New-York tribune., 1917-07-29
Equipment Is Donated
Oyster Bay Self-Enlisted
Patriots Organizing
Guard Unit

engine houses III various villages on
the island these quiet July evenings
the hook and ladder boys are to be
seen, lined up in military drills. 1t
would have to be a very unpstriotic
fire that would come along TO interrupt
them. Firemen are the true prepared
ness pioneers in any case, and these
Long Island volunteers are merely ap-
plying their usual working principles
to the present situation.
"The volunteer fire organizations are
among the noblest and most patriotic
institutions Of the island" Howard
Smith, commodore of the Oyster Bay
Yacht Club. declared recently.
"They are like George Washington
first in war, first in peace, and first in
the hearts Of the islanders" remarked
another citizen Of Oyster Bay.
Much has been written about the
fourteenth-story fre-fghters of New
York, though not too much; but hardly
anything has been said about these
self-enlisted patriots of Long Island
who for years have been giving their
time and their services and their cour-
age freely in the cause of good citizen
ship. Their war duties, important as
these may turn out to be, cannot equal
their unpretentious and unspectacular
service in time of peace. They are
constant home defence guard.
Oyster Bay has one Of the biggest
and most interesting FIRE departments
on Long Island. Until recently, the
summer residents, too, toiled with the
others In its ranks, and the report is
that the millionaire fremen were as
energetic and as courageous in their
work as any of the others. Now that
the department drills the year round,
they have had to be eliminated from
the ranks, but it is still their contribu-
tions and their interest that keep the
Oyster Bay volunteer fire organization
at the head of the list.
Colonel Roosevelt is among the citi-
zens of Oyster Bay who are extremely
proud of their volunteer fire depart
ment. He never tires of talking of its
feats. Among the other friends and
sponsors of the department who have
fire tests made on their estates and who
glory in its efficiency are W. X. Van
derbilt, Mortimer L. Schif, c. X. G.
Billings, w. Emlen Roosevelt, Fred
erick Johnson, Julian Ripley, C. r. Coe,
r. B. Gurnee, T. A. Havemeyer, ". H.
Hitchcock, Colgate Hoyt, Robert Bacon,
A. f. Smith and ]. Stuart Blackton.
The Oyster Bay volunteer fire or
ganization is over thirty-fve/years old,
and its traditions 60 In an unbroken
line straight back TO the old bucket
brigades. Now it has all the most re-
cent equipment of pumping machines.
triple pumps and chemical hose, hooks,
ladders, and the rest. More than one
hundred thoroughly enthusiastic vol
unteers make up the department, under
the leadership of Chief william B.
Stedman, of the Modern Market, Of
Oyster Bay.
"To a man they're ready for any SER
vice, whether fire or war;" said Chief
Stedman one day this week, while the
reporter perched on pickle barrel in
his store and listened 20 the martial
tales of glorious fire-fghting.
81 can call them out at o'clock in
the morning, with the weather ~ de-
grees below zero, and have them all
on the scene of the fire within three
minutes after the alarm is given. The
alarm is fitted up TO ring in the bed
room of each member of either COM
pany so you see their wiyeJ and fami-
lies have TO be patriots as well as
themselves.
"0ur duties extend not only TO
Oyster Bay, but within a radius of ten
miles in all directions But, for that
matter, our men would be perfectly
willing to go as far as Atlanta, Ga, if
necessary. The citizens here have been
so generous in giving money to. pur-
chase the best possible equipment that
we are naturally proud of it, and proud
of being members of the department"
There are two companies, the Allan
tic Steamer Company and the Oyster
Bay Fire Company, whose foreman is
James Kelly. Chief Stedman's assist
ants are John II. McKenney and George
W. Clarke. Both companies are subject
to call at any time, have daily drills and
occasional tests.
The department was called in at the
famed F. w. Woolworth fire at Glen
Cove, where 5000 nickels melted away,
among a good many more valuable pos
sessions. If the Oyster Bay Fire De-
partment had been given the alarm
earlier all those nickels, to say nothing
of the other possessions, would certain
ly have been saved. Another recent
triumph of the department was in the
fire at Devine's old store in Syosset,
when the Oyster Bay companies
travelled a distance of several miles,
yet beat the local department on the
scene by five minutes.
There was also the Hitchcock fire,
when the Oyster Bay hook and ladder
boys saved the barn and the garage,
with only a mud pond as their ammuni-
ton; the Maxwell fire, when the water
force had to come from W. Emlen
Roosevelt's private pond half mile
away: the recent fire at Frederic K.
Coudert's, when the department met the
situation with such promptitude that
even the family themselves hardly
knew that there had been tire until IT
was out; and half dozen other. in
stances THAI might be quoted to show
the efficiency of the Oyster Bay vo lun-
teers and Of their dauntless chief.
Praise. however, seems TO be the last
thing that they are looking for. Such
feats, they say, are "sll in the days
work"
"We're just plain citizens, not
hnrnnsn Chief Stedman said. smiling.