Evening star., 1927-10-30
BIRTH Of FIRST FIRE
COMPANY MARKED
Members of No. is Engine
Crew Look Back Over Rec
ords of 100 Years.

Members of No. 16 Engine Com
pany, on ID street, near Twelfth, ar
observing the Tooth anniversary o
the organization by looking bacl
through the century to the days whel
their company, then known as tn
Franklin Volunteers, made the who'll
town sit up and take notice.
Ia the good old days of fire fighting
according to the records. Washing
tons volunteers did not confine them
selves to fighting fires alone, bu
frequently made things interesting
along PENNSYLVANIA avenue by fight
ing one another. A good fight be
tween fire companies responding Il
an alarm was regarded as better en-
tertainment than the fire itself, unit
the town council took a hand In the
situation and ruined the sport.
No. is Engine Company not only
Is the oldest fire company in the DIS
trict of Columbia. but 1t occupies wha,
is probably the oldest fire house stu
in active service. Over the entrance
to the venerable brick building is a
stone bearing the Inscription, Frank
lin F. Co.. Instituted 1927"
Records Are Scanned.
Records in the office Of Fire Chief
George Watson disclose that the ola
Franklin Company played an lmpor'
tant part in the early life OF the
CanitaI, In 1900 Washington was just
a cluster of villages and until that
wear there had been no fires of any
consequence. A destructive fire IN
November of that year razed three
story house at Pennsylvania avenue
and Twenty-first street, occupied py
the War Department, and focused at
tention of Government officials on the
need for fire protection.
The agitation continued until 1898,
when the city council adopted WASH
ington's first fire ordinance. Inc
regulation compelled property owners
to equip their houses and buildings
with as many leather fire buckets as
there were stories, and $50 was ap-
propriated to furnish citizens with
hooks and ladders, free.
Later the rules were amended, nre
wards were created and organization
of fire companies was provided Tor.
In August, 1904, the Union Fire Com
pany was organized, near Western
Market, with James Hoban, architect
of the Capitol, as president. In Sep
ten1ber of that year the Columbia Com
pany was formed and housed at the
east front of the Capitol. The Anacos'
TIA Company appears to have been the
next organized, followed by the Alert
Engine Company, in 1914, quartered
south Of the Treasury.
The Alert Company is presumed to
have been the immediate predecessor
Of the Franklin Company. The Alert
engines are said to have been de-
stroyed by the British. and when, in
1915, appropriations were made for
new engines to replace them, one was
located in frame house on Thirteenth
street. north of the Avenue, and called
the Star Company. A few months
later it was removed to Fourteenth
street and the Avenue and reorgan-
ized under the name of Franklin.
Charles T. Coltman was elected presi-
dent.
Moves to New Building.
The Franklin Company remained at
Fourteenth and the Avenue until 1857,
when it's new building on D street
was erected. This is the building still
occupied by the company, long since
renamed No. Is Engine Company.
Capt. Robert Hayes is now in charge
of the unit. The building was yreruod-
eled four years sgo, but the front re-
mains unchanged.
In the early days of the Fire Depart
-ment the territory of each company
companies was keen. Members ap-
peared to resent encroachment by
other firemen on home territory"
and fights were not unusual.
A fire company venturing a long