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These two men are Savannah
FF's of this period. |
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In 1824 the first real improvement
in the fire service took place. An
act was passed by the General
Assembly by which the City of
Savannah was invested with the power
to appoint twenty-one firemen. This
was the first regularly organized
fire department in the city. All of
the engine houses, engines, ladders,
buckets, hose and other implements
were turned over to the Savannah
Fire Company. This body elected
their own chief fireman, first
fireman and second fireman, subject
to the approval of Council. No
salaries were paid, and all
vacancies by death, resignation or
otherwise were filled by Council
upon recommendation of the fire
company. The Savannah Fire Company
made their own by-laws and rules,
and had the right to expel any of
its members for violation of company
rules, or city ordinances. They were
authorize to employ a clerk at a
salary of $8.00 per month. The work
at fires was performed by "free men
of color, free negroes and hired
slaves." The City Scavenger "on the
breaking out of fire", was required
to "order his carts at different
places where the public buckets,
fire hooks, ladders and other
implements for the extinguishment of
fires are kept, and to assist in
carrying the same to the fire or to
such place or places as may be
directed by the firemen."
Robert Campbell was chosen the first
fire chief, and four new hand
engines. reels and the necessary
quantity of hose was purchased.
The ordinance of March 11th, 1825,
provided that the City Marshal
"immediately take an account of the
colored and negro firemen between
the ages of sixteen and sixty and
make a return of the same to the
Chief Fireman." Each enrolled free
man of color was required to furnish
himself with a cap or hat" on which
shall be put the initials F.C., to
be worn when ever he is on duty. "
If any enrolled free man of color or
free negro failed to answer an alarm
they were subject to a fine in a sum
not exceeding ten dollars, or be
imprisoned in the common jail for a
period not less than five nor more
than fifteen days. Free men of color
and free negroes enrolled as firemen
were exempt from poll tax. Once a
month the free men and slaves were
ordered out "for the purpose of
playing off the engines and drilling
in the use of them, cleaning and
keeping in good condition the ropes,
buckets, hose, ladders engines;" and
any failure to attend these drills
subjected the offending party to a
fine not exceeding ten dollars or
imprisonment not exceeding fifteen
days. Any member of Savannah Fire
Company was authorized to order any
citizen to "assist in the filling of
the engine with water during a fire
and otherwise render assistance;"
and should any citizen refuse to
obey such orders any member of the
fire company was authorized to
arrest him, bring him before the
Mayor or any Aldermen present, who
was authorized to send him to the
guard house until the next day, and
on conviction he would be liable to
a fine not exceeding thirty dollars;
and the Clerk of Council " Shall,
when directed by Council., publish
his name in the public gazette of
the city at least once."
The City Marshal and the constables
were required to assemble at all
fires with their staves of office
and report to the Mayor, Chairman or
any Alderman present.
The ordinance required the Mayor and
Alderman to assemble at each fire to
enforce the ordinances. It was a
violation of the law for any one to
ride in or through any street, lane
or square in which the inhabitants
were assembled for the purpose of
extinguishing fire, except the
commandant of the militia and his
staff, and then only when it became
necessary for him to communicate
with the Chief Fireman.
"To prevent, as much as may be, the
great confusion which may arise from
too many men armed at the time of
the fire, the Mayor was directed to
request the commandant of the
militia to fix the number of men
necessary to be under arms by a
routine, once in every three
months."
In March, 1825, an ordinance was
enacted requiring any fireman of the
fire company who shall contemplate
an absence from the city for a
period longer that one month to
furnish a substitute satisfactory to
the Chief Fireman.
During the same year a special tax
was levied by ordinance, requiring
the payment of ten cents on every
hundred dollars on the value of
improved real estate for the
purchase of engines, hose, ladders,
etc.
In August a wooden engine house was
built in Liberty Square.
In 1825-27 the fire department had
regular parades and inspections on
the last Saturday in each month.
Twenty slaves were allowed to each
company, and each slave was paid
fifty cents for every parade.
At this period any person sounding a
fire alarm "by ringing of bells or
the beating of drums" received a
reward of such an amount as was
agreed upon from time to time by the
fire company. This was abolished in
March of 1836. The Savannah Fire
Company was divided up, and one or
more of its members were assigned to
the management of the negro firemen
of the different engines; these
members were known as "Masters of
Engines," and were authorize to have
administered "prompt and immediate
correction" whenever a slave
"disobeyed or otherwise offended."
Each slave fireman was provided with
a badge, which entitled him to the
"immunities and privileges of a
fireman."
In 1826 an engine house was built in
Franklin Square. On May 25th, 1826
"it appearing to Council that the
number of free persons of color
returned to the fire company by the
City Marshal are not sufficient
towards a complete reorganization of
the fire department of the city," an
ordinance was enacted providing for
the enrollment of a greater number
of negro slaves and the payment of
twelve and one-half cents per hour
while engaged in drills or at fires.
The first slave firemen who arrived
at the engine house on an alarm of
fire received one dollar and the
second and third received the sum of
fifty cents each, and upon the
failure of such slave to answer an
alarm he forfeited one hours pay for
every fifteen minutes he was late,
and when such fines exceeded the
value of his badge he was deprived
of the same and lost the privileges
enjoyed by its possession. In July.
1826, Council enacted an ordinance
providing for the distribution of
rewards, amounting to thirty dollars
for each fire, to be distributed by
the Chief Fireman, or in his absence
the Directing Fireman, "for the
encouragement of free persons of
color, free negroes and hired
slaves, who may be active in
carrying engines, etc. to extinguish
fires." So far as can be
ascertained, the department at this
time consisted of seven hand
engines, with the necessary hose and
other implements. The department was
operated in what might be called a
successful manner, and the fire loss
was held down to a degree reasonable
with the facilities at the command
of the Savannah Fire Company.
The report of Chief Fireman Parker
on January 11th, 1827 showed the
city then had "two suction engines,
one suction and discharging engine,
1,200 feet of ladders, one
Philadelphia built engine, one
Boston built engine and one hose
cart, all in superior order and
efficiently officered and manned."
There was also a Boston built engine
in good order and a quantity of
useless machinery. The effective
labor required, he stated, was about
300 men. The current expenses were
placed at $1,200. Every alarm for
fire cost $25.00. Six useless
engines were sold for $570.00.
In1828 the department consisted of
four New York built suction and
discharging engines; two London
built suction and discharging
engines; two Boston built engines,
one hose cart, 1,740 feet new hose,
700 feet of old hose, 178 slaves,
96, free negroes, 274 buckets, 15
fire hooks, 44 ladders, 22 axes and
a white company of seventeen men.
Early in the "30s" the frame engine
houses began to disappear and
substantial brick buildings took
their place. Some of the new houses
wee two stories high, the upper
floor being used for meetings and
gatherings of the members of the
company. In 1834 an engine was
bought at a cost of $700.00 and a
brick house was erected in the
northern part of Oglethorpe Ward for
the same.
In 1845 the young men of the city
began to take an interest in the
fire department and on February
19th, 1846, Council approved an
application from a number of young
men for a charter as the Oglethorpe
Fire Company of Savannah. The number
of members was limited to fifty.
They were to supply their own
apparatus within a year, were to
work in themselves, were to enjoy
the same privileges as the Savannah
Fire Company and be under the Chief
Fireman.
In 1847 the Washington Fire Company
was organized and in the latter part
of the following year the Young
America Fire Company sprung into
existence. This latter company was
made up of the rough element of the
community and gave the officers and
members of the Savannah Fire Company
great trouble and annoyance. At
almost every fire the Young Americas
engaged in a fight with someone and
on a number of occasions they drove
the faithful slaves away from their
posts of duty.
In May of 1850 the Savannah Fire
Company adopted resolutions to allow
colored firemen to wear uniforms.
The Oglethorpes and Washington's
protested against this resolution as
degrading to the white firemen and
the Council directed the Mayor not
to permit it, later, however,
Council reconsidered this action and
left it to the Savannah Fire Company
to do as it wished.
The Savannah Newspaper had this to
say in its May 28th ,1853 issue:
"Yesterday the Savannah Fire Company
paraded. It was reviewed by His
Honor the Mayor and the Chairman of
the Fire and Water Committee of
Council.
It is a subject for extreme
gratification to our citizens, to
witness so imposing a display of
real stamina and solid worth, as
this parade afforded. Some four
hundred stout fellows, the pick of
the colored population, devoted to
the protection of the city from the
ravages of the devouring element.
Their engines, lanterns, torches,
etc., were gaily and most tastefully
arrayed in fresh flowers and
ribbons, and the men themselves, all
uniformed according to the dress
adopted by their respective
companies.
The line consisted of seven engines,
two suctions, one general hose-cart,
one bucket company, and one hook and
ladder and axe company.
After being reviewed by the Mayor,
they were dismissed and returned to
their respective quarters."
June, 1853, more trouble between the
Savannah Fire Company and the
Oglethorpe Fire Company over the
latter's mistreatment of negro
firemen at fires. The Councils
Committee on Fire reported at the
close of the year there was utter
disorganization of the department.
Early in 1854 more trouble occurred.
The Council had given Oglethorpe
Fire Company control of its engine
and authorized it to appoint its
firemen subject to the approval of
the Mayor and Aldermen, instead of
the Savannah Fire Company. The
Savannah Fire Company claimed that
the Oglethorpe Fire Company was
beyond control of the Chief Fireman
and proper service could not be
secured from them. After much
discussion the Savannah Fire company
resigned in a body, publishing their
resignation in the local paper
before sending it to Council. The
resignations were accepted November
9th and a new company was promptly
appointed.
The dispute between Savannah Fire
Company and Young America Company
finally came to an end and the
latter was disbanded.
1856 found Savannah protected by,
Oglethorpe No 1, 35 members (white)
Washington No 9, 52 members (white),
Germania No. 10, 48 members (white),
Axe, Hook and Ladder, 2 white
officers and 50 free men of color,
Engine One, two white managers and
80 slaves, Engine Two, 2 white
officers and 79 slaves, Hose One,
one white manager and 21 slaves,
Hose Two, one white manager and 25
free men of color. Engine Three, two
white officers and 60 slaves, Engine
Four, two white officers and 65 free
men of color, Engine Eight , two
white officers and 78 slaves, Engine
Eleven, two white officers and 78
slaves.
1860 White companies were
Oglethorpe, Washington, Geranium and
Mechanic Hook and Ladder. Colored
Companies. Warren Hand engine,
Pulaski Hand engine, Franklin Hand
engine, Neptune Hand engine, Tomo-Chi-Chi
Hand engine, Niagara Hand engine,
Wild Car Hand engine, Columbia hose,
Hose #2 and Axe Co #1.
Note: A large number of people was
required for each "engine" and Hook
and Ladder, as these were all hand
drawn wagons and upon reaching the
fire the pumps were manned by manual
labor. One advantage the black man
had over the white was that they had
learned from years of heavy labor to
combine their energy with rhythmic
chants or songs and no doubt the
firemen sang or chanted as they
manned the hand pumps much as the
stevedores when loading ships and
the gandy dancers while driving rail
spikes.
submitted by Mike Metivier |
