Evening star., 1931-06-26

YASH1NGTONS Oldest f1re
house soon will be but a
Y The l04-year-old building
In the 1900 block of D street,
which now houses Engine Company No
is, will be surrendered to an army Of
wreckers next Tuesday.
Already the razers are preparing TO
attack the structure. which was built
by the Franklin Fire Company. and 1t
will not be many days before it Is re-
duced to a pile of bricks, wood and dust.
The dust. of course, will be-well, just
SO much dust. but the bricks and wood
probably will be purchased by some bar
gain hunter. who may use them to con-
struct a new garage. chicken house or
whatnot.
And it Is the possibility that the
precious bricks and the equally precious
wood from their beloved headquar-
terS will become q mere whatnot--
Breaks Our Hearts"
That's what breaks our hearts," one
OF the fremen declared today. 1--WE
could stand leaving the old building and
we wouldn't mind 'em tearing 1t down,
either, II only they'd see that the bricks
and wood are put to some worthy use. u
Nor Is it the least bit surprising that
the members of Engine Co. No. 16 feel
as they do about the old structure. 1t
is not a thing of beauty, to be sure
but there is about 1t that peculiar some
thing-maybe The Greeks had a name
for it-that casts a spell over all who
spend any considerable time in or near
buildings which have withstocd the
march of progress for so many years.
One cannot help becoming sentimental
about them.
Then, too, most of the Is men sta
toned at the Franklin Fire House have
been there for some time. To them
it is, in a sense, home, sweet home. '
They have come to love not only the
traditions for which it has stood these
many years. but the very bricks ano
wood Of which 1t is built. And nexi
Tuesday they will step through its wide
doors for the last time, leaving 1t al
the mercy of a band of wreckers-to
be torn down brick by brick as part
of the program for the development OF
the triangle.
Organized In 1915.
The Franklin Fire Co. was organized
in Nav, 1915, and the building erected
in 1927. In those days men paid 1oi
the privilege of being firemen and mem
bership in the group cost IS. The IN
itiation fee helped pay for the new
members uniform, which the constltu'
ton described as follows:
"The uniform of the company shall
consist of a red hat, red shirt, white
coat, black pants, blue cravat, blacE
belt and brass plate with the initial:
Of the company on it."
Members of the organization were moi
meetings, and those who violated the
rule were "reprimanded by the presi'
dent before the company" Drinking
| also was prohibited, the penalty being Z
presidential reprimand for the first Of
tense and expulsion for the second.
After eight years continuous service
firemen were eligible for retirement
from active duty. Written application
brought them "the privileges of hon
| orary membership" Under the consti
tuition they we're subject to all contri
buttons levied by the company, but no
for penalties, except for disorderly be-
havior and neglect of duties when serv
ing on committees or as officers OF tn
! company"
Equipment in Demand.
That the organization was annoye'
| by frequent requests from outsiders TO
the use Of its equipment is indicated b.
| the fact that the constitution includet
| the following article: mo part OF tn
apparatus or any other property OF tn
| company shall be loaned to any persol
or persons without the unanimous con
sent of the members present at
meeting"
The group was divided into two part
an engine division" and q hose di
4 IL ID. NJ fsNe~a
three engineers" whose duties wer
described thus:
First engineer, "to take charge o
! the gallery pipe, in addition to hi
other duties" (the "other duties" wer
not enumerated); second engineer. =
render such assistance to the tlrst engi
| neer as he may require, and in his ab
sence to take his place: third engineer
ito see that the engine is properl
checked before they go to work"
The those division" on the othe
hand, had four directors. The duty c
4 the first was to take charge Of tha
sistance" to the first, and the third an,
fourth Ito take charge Of the sid
stream pipes"
Penalty for Absence.
.Onicers who failed to attend thre
meetings, unless sick or absent fror
the city" were liable to have "thei
4 places declared vacant"
i The Franklin Fire House, when it wa
! first erected, was more of stable tha
anything else. It has been remodele
i several times, the most extensiv
i changes being made when the Fire De
partment was motorized.
/ Long before that, however, the com
pany's constitution was printed in
little booklet, which also contained TIL
Il ORGANIZATIONS bylaws and rules {
! order, as well as list Of member
That was in 1866, and q copy of tn
publication nowyis In the possession (