Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-07-06
Citizen Fire Company Nos
Has Interesting History
Was Organized When Harrisburg Was
in Need of Fire Protection; Members
Do Valuable Service For City

men concluded there was need for a
third company, and started a move
ment which eliminated in the organ-
ization of the Citizen Fire Company,
now h Citizen Steam Fire Engine
Company, No. 8, of the Harrisburg fire
department.
On October IL, 1896, about twenty
five men met at the Seven Star Hotel,
at the corner of Second and Chestnut
streets. and madethe first organization
with George Keller as president and
John Hest secretary of the first meet
ing. A short time afterward perma-
nent officers were elected and a con-
stitution and bylaws adopted. Henry
Bostick served as president until the
end of 1886 and the first regularly
elected officers we're: President,
Colonel Henry Baeder; treasurer,
George Ogelsby; secretary, Joseph
Hinckley.
The name Citizen" was proposed
for the new company by George G..
Eager, who continued as a member
and officer of the company for more
than sixty years until his death. He
also served as chief of the fire depart
ment of the city for several years.
The company at first purchased a
very small hand engine and in 1910
bought a double-decked hand engine,
built by Joel Bates, of Philadelphia, at
a cost of $1,000. 1t was the first
SuCIlOH enSlHe uScu III KARLSRUHE ana
the Citizen Company was the first to
buy and use fire hose. The company
purchased a hose carriage from the
Schuylkill Hose Company, of Philadel-
phia, for $500. Both engine and car
riage were brought to Harrisburg by
canal boat.
Purchased Button Engine
The Bates engine was used until
1858, when the company bought from
Fulton & Blake, engine builders. of
Waterford, n. V, the most powerful
hand engine ever used in this part of
the country at a cost of $3.50.
1t had pumps 12h inches in dia-
meter, much larger than those in use
in the can of the present day.
1t was worked to it's full capacity by
about forty men, although a dozen or
fifteen could handle it for an ordinary
fire. 1t threw five streams at one time
over the old Jones House (now the
Commonwealth HoteD and the same
number over the present Trust build
ing (then Brant's HalD. 1t forced
water from the corner of Third and
State streets up to the roof of the
front portico of the old State Capitol
building and from there threw a
stream over the dome. During the
War of the Rebellion Gin July, 1859
this engine was used to force water
from the Cumberland county shore of
the S"usquehanna river to the forti-
ications erected on the top of Fort
Washington, opposite the center of the
city. The machine was of the hay
ladder pattern-all the men standing
on the ground in parallel lines along
the two sides while working 1t.
This old engine was used eight years
until steam fire engines began to take
the place of hand-power machines
(the Friendship Company purchasing
a steamer in 1850 and the members
again wanted something new and up
to-date.
In 1864 there was talk of an inten-
ton by Councils to buy two new steam
fire engines in the next Spring. The
Citizen Company Immediately asked
Councils for one of them, but, money
being limited, II was decided to buy
only one that year 1S65) and Coun-
ellis agreed to give that to the Hope
Company. 1t being the older organ-
ization. That decision did not suit the
Citizen members and they concluded
to buy one for themselves, and the
company entered into a contract with
L. Button for a $4,000 steamer and the
contract and specifications were drawn
up. While the matter was pending
Councils decided to pay for the engine
and that relieved the company from
that much Indebtedness.
The engine was put into service on
June 81, 1865. That was the first
piece of fire apparatus ever purchased
for the Citizen Company by the city.
The Button steamer was used until
1S97-the last big fire at which it was
al work being the burning of the State
Capitol, where it was the first to arrive
and go into service and the last to
leave. Shortly after that fire the en-
CINE me with an accident at the cor
ner of Fourth and Chestnut streets
while answering an alarm from the
Hill district. A water pipe on the side
of the boiler was broken off, the. water
ran out and the flues were totally de-
stroyed by the time the engine
reached the fire. The engine was
never repaired.
June Is. 1908, the Citizen Company
received the handsome and powerful
new. Metropolitan steam engine it is
now using. 1t was built by the Ameri-
can-LaFrance Engine Company, of Ell
mira, n. Y, and cost $3.50.
September 2, 1908. the company re-
ceived a new combination chemical
and hose wagon, also built by the
American-LaFrance company.
The First House
The first house occupied by the COM
pany was located where the Court
house now stands. the engine house
facing on the alley just above Market
street, the ground being owned by the
county. The company next moved
to the common (now Capitol Park
opposite Dewberry avenue. Afterward
they removed to the corner of the
common at Third and Walnut streets,
where they remained until the park
was extended. when they moved into a
small two-story building in Fourth
street above Walnut, where the pres
ent building is situated. The
-AaN11 all HhA hrtil1fno C % tAa ,y.,o
expense except those at the present
location, which were paid for by the
city.
On May ~. 1859, while the COM
pany was going to a fire at the insane
asylum, Samuel J. Miller, a member,
was run over by the Button hand
engine and so badly injured that he
died shortly after. The accident hap
pened while going down the steep hill
after crossing the canal bridge near
the Pennsylvania railroad roundhouse.
At a fire at Kings hardware store, cor
ner of Third and Market streets. Feb