatched with others to guard
the roofs Of the adjoining buildings
He was standing among the ruins
when a large, heavy iron girder fell
and missed him and his companions
by inches They were liberated from
their perilous position with difficulty.
Outside of those two incidents, the
lieutenant has escaped unscathed.
John G.. Leffingwell, a brother of
the lieutenant, is another member of
the family in the service of the fire
department. He is employed In the
department telegraph service. Still
another brother, Thomas Nj. Letting
well, ir, has seen service in New
ark's fire-fighting corps. The latter Is
now retired.
Lieutenant Leffingwell for years had
been member of the fire depart
ment board of Representatives in con-
Quoting the affairs of the widows and
orphans fund. He has served under
six chiefs of the department, namely,
David e. Benedict, Charles Bannon,
Robert Kiersted, william G. Ashley,
Joseph E. Sloan and Paul j. Moore,
the present head of the department.
Quake Shakes Messina as