* * * * *
Brave relics of the past are we,
Old firemen, staunch and true,
We're thinking now of days gone by
And all that we've gone through.
Thro' fire and flames we've made our way,
And danger we have seen;
We never can forget the time
When we ran with the old machine.
In numbers now we are but few,
A host have pased away,
But still we're happy, light and free,
Our spirits never decay
We often sigh for those old days
Whose memory we keep green,
Oh! there was joy for man and boy,
When we ran with the old machine.
--Gus Wiliams.
* * * * *
Instruments for extinguishing fires were introduced in various parts
of Europe more than three hundred years ago. The fire laddies of that
period would probably look aghast if they could see the implements
in use at the present time. One of the old time machines is said to
consist of a huge tank of water placed upon wheels, drawn by a large
number of men, and to which was attached a small hose. When the water
in the tank became exhausted it was supplied by a bucket brigade,
something on the plan in use at the present time in villages not able
to support an engine.
The oldest record of a fire engine in Paris was one used in the king's
library in 1684, which, having but one cylinder, threw water to a
great height, a result obtained by the use of an air chamber. Leather
hose was introduced into Amsterdam in 1670, by two Dutchmen, and they
also invented the suction pipe at about the same period. About the
close of the seventeenth century an improved engine was patented in
England. It was a strong cistern of oak placed upon wheels, furnished
with a pump, an air chamber and a suction pipe of strong leather,
through which run a spiral piece of metal. This engine was little
improved until the early part of the last century.
In the United States bucket fire departments were organized in most of
the cities in the early part of the last century, and hand engines,
used by the old volunteer firemen, did not come into general use until
about fifty years later. The New York volunteer fire department was
for a long time one of the institutions of the country. When they had
their annual parade the people of the surrounding towns would flock
to the city and the streets would be as impassible as they are to-day
when a representative of one of the royal families of Europe is placed
on exhibition. At the New York state fairs during the early '50s the
tournaments of the volunteer fire department of the various cities
throughout the state formed one of the principal attractions. Many
a melee occurred between the different organizations because they
considered that they had not been properly recognized in the line of
march or had not been awarded a medal for throwing a stream of water
farther than other competitors.
A Berlin correspondent of the Pioneer Press many years ago, said that
when an alarm of fire was sounded in the city, the members of the fire
companies would put on their uniforms and report to their various
engine houses. When a sufficient number had assembled to make a
showing the foreman would call the roll, beer would be passed down the
line, the health of the kaiser properly remembered and then they would
start out in search of the fire. As a general thing the fire would
be out long before they arrived upon the scene, and they would then
return to their quarters, have another beer and be dismissed.
To Cincinnati belongs the credit of having introduced the first paid
steam fire department in the United States, but all the other large
cities rapidly followed.
* * * * *
In the fall of 1850 the town fathers of St. Paul passed an ordinance
requiring the owners of all buildings, public or private, to provide
and keep in good repair, substantial buckets, marked with paint the
word "Fire" on one side and the owner's name on the other, subject
to inspection by the fire warden and to be under his control when
occasion required. The first attempt at organizing a fire brigade, was
made by R.C. Knox in the fall of 1851. Mr. Knox raised a small sum of
money by subscription, with which he purchased several ladders, and
they were frequently brought into requisition by the little band of
men whom Mr. Knox had associated with him. Mr. Knox was a man of
enormous stature, and it was said he could tire out a dozen ordinary
men at a fire.
* * * * *
Two public-spirited citizens of St. Paul, John McCloud and Thompson
Ritchie, purchased in the East and brought to the city at their own
expense the first fire engine introduced in the Northwest. Although
it was a miniature affair, on numerous occasions it rendered valuable
assistance in protecting the property of our pioneer merchants. Mr.
Ritchie is still living, his home being in Philadelphia.
* * * * *
In November, 1854, Pioneer Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 was organized
under provisions of the city charter. A constitution and by-laws were
adopted and the members agreed to turn out promptly on all occasions
of fire alarms. As compensation for their services they were excused
from jury duty, poll tax, work on the roads, or state military
service, for the period of five years. The original constitution of
the Pioneer Hook and Ladder company contained the following membership
roll: Foreman, Isaac A. Banker; assistant foremen, H.B. Pearson and
George F. Blake; treasurer, Richard Galloway; secretary, Robert Mason;
members, Henry Buell, John W. Cathcart, Charles D. Elfelt, Edward
Heenan, Thompson Ritchie, Philip Ross, Wash. M. Stees, J.W. Stevenson,
Benjamin F. Irvine, R.I. Thomson, John McCloud, J.Q.A. Ward, Charles
J. Williams. Of the above John McCloud is the only one living in the
city at the present time. Mr. McCloud was a member of the firm of
McCloud & Bro., hardware dealers, and they occupied the building on
the southwest corner of Third and Cedar streets.
This was the first full-fledged fire organization in the city, and as
Mr. McCloud took the initiative in forming this company he may justly
be called the "Father of the Volunteer Fire Department of St. Paul."
The old hook and ladder company was one of the representative
institutions of the city. From the date of its organization up to the
time of the establishment of the paid fire department many of the most
prominent men of the city were enrolled among its members. All of the
property of the company was owned by the organization, but in 1856,
having become somewhat financially embarrassed, their accounts were
turned over to the city and they were thereafter under the control of
the city fathers. At that time they possessed one truck, hooks and
ladders, and one fire engine with hose. Washington M. Stees was
made chief engineer and Charles H. Williams assistant. This scanty
equipment did not prove adequate for extinguishing fires and petitions
were circulated requesting the council to purchase two fire engines of
the more approved pattern, and also to construct a number of cisterns
in the central part of the city, so that an adequate supply of water
could be readily obtained. The city fathers concluded to comply with
the request of the petitioners and they accordingly purchased two
double-deck hand fire engines and they arrived in the city in August,
1858. They were soon tested and pronounced satisfactory. Our citizens
then congratulated themselves upon the possession of a first-class
fire department and they predicted that thereafter a great fire would
be a thing of the past.
One of the most irrepressible members of Pioneer Hook and Ladder
company in the early days was a little red-headed Irishman by the name
of A.D. Martin. He was foreman of the Daily Minnesotian office and he
usually went by the name of "Johnny Martin." Now Johnny always kept
his fire paraphernalia close at hand, and every time a fire bell
sounded he was "Johnny on the spot." After the fire was over Johnny
generally had to celebrate, and every time Johnny celebrated he would
make a solemn declaration that it was his duty to kill an Irishman
before he returned to work. He would accordingly provide himself with
an immense Derringer and start out in quest of a subject upon whom he
proposed to execute his sanguinary threat. Strange to relate he
never succeeded in finding one of his unfortunate countrymen, and it
generally required two or three days to restore him to his former
equilibrium. If Johnny was a member of the fire department to-day he
would probably discover that the task of finding one of his countrymen
would not be so difficult.
* * * * *
In 1857 Hope Engine Company No. 1 was organized, and they petitioned
the common council to purchase 500 feet of hose for their use. In
the fall of 1858 this company was given possession of one of the new
engines recently purchased and it was comfortably housed at their
headquarters in an old frame building on the southwest corner of
Franklin and Fourth streets, and in a short time removed to a new
brick building on Third street, fronting on Washington. Michael Leroy
was made the first foreman and R.C. Wiley and Joseph S. Herey were
his assistants. The membership contained the names of John H. Dodge,
Porteus Dodge, John E. Missen, Joseph Elfelt, Fred Whipperman, John T.
Toal, J.H. Barstow, J.C. Grand, Charles Riehl, John Raguet, E. Rhodes,
B. Bradley, Charles Hughes, Bird Boesch, T.F. Masterson, John J.
Williams and V. Metzger. During the fall of 1858 a large number of the
most prominent business men in the vicinity of Seven Corners joined
the organization and continued in active membership until the arrival
of the first steamer.
* * * * *
In the winter of 1857-1858 Minnehaha Engine. Company No. 2 was
organized, and it was provided with an engine house near the corner
of Third and Jackson streets. The first officers were H.P. Grant,
foreman; M.J. O'Connor and H.B. Terwilliger, assistants; members,
Harry M. Shaw, Nicholas Hendy, John B. Oliver, F.A. Cariveau, H.A.
Schlick. C.D. Hadway, N. Nicuhaus, L.R. Storing, William T. Donaldson,
Daniel Rohrer, J. Fletcher Williams, N. W. Kittson, Alfred Bayace,
John McCauley and a number of others. The Minnehahas were a prosperous
organization from the first, and their engine house was always kept
open and served as a general lounging and reading-room for such of its
members as had nothing particular to do.
* * * * *
Rotary Independent Company No. 1 was the third engine connected with
the St. Paul fire department, but that was a private institution and
was only used when there was a general alarm and on the days of the
annual parade of the department. This engine was purchased from the
government by John S. Prince when Fort Snelling was abandoned, and was
used for the protection of the property of the mill, which was located
on lower Third street.
* * * * *
By the formation of Minnehaha Engine company the city fathers thought
they were possessed of quite a respectable fire department, and from
that time on the annual parade of the St. Paul fire department was one
of the events of the year. The first parade occurred on the 12th
of September, 1859, and was participated in by the following
organizations:
Pioneer Hook and Ladder Company No. 1.
Hope Engine Company No. 1.
Minnehaha Engine Company No. 2.
Rotary Independent Company No. 1.
These four companies numbered 175 men, and after completing their line
of march were reviewed by the mayor and common council in front of the
old city hall.
In 1858 the legislature passed an act requiring the sextons of the
different churches to ring the church bells fifteen minutes whenever
there was an alarm of fire. The uptown churches would ring their
bells, the downtown churches would ring their bells, and the churches
in the central part of the city would ring their bells. There was a
regular banging and clanging of the bells.
"In the startled air of night,
They would scream out their afright,
Too much horrified to speak,
They could only shriek, shriek,
Out of tune."
Every one turned out when the fire bells rang. Unless the fire was of
sufficient volume to be readily located, the uptown people would be
seen rushing downtown, and the downtown people would be seen rushing
uptown, in fact, general pandemonium prevailed until the exact
location of the fire could be determined.
Whenever there was a large fire the regular firemen would soon tire
of working on the brakes and they would appeal to the spectators to
relieve them for a short time. As a general thing the appeal would be
readily responded to, but occasionally it would be necessary for the
police to impress into service a force sufficient to keep the brakes
working. Any person refusing to work on the brakes was liable to
arrest and fine, and it was often amusing to see the crowds disperse
whenever the police were in search of a relief force.
* * * * *
Upon the breaking out of the war a large number of the firemen
enlisted in the defense of the country and the ranks of the department
were sadly decimated. It was during the early part of the war that the
mayor of St. Paul made a speech to the firemen at the close of their
annual parade in which he referred to them as being as brave if not
braver than the boys at the front. The friends of the boys in blue
took serious umbrage at this break of the mayor, and the press of the
city and throughout the state were very indignant to think that the
capital city possessed a mayor of doubtful loyalty. The excitement
soon died away and the mayor was re-elected by a large majority.
* * * * *
There was not much change in the condition of the department until
the arrival of the first steamer, Aug. 11, 1866. The new steamer was
lodged with Hope Engine company, and an engineer and fireman appointed
at a salary of $1,600 per year for the two. The boys of Hope Engine
company did not like the selection of the engineer of the new steamer
and took the matter so seriously that their organization was disbanded
and St. Paul Hose Company No. 1 was organized, and they took charge
of the new steamer. The rapid growth of the city necessitated the
frequent purchase of new fire apparatus, and at the present time the
St. Paul fire department has 211 paid men, 15 steamers, 4 chemicals, 8
hook and ladder companies and 122 horses.
* * * * *
The volunteer fire department had no better friend than the late Mrs.
Bartlett Presley. She was the guardian angel of the fire department.
No night so cold or storm so great that Mrs. Presley was not present
and with her own hands provide coffee and sandwiches for the tired and
hungry firemen who had been heroically battling with the flames. She
was an honored guest at all entertainments with which the firemen
were connected, and was always toasted and feasted by the boys at the
brakes. She will ever be remembered, not only by the firemen, but by
all old settlers, as one of the many noble women in St. Paul whose
unostentatious deeds of charity have caused a ray of sunshine in many
sad homes.
Mrs. Presley's death was deeply regretted, not only by the fire
department, but by every resident of the city.
* * * * *
Among the many brilliant members of the legal fraternity in St. Paul
in early times no one possessed a more enviable reputation than
the Hon. Michael E. Ames. He was the very personification of
punctiliousness and always displayed sublime imperturbability in
exigencies of great moment. One dreary winter night his sleeping
apartment in uppertown was discovered to be on fire, and in a short
time the fire laddies appeared in front of his quarters and commenced
operations. As soon as Mr. Ames discovered the nature of the
disturbance he arose from his bed, opened the window, and with
outstretched arms and in a supplicating manner, as if addressing a
jury in an important case, exclaimed: "Gentlemen, if you will be kind
enough to desist from operations until I arrange my toilet, I will be
down." The learned counsel escaped with his toilet properly adjusted,
but his apartments were soon incinerated.
* * * * *