Year: 1870

The public is considerably concerned as to tn
fate of the effort which is being now made TO
revolutionize the present system of extinguish-
ing fires in this city. Many attempts to this
end have been made in recent years, but all
have failed for the want of the support of a
majority of the members of Councils, who
argued that, in addition to the expensive nature
of the change, the citizens did not demand it.
Latterly, public sentiment has grown so strong
over the misbehavior of those who run to fires,
the unnecessary damage inflicted upon burning
buildings by the flooding of water consequent
upon SO many companies being in service, and
the number of incendiary fires started by rival
companies, that movement has at last been put
on foot which promises radical change. The
bill introduced into Councils several DAYS ago
for Paid Department has met with such de-
cided favor in the community that there is
scarcelya doubt thatit will pass unless the oppo-
siton succeed by parliamentary tactics in de-
laying final action until after the expiration of
the term of the Councils now in power.


Our Early Fire System.


In connection with the proposed change in
our system Of extinguishing fires that in vogue
in the early days of the city becomes interest
ing. Watson, in his 'Annals of Philadelphia
devotes an interesting chapter to the subject,
from which we CLEAN the following facts:-


In 1858 William Penn spoke of q fire in the
city, by which the newly-arrived Germans were
sufferers, and proposed subscription for their
relief.


Samuel Preston, the Mayor, in I'll sent a
message to the Board of Council, in which he
says that he "has frequently had In eonsidera-
tion the many providences this city has met
with, in that fires, that have so often happened,
have done so little damage" He thought that
it was the duty of citizens to use all possible
means to prevent and extnguish fires in the
future by providing buckets, hooks, engines,
etc. The Board of Council considered the mes
sage and decided that "such instruments should
be provided" The manner of providing them
was referred to the next Council. Fire engines
were then but new thing in England it
self, being only invented in 1868. The
action of the board shows that the colonies
were not long in adopting new inventions, and
that the subject of providing protection against
fires was Considered in very early day.


1t seems that the apparatus was then imme-
diately ordered, for in 1924 we find the Grand
Jury recommending that the fire engine should
be repaired and that the city ladders and buckets
should be kept in order.


The custom at fires then and until a much
more recent date was for the citizens to form in
lines, one line to pass full buckets of water and
the other to return empty ones. The water was
taken from the most convenient source of
supply, and was passed not to the fire, but to
the engine, which then pumped it upon the fire.
! The engine was pumped by hand and at first
| discharged the water through stationary nozzle
| on the top. Later flexible hose and pipe were
| added, and still later q supply hose, to do away
| with the lines of people. At large fires it
| was customary for both men and
women to help in these lines the men passing
! the full buckets and he women the empty ones
| The water was poured into a receptacle in the
engine, from which it was sucked by the pump.
| If the water did not come fast enough to meet
the requirements of the pump, the cry was
raised by those nearest the engine, "Pass on
the water' when the buckets would have to be
handled more lively. Great numbers of people
would thus necessarily have to work to subdue
fire. The working of the engines alone re-
Qured number of men, and these would have
to be relieved by fresh men at intervals. The
system of hand engines supplied by buckets is
still in vogue in many country towns.


In 1870 q fire broke out in a store near what
was known as MIR. Fishbournes wharf. This
consumed all the stores there, damaged several
houses on that side of the street. then crossed
over and destroyed the fine house of Jonathan
| Dickinson and TIVE others toward Walnut street.
The total loss was about e5000. The locality of
the fire was for twenty years afterwards called
Dickinson's burnt buildings. The site was
afterwards that of the Ross buildings In Front
street, east side, south of Walnut. This fire
proved that the Fire Department was not in a
very effective condition, and subscription was
Immediately started to supply the town with
everything necessary for the extinguishing o.
fires In the language of the subscription paper
relating to the Dickinson fire, sit was then
thought that if the people had had good engines
the fire might have been put down." This was
one of the greatest fires which took place during


that epoch of the city's history.


In the same year the City Councils procured


a more complete set of apparatus. Ia theiI


minutes we find that Thomas Oldham pro


duced leather fire bucket as sample, where


upon they agreed.to pay him nine shillings apiece