History of Seattle, Volume 2 by Clarence B. Bagley

Author:Clarence B. Bagley [Bagley, Clarence B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Geschichte
Publisher: Jazzybee Verlag
Published: 2017-10-12T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XXVIII. THE SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT

For nearly twenty-five years after its inception as a village, Seattle enjoyed perfect immunity from fires. The inhabitants’ small houses were far apart so that a general conflagration would have been impossible and the individual occupant usually exercised sufficient care to prevent his being burned out of house and home. There was considerable danger on the water front for the large Yesler mill with its piles of cut lumber and careless heaps of slab wood and sawdust would have furnished material for an exciting conflagration. But luck and the village traveled together for many years and no fire of an important nature is recorded although there were many small scares.

In July, 1870, many of the important citizens got together and laid great plans for a volunteer fire department. The City of Olympia had made great strides in the fire department way and a spirit of rivalry coupled no doubt with much spirit of public weal together with a keen appreciation of the dangers which the lack of a department might incur occasioned this meeting. T. S. Russell was first chief; Gardner Kellogg, foreman; S. F. Dumphy, assistant foreman; J. C. Kinnear, treasurer; and J. S. Meagher, secretary. There was a company but no firecart. The men were supplied with ladders, axes, buckets and other small articles, which they were to carry on their backs from the appointed place. In order to give a legal air to the proceeding the council passed an ordinance to the effect that a 40-gallon cask, filled with water, should be kept at each house, and fixed a fine of $10 per day as the penalty for delinquency.

Then the enthusiasm died down. The men got tired of parading with heavy ladders on their backs; the householders failed to keep the water in the barrels, or they dried up and fell to pieces; and the ordinance was forgotten. It is a good thing to have a fire once in a while.

In 1876 the first good fire occurred. The store of T. P. Freeman on First Avenue South took fire and the citizens found by experience that they must organize and keep organized and so they formed Seattle Engine Company No. 1. Charles McDonald was made president and held that office for many years. S. P. Andrews was foreman; F. A. Dyer, first assistant; R. H. Calligan, second assistant; John L. Jamieson, and W. H. Pumphrey, secretaries; George W. Hall, F. A. Young and Benjamin Murphy, trustees. J. M. Colman was made an honorary member. This all took place on July 6, 1876. A hand engine was purchased in Sacramento, Cal., and a hose cart and hose borrowed from Port Gamble. This was the first permanent organization in Seattle and hung together until the city itself took it over and placed all members on the paid list.

The next years until after the great fire were years of perfecting the volunteer department. In 1878 a Gould steam fire engine was purchased for $3,500, 501 and was delivered to the city on February 1, 1879.

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