Evening star., 1937-06-20
We're
Big Events
1nOld Times
Crowds Were Drawn
and Citizens Aided
in Using Pumps.
BY MARIA Won VROOMAN,

BY MARIA Won vROOMAN.
DISASTROUS though fires often
are, there Is q thrill about hear
ing the first clang Of the fire bell,
the skirl of siren. The thunder Of
big engines causes crowds to run for
sight Of smoke drifting toward the
sky from some distant building.
Today, with the wonderful devel.
opment OF modern fire apparatus in
the city. every one feels somewhat
reassured when fire alarm is turned
in. But before 1857, residents Of
Washington were gripped with a2.
prehension when they heard the fire
bell. will the engines get there on
time?" they wondered. For in that
day fire engines were drawn by hand.
Go back 100 years or so and inag.
inc a picture OF an old-fashioned en-.
gine house in 1880 receiving call.
The firemen quickly don their red
hats, shaped like formal "toppers":
pull on shiny black rubber boots,
grasp hatchet and go for the en-.
gine. This is an ornate affair OF red
paint and gilt called the Columbis
hand-drawn engine. 1t has a pump
in the center worked by hand, two
rods which fold down for pumping,
and Shelf seats that open outward on
either side to carry riders. The cr-
CINE is hurriedly hauled by its snafts
into the street and the firemen pull
1t toward the fire as fast as c.,sslble.
All along the street crowd fol-
lows. Willing hands grasp ropes as
the back and front or find a hold on
the shafts to hurry it on. Three sill.
Ver-capped bells on top ring loudly
as the engine hastens down the street.
A decorative motto on the front reads,
A Clear Track and No Favour" Pc
destrians respect this legend and get
out of the way quickly.
The sweating flremen and their
helpers pull up before the burning
building. The pump is grasped on
both sides and worked up and down
as the hose is screwed in place. A
bucket line forms to the nearest river
or pond, If there are willing bystand-
ers to help keep the pump full OF
water The flremen grasp their
hatchets and hurry to the building.
II the fire is at night, the men carry
torches. These have a socket for coal
oil at the top, above which is . big
fuzzy wick burning brightly. The
glare Of the torches CLEANS on the red
shirts and blue trousers of the men.
The notices on their red hats seem
appropriate as they work to save the
building from the flames: we Strive
to Save Instituted to Be Helpful"
and Protection" On one hat Is
painted fraternal design Of clasped
hands.
The fire chiefs buggy dashes down
the street. His foot clangs the bell
furiously. He is soon on the roof
shouting directions to his men through
an ornate scrolled silver-plate trump
ct. Many hands at the engine are
working hard to pump its quota Of
$50 gallons of water the hour.
One OF Washington's former en-.
gine houses, the Union Engine House.
at Nineteenth and H streets, has been
secured as a private museum for old
time engines and fire apparatus. Here
may be seen a reproduction of one Of
the earliest fire-fighting machines, 4
Salem fire pump used in l748, which
has a water trough at one end and a
hand pump in the center. Here also
are some of the first "6re Insurance."
plaques, painted notices similar to
large wooden coats of arms. which
were hung on the outside Of houses
under the protection of the Fire De-
partment. The Union Engine House
also has several old engines, including
the hand-drawn and horse-dravn
variety
The building which will observe jts
Tooth anniversary this year holdS
many quaint and interesting relics Of
old days in Washington.