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CORTLAND FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Report of the Secretary.
Mr. Arthur M. Delavan,
Secretary of the Cortland Fire Department, on the 26th of December made a
report for the previous year, which is deserving of credit for the ability
shown in its composition, suggestions offered and completeness of detail. From
it we are permitted to gather a few facts. There is reason for congratulation
that no deaths have occurred in the ranks of the firemen in the past year. The
places of those who have been dropped, expelled and suspended have been
promptly filled by others. The following statistics show the condition of the
companies:
W. W. Engine Co. suspended 9,
expelled 2, admitted 19; present number, 43.
Orris Hose Co. suspended 6,
resigned 9, admitted 19; present number, 30.
Excelsior Hook & Ladder Co.
suspended 9, resigned 8, admitted 3; present number, 30.
Emerald Hose Co. dropped 2, resigned
3, admitted 6; present number, 30.
Protective Police Co. resigned
2, admitted 11; present number, 44.
All the companies are in a
flourishing condition financially — through entertainments which the people of
Cortland and vicinity have generously patronized. The report alludes to the
harmony among the firemen, and to the only kind of strife that exists, that of
an endeavor on the part of each company to do its duty. Three department drills
were called, the first two being postponed on account of heavy rains. W.W.
Engine Co. and Emerald Hose Co. were the only ones that appeared at the drill,
and they did credit to themselves. A special meeting was called for May 26, to make
preparations for Decoration Day, when the department joined in the exercises incident
to the occasion. Sept. 14 was held the annual parade and review on the Fair
Grounds of the Cortland County Agricultural Society, in connection with the
annual fair then in progress. The report sketches the trials of skill which
took place on that occasion, the companies being animated by prizes offered by
the Agricultural Society.
Six fire alarms had called out
the department.
Jan. 6—At livery on Orchard
street; fire caused by using a match to find leak in gas pipe. Damage, $10.
April 26—At residence of Mrs.
Walter Rood, on Lincoln avenue; fire caused by paper over pipe hole igniting
and dropping to bed underneath. Damage, $33.65.
July 6—False alarm; smoke
issuing from cellar of Firemen's Hall; heater's draft was detective.
Nov. 9—False alarm; coals blown
from a tinner's stove on roof of foundry.
Nov. 28—Barber block and
Cortland House; fire supposed to have been caused by coals thrown to the floor
by gas bursting the door open in the grocery stove of Haylor & Bristol, in
the Barber block. Loss over and above insurance, about $23,000.
Dec. 4—House occupied by Mr.
Lord, on State street; fire caused by an over-heated stove. Damage, $500 on
goods; house fully insured.
The total amount of loss during
the year was $55,223.65; amount of insurance, $31,391.65; loss of $23,832,
besides several small losses not ascertainable.
When the present Board of Engineers
entered upon its duties an indebtedness of $38, incurred by the previous Board for
the annual parade of 1881, existed. This has been paid, as well as some small
bills passed from one Board to another.
Fourteen well attended meetings
have been held—in no instance has a quorum failed to be present.
A division of the two per cent
insurance fund of last year was made, each company receiving $32.56. Also, of
this year's fund, each company receiving $45.22.
A committee, consisting of M.
F. Cleary, C. S. Strowbridge and H. J. Van Tuyl, was appointed to procure a
suitable banner for the department. Mr. Cleary went to Rochester on his own expense,
and ascertained that $85 would be needed, and he was given $7 in part payment of
his expenses, and there being only $58.90 of the banner fund, each company was
assessed $6.25, and $1.85 taken from the general fund, to make the balance.
In order to cancel all
indebtedness the Board of Engineers borrowed of each company the sum of $25,
and the department at the end of 1883 is free from debt. But at the corporation
election the amount necessary to return this borrowed money should be included
in the appropriations.
The Secretary gladly reported
that in accordance with the request of the Board the village Trustees had again
established the "coffee brigade," and a recommendation was made that
each company detail one of its men to supply firemen with coffee at a fire.
The Board recommend that the
department adopt a badge that should be worn conspicuously, so that the wearer may
be readily known as a fireman while on duty at a fire.
In the past year eight exempt
firemen's certificates have been granted. The muster rolls have been indexed so
that now can be readily ascertained when and by what Board the election of
firemen was confirmed, and when and how the members left their companies. Also
the names of the members of every company except one from the time of its
organization, and when and how membership was severed, have been recorded, so
that now it will be known when an expelled or suspended member from one company
applies for admission into another.
The report of the Secretary,
only the important facts of which we have given, shows that he has spent great
care, as well as a good deal of time, in gathering the statistics necessary to
make it so complete, for which he deserves warm commendation.
CORTLAND
AND VICINITY.
The Governor's [Grover Cleveland, Democrat] message in the Democrat is headed: "An
Exhaustive State Paper." As it is over eighteen feet in length,
and is set “solid" in small type, the adjective is entirely
appropriate. Whoever reads it will be exhausted. We are ready to
wager that the editor of the Democrat hasn't read it.
At a meeting of the executive
committee of the Alumni of the Albany Normal School, held in Albany last week, Abram P. Smith, of Cortland, was
elected President. The committee might have gone farther, but they could not well
have fared worse —Cort. Democrat. That's a meaner, as well as more
silly, remark than we thought you capable of uttering; and that's saying a good
deal.
A chance to obtain a box of
cigars is afforded at Anderson & Jenkins' store, in the Bauder building,
where a shooting gallery has been established.
Assemblyman Kneeland has been made
a member of the Committee on General Laws, on Internal Affairs, and on Federal
Relations; all important committees.
A well is being bored at the
junction of Cayuga and Cortland streets in Homer. We understand that the well must
produce flowing water or the contractor gets nothing for his work.
Mr. E. P. Sumner, a well-known
resident of this place, died at the home of his son, W. P. Sumner, in Truxton,
on Friday, Jan. 4, 1884, aged 70 years, A number of our citizens attended the
funeral, which was held in Truxton. The remains were taken to Homer for burial.
If the rough, stormy,
blustering, freezing, below zero weather we have had for a couple of weeks past
is Vennor's open winter that he predicted, we don't want to be around in March
and April when,, as he says, the weather will be cold and stormy enough to make
up for earlier mildness.
Dr. F. Hyde left Wednesday
morning to attend the meeting at Albany of the trustees of the State Idiot
Asylum at Syracuse. One of the questions to be discussed is the feasibility of
purchasing land near the Syracuse Asylum and removing to it the branch asylum
at Newark, Wayne county, which now occupies a rented farm.
A meeting of the stockholders
of the Second National Bank was held Tuesday, at which the following directors were
chosen: L. J. Fitzgerald, J. S. Bull, E. A. Fish, H. F. Benton, W. B. Stoppard,
M. H. McGraw, M. S. Bierce, Geo. C. Hubbard, D. F. Wallace, G. W. Bliss, Robert
Bushby, J. D. Schermerhorn, J. R. Schermerhorn. Harrison Wells, Fitz Boynton.
The directors elected Fitz Boynton president, L. J. Fitzgerald, vice-president, J. S. Bull, cashier.
A meeting of the stockholders
of the First National Bank was held Tuesday, at which the following were chosen
directors: O. U. Kellogg, M. Van Hoesen, A. A. Carley, E. C. Carley, T. H. Wickwire,
C. W. Stoker, Samuel Seager, Ransom Warren, E. Keator, Samuel Keator, Hector
Cowan, Robert Purvis, R. B. Smith. The directors elected Samuel Keator
president, R. B. Smith vice-president, E. Keator cashier. F. A. Woodworth is
teller, and E. M. Benton book-keeper.
This is the first winter in our
recollection when the law in regard to keeping the sidewalks passable has been
put in force; and the board of trustees are deserving special commendation
therefor. Street commissioner Davern has no horse, so that he can see to all
the sidewalks at once, but he authorizes us to say that sidewalks uncleaned
will be promptly attended to if any one will give him notice of their location.
The cost of such cleaning is paid by the owner of the premises, the same being added to the taxes on the property.
Mrs. Bliss does not intend to
rebuild on the site of the house destroyed by fire on the morning of the 3d.
On Tuesday James Hollenbeck was
sent by Justice Bierce to the Onondaga Penitentiary for three months. Cause: stealing.
On Monday next the Hitchcock
cutter and buggy manufactory will be closed for about a week, for the purpose
of making needed repairs to the boiler and machinery.
One of our business men has
suggested to us that the citizens of Cortland organize a "bucket
brigade," for assisting at fires. In other places such organizations
render very effective service.
A fire at
Syracuse, early Saturday morning, destroyed the Crandall typewriter works, in
which our townsman, Mr. L. S. Crandall, is interested. The loss is $20,000;
insurance, $8,000. Delay in manufacturing is the greatest loss, as all of the
tools and machinery will have to be made.
The Congregational Church has just received as a gift $650 in the shape
of two (Nos. 9 and 10) Bates & Johnson's low pressure tubular steam heating
boilers, to take the place of the boilers they are now using. The Bates &
Johnson boilers are said to be the finest made for the purpose which they
serve. The Congregationalists can now be sure of a well heated room in the
coldest weather. The boilers will be placed in position at once.
An invitation from Orient Hook
& Ladder Company, of Homer, to Orris Hose Company to give there the same entertainment
given here in December, has been accepted, and next Tuesday evening, Jan. 15,
fixed as the time. The people of Homer and vicinity can feel assured that an
evening of enjoyment is before them. The bold Maclntyres will appear, and
Toodles will be "drunk as a lord" and "glad of it, too.” The
Homer Cornet Band will meet Orris Hose Company and escort the boys to the hall.
At a meeting of the
stockholders of the National Bank of Cortland, held at their rooms Tuesday P.
M., the following were chosen directors: Wesley Hooker, George L. Cole, C. E.
Selover, B. A. Benedict, C. W. Collins, L. J. Fitzgerald, D. F. Wallace, George
J. Mager, Hamilton Putnam, F. C. Straat, W. H. Clark, Robert Bushby, F. N. Harrington,
Charles Parker. At a subsequent meeting of the directors Wesley Hooker was
elected president; Geo. L. Cole, vice-president; C. E. Selover, cashier; B. A.
Benedict, attorney; C. W. Collins, clerk of the board.
Corporation Proceedings.
The monthly meeting of the
Board of Trustees was held at Firemen's Hall Friday evening Jan. 7, 1884.
Present— A. Mahan, president; T. Stevenson, H. Wells, G. W. Bradford and D. E.
Smith, trustees.
The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved.
The warrant of the tax collector of the corporation was extended to the evening of Feb. 5, 1884.
The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved.
The warrant of the tax collector of the corporation was extended to the evening of Feb. 5, 1884.
The complaints of Samuel Seager
and John S. Barber, asking the exemption from payment of corporation taxes, the
former upon his whole assessment on account of an affidavit heretofore
delivered to the assessor, and the latter to the extent of $500 as an active
fireman, were ordered filed and to be presented at the next annual meeting.
The following bills were
allowed and ordered paid:
John
Heher, engineer, $50.00
H.
& C. Gas Co., gas for streets, 95.00
H.
& C. Gas Co., gas for engine house, 11.00
George
W. Porter, use of cart, 1.00
John
Heher, ex. on water gauge, .50
Frank
Harvey, labor on wells, etc., 12.00
Thos.
Mulligan, labor on hose cart, etc., 16.75
Dr.
C. E. Bennett, sanitary, 5.25
Silsby
Mfg. Co., repairing water gauge, 3.55
F. G.
Kinney, printing proceedings of Board, 8.75
J. J.
Davern, lighting lamps, 12.50
A. Rittenhouse,
lighting lamps, 6.24
John
Kane, labor on streets, 15.00
H. F.
Benton, lumber and sawing, 19.58
A.
Mahan, freight on ladders paid by him, 3.05
Smith
& Kingsbury, materials and labor, 20.08
J. J.
Davern, Com'r., labor on streets, 31.50
J. J.
Davern, Com'r., labor on wells, 5.25
Patrick
Kane, labor on streets, 13.05
Patrick
Kane, labor on wells, 4.05
John
Dillon, labor on streets, .60
John
Quinlan, labor on streets, 5.55
John
Quinlan, labor on wells, 5.47
Wm.
Nash, labor on streets, 5.10
Andrew Stout and team, labor on sts., 19.50
Andrew Stout and team, labor on wells, 7.50
S. D.
Freer, coal for engine house, 65.30
Upon a petition of certain
citizens that the walk opposite the premises of R. Bruce Smith, on Argyle
street, be kept clear of snow, and a question having been raised concerning the
title of the same, and the duty and liability of Mr. Smith to keep the same
cleared of snow; it was upon motion referred to Mr. Bradford, of this Board, as
a committee to confer with Mr. Smith concerning the same.
After reading and ordering
filed the report of the Board of Engineers, Cortland Fire Department, wherein were confirmed and referred to this Board for
approval, the election of the several companies.
The following elections were
held by the department Board of Engineers, viz.:
Chief Engineer—M. F. Cleary.
First Assistant—T. Button.
Second Assistant—Adelbert Barber.
Secretary—A. M. Delavan.
Treasurer—Thomas Grady.
It was moved and carried that
both said elections and the confirmance thereof be in all things approved and
confirmed by this Board.
Upon the petition of many
citizens, that the corporation pay the expense of the gas for lighting the dial
of the public clock recently placed in the new Squires building by popular
subscription as a public benefit, action was not taken, upon the ground that
there was no authority conferred upon the Board of Trustees under the charter
of the village giving power to the Board to make such expenditure.
It was ordered that the time
within which a draft of the new proposed charter of the corporation be
furnished the Board of Trustees for inspection and discussion, by the revisers
thereof, be extended to the next regular meeting of the Board.
On motion, the meeting
adjourned.
F. HATCH, Clerk.
History of firefighting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_firefighting
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