Centennial history of Cincinnati and representative citizens, Vol. I, Pt. 2, Part 25

Author: Greve, Charles Theodore, b. 1863. cn
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1048

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These two annexations constituted the first ad- ditions to the city territory since the town's in- corporation in 1802.

By the terms of the annexation of the special road district of Mill Creek township, which were confirmed by ordinance April 14, 1849, the newly acquired territory was to be erected into a ward known as the IIth Ward. This division of the city shown on the map of the city by R. Il. Rickey, published in 1850, lasted but a short time. This map shows Elm street as the bound- ary line between the Fifth and Seventh wards. After the addition of the part of section seven lying cast of Lebanon turnpike, the city was again divided in 1850 into 12 wards, the 11th and 12th being the part north of Liberty, that lying east of Vine being the rith and that to the west the 12th.

This arrangement did not last long, however, for by ordinance of March 5, 1851, the city was divided into 16 wards. The First Ward began as before at Third and Main and ran cast between Third and its prolongations on the south and Sixth on the north to the old corporation line; the Second Ward lay west of the First and was included between Seventh, Main, Race and with Third, Walnut and Pearl streets on the south ; the Third Ward lay south of the First and east of Main; just west of it along the river extended the Fourth as far as John; the north- ern boundary of the Fourth was Third street except at the eastern end where the boundary line between it and the Second as already de- scribed ran down for a block as far as Pearl street : north of the First and cast of Main as far north as Hunt street and the Lebanon turn- pike and to the old corporation line was the 13th Ward; north of the 13th between llunt street, Main and Liberty was the Ninth ; the Ioth included the territory west of Main above the

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canal as far as Liberty and east of Race; the canal and a line (Grandin street) continuing it west to Western row also formed the southern boundary of the Seventh, which lay directly west of the Ioth, extended west to Western row, and north to Liberty ; the Eighth was on the other side of Western row running as far as Baymiller and from Liberty down to Catherine street ; the Fifth had the 13th ( Main street) on its east, the Seventh and the 10th (the canal) on the north, Seventh street on the south and Western row on the west ; the Sixth was the river ward, enclosed by the river and John, Third, Smith and Fifth ; the 11th and 12th remained as before north of Liberty street divided by Vine street road as it was called; the 14th lay directly west of the Second (Race street) and north of the Fourth (Third street) ; its western and northern bound- aries were a little irregular being Smith, Sixth, John and Seventh ; the 15th lay on the other side of this irregular boundary west of Western row, south of Catherine and east of Baymiller with the White Water Canal; at its southwest corner the 16th ran clear from the river to Liberty street and west as far as Mill creek, its eastern bound- ary being the Sixth, 15th and Eighth wards.

By ordinance of August 23, 1854 the propo- sition to annex the incorporated village of Ful- ton was submitted to the vote of the citizens at the October election. The annexation proposi- tion carried by a vote of 5,673 to 1,318.

By ordinance of December 27, 4854, the newly annexed territory of Fulton, a single long street between the hills and the river cast of the orig- inal city. was erected as the 17th Ward. This took effect January 1, 1855.

THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT.

At the beginning of Cincinnati's second half century the fire department was still conducted on the old volunteer plan but it was regarded in view of the conditions necessarily attaching to such a service, as having attained a high stage. of efficiency and its fame had spread throughout the country. There were at that time 14 engine companies, seven hose companies, a hook and lad- der company, a company of fire guards, one pro- tection company and the fire wardens. Enrolled in the ranks were many of the most prominent citizens, a list of whose names occupies seven closely printed pages of Mr. Cist's "Cincinnati in 1841." At this time the president of the Pro- tection Society was G. P. Torrence with E. Hin- man as vice-president, B. Smith, secretary, W. Schillinger, treasurer, and E. Poor, chief direc-

tor. Among the presidents of the different com- panies were M. P. Taylor, Josiah J. Stratton, Miles Greenwood, Samuel H. Taft, A. Trow- bridge, Fenton Lawson, David Griffey and James Lowden.

A new company organized in 1841, the West- ern Hose Company No. 3, had as its president Nathaniel Hubbell. Among the presidents of this company afterwards famous in the annals of the Cincinnati Fire Department were Lewis Wisbey, subsequently chief of the Cincinnati Fire Department, and William H. Stockell, afterwards . chief of the Nashville Fire Department.

A terrible fire of 1843 was that at Pugh & Alvord's packing house, referred to elsewhere.

In 1844 the rivalry between the companies and the excitement of the fires made it necessary for the Cincinnati Fire Association to adopt strin- gent regulations for the government of fire com- panies while on duty. These regulations were to prevent the obstruction of one company by an- other, the running of the apparatus on the side- walk or any conflict upon arrival at the fire. The first engine had the choice of position at the cistern, but had to leave fair room for the others that came later. If the cistern should become exhausted, or if it was necessary to move for any other cause the last engine to arrive had to go first. Racing on the return from fires or alarms was strictly prohibited. The company starting first in the race was fined $10, and the other, $5. As a matter of fact this small penalty acted but as a slight deterrent to the ambitious firemen. This same year, on November 26th, resolutions were adopted for distributing the labor of watch- ing the fires. The city was divided into 12 dis- tricts. Each of the 10 wards formed a district by itself, except the Ninth, which divided by the canal formed two; the first district was all the city east of Deer creek. Upon an alarm of fire the company first hearing it was to ring the alarm, pause and strike the number of district strokes, continuing the alarm and signal alter- nately until all the companies had arrived at the fire.

The Cincinnati College Building burned at eleven o'clock on January 19, 1845 .. The build- ing at that time was occupied by the Cincinnati College Dispensary, Mercantile Library, Sons of Temperance and various library societies. Most of the books and other property, including por- traits of William Henry Harrison and Charles Hammond, were saved. The building which re- placed the one burned in 1845 was burned Octo- ber 20, 1869.

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In May, 1845, a new company became a mem- ber of the fire department; this was the Queen City Hook and Ladder Company, of which H. Schrieffer was president and C., F. Monkoff, secretary. The city was somewhat slow in pro- viding a building on the company's lot, as a re- sult of which on September 3, 1846, a procession headed by a band of music and composed of the members and the usual crowds that attend on such occasions marched to the ground and emu- lating the deeds of the pioneers at house raisings erected a rough one-story board structure. This, called "Rough and Ready Hall," was occupied for a year, after which the city assisted the com- pany in building a proper home.

In the year 1848 a Louisville fire company visited Cincinnati for the purpose of engaging in a contest as to the efficiency of their engine as compared with the best engines in Cincinnati. The challenge was accepted by the "Flat Iron" Company and the contest took place in front of Mrs. Trollope's Bazaar at the corner of Third and Broadway. The Louisville engine threw water to a height of 20112 feet, but the old "Deluge" of the Cincinnati company won the victory by throwing 210 feet. As a result of the victory the Cincinnati firemen took their visitors to Billy Holmes', a popular resort in those days, and entertained them lavishly. (Cincinnati Fire Department, p. 81.)

In 1851 there were 18 companies of firemen belonging to the fire department. These in- cluded the following engine companies number- ing in order from one to nine: Washington, on Vine, between Front and Columbia; the Relief, on George between Plum and Western row; In- dependence, on Fourth between Walnut and Vine; Franklin, on Sixth and Sycamore; In- vincible, on Vine between Court and Canal; East- ern, on Front and Parsons; Northern, on Web- ster between Main and Sycamore; Marion, on Cutter between Hopkins and Laurel; and Union, on Race between Third and Fourth. There were also three hose companies-Independent, on Fourth between Broadway and Sycamore; Del- uge, at Endlow and Symmes; and Western on Fifth between Mound and Carroll. A hook and ladder company was located on the corner of Race and Longworth. During the year five new engine companies were added to the service, the Deluge, Eagle, Mohawk, Brighton and Western. Each of the engine companies was provided with. a fire and suction engine, and hose reels so that every company possessed the full' apparatus to extinguish fires without depending on the aid of

any other independent company to furnish any part of the apparatus on the ground. There were thus 45 carriages of the best construction and materials dispersed all over the city, and as many always in attendance as could work to advan- tage. Including the hook and ladder companies and fire guards the force at this time, which was the high water mark of the old volunteer fire de- partment and the eve of its death, included 1,800 members, a - large share of whom were young unmarried men. There were 79 fire plugs and 83 public cisterns employed for the extinguishing of fires exchisively. (Cincinnati in 1851, p. 168; and Cincinnati Fire Department, p. 98.)

The great rivalry between the companies which at this time had become great centers of political power led to many street quarrels. One of the fiercest and most disgraceful of these occurred in 1851 at a fire on the corner of John and Augusta streets. The principal participants were the Western Hose Company No. 3 and Washington Company No. I, but finally 10 companies lined up in the fight which continued until the build- ing, a planing mill, was permitted to burn to the ground. The mayor, Mark P. Taylor, read the riot act to the contestants, but without result, as the battle continued until daybreak. An incident of this contest, the hastening of the Covington Fire Company to the aid of Washington Com- pany No. I, led to the passage of a resolution that no Covington company should appear at a Cincinnati fire except upon request of the proper authorities. The old system, however, was doomed. The city had grown too large for a volunteer systen: and it could not be expected that fire wardens, many of whom were among the most prominent citizens, would take the time from their business to give proper attention to their duties. Mr. Cist in his "Miscellany" as carly as September, 1845, comments on the com- plaints in the daily prints of the inactivity of the fire wardens: "What can persons expect from such men as Judge Torrence or Councilman Stephenson, two of the best among them? Do they imagine they can neglect their own business and spend six days of the week examining whether the houses of a large city such as ours are exposed to taking fire from the carelessness of neighbors? The whole system is deficient and defective. There are thirty-two fire wardens. about three to a ward, having general jurisdic- tion wherever they please to exercise it-which, of course, is nowhere.

"If we desire to have any good result from the appointment of such officers, let the institution

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be remodeled. Let each block in the city have its own fire warden, who will then be interested in taking care of the block ; and fine him five dol- lars for every fire which results from his neglect to remove all undue exposedness to it." (Cist's Miscellany, Vol. II., p. 116.)

THIE PAID FIRE DEPARTMENT.

The result of the dissatisfaction coming at a time when the progress of invention first brought steam fire engines into use was the abandonment of the volunteer system and the inauguration of a paid department. The first annual report of the chief engineer of the department, issued on . April 1, 1854, has as a frontispiece the first steam fire engine, the "Uncle Joe Ross," the first to be used in Cincinnati and except one which had been used for a short time in New York the first used anywhere in America. This pioneer appa- ratus had been built according to the plan of A. B. Latta of the firm of Shawk and Latta in the shops of John H. McGowan in the years 1852-53. It is described as being peculiar in its method of construction : "It had a square fire-box, like that of a locomotive boiler, with a furnace open at the top, upon which was placed the chimney. The upper part of the furnace was occupied by a con- tinuous coil of tubes opening into the steam- chamber above, while the lower end was carried through the fire-box, and connected with a force- pump, by which the water was to be forced con- tinnally through the tubes throughout the entire coil. When the fire was commenced the tubes were empty, but when they became sufficiently heated, the force-pump was worked by hand and water was forced into them, generating steam, which was almost instantly produced from the contact of the water with the hot pipes. Until sufficient steam was generated to work the engine regularly, the force-pump was continuously op- erated by hand, and a supply of water kept up. By this means the time occupied in generating steam was only five or ten minutes; but the ob- jections to this heating the pipes empty and then introducing water into them are too well known to be insisted upon.

"The engines built upon this pattern were com- plicated and heavy, but were efficacious, and led to their introduction in other cities, and also to a quite general establishment in cities of a paid fire department in place of the voluntary one, which had theretofore prevailed."

In spite of its great weight, the lightest one weighing 10,000 pounds, it was regarded as a

great improvement over the engines that had hitherto been used by reason of the great dis- tance it was able to throw water. It is said to have played 210 feet through a thousand feet of hose, getting its supply from a cistern and after- wards when taken to New York on exhibition in 1859 it threw 375 gallons a minute, playing about 237 feet through a nozzle measuring an inch and a quarter and getting its supply through a hydrant. It was the invention of this engine as well as the abuses that always seem to attend a volunteer fire department that brought about a change of so much importance in the history of the city. For this particular reform the city is especially indebted to Jacob Wykoff Piatt, Miles Greenwood, James H. Walker and Joseph S. Ross.

Piatt was born in Kentucky in 1801 and was the son of Benjamin M. Piatt, the elder brother of the prominent banker, John H. Piatt. He was a successful lawyer and had been very fortunate in his real estate investments and held a com- manding influence in politics. He with James HI. Walker, both at that time councilmen, be- came convinced that the abuses of the volunteer system should be corrected by substituting a paid department. The older members of the fire com- panies by the lapse of years and for other reasons had passed out of service and in their places were many younger or less public spirited men who regarded a fire as simply an occasion for starting a riot. The engine houses had become loafing places for the members and their friends and the firemen a gang of political parasites controlled by the lowest class of politicians. Mr. Piatt and Mr. Walker found that their propo- sition would not have easy sailing. At the time the matter first came up in the Council, the chamber was crowded with roughs who by their noisy demonstrations showed their opposition to the change. The proposers of the reform were persistent however and time after time presented their ordinance, each time to see it voted down by decreasing majorities. The opposition was so bitter that it became necessary for Piatt to at- tend the meetings of the Council surrounded by a guard of his Irish constituents and on one occasion a mob assembled in front of his residence and amidst groans, hisses, howls and yells he was burned in effigy.

Finally the invention of the Latta engine made in this city by Abel Shawk brought about the success of the movement. This engine known as "Uncle Joe Ross" was tested by a commission of experts and finally accepted. It was felt that

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to turn it over to the volunteers would insure its immediate destruction and it was determined to organize a paid company. A committee inelud- ing Messrs. Piatt, Timothy Walker and Benja- min Loder was appointed to organize such a company. As the story goes, Mr. Piatt suggested as the head of the company, Miles Greenwood, who had been connected with the fire department since 1829 and had been president of the volun- teer association several times. As he was recog- nized as the idol of the volunteers, this sugges- tion of Mr. Piatt was ridiculed but Piatt insisted and Greenwood was sent for. The ordinance was passed on March 16, 1853. By its terms and the terms of the amendatory ordinanees, the members of the company were to receive $60 each per annum; caeh lieutenant, $100; captains, $150; pipemen and drivers, $365; assistant en- gineers, $300; and chief engineers, $1,000. Mr. Greenwood accepted the appointment and for a time employed another person to attend to his regular business while he served withont pay. It was well understood that the first occasion upon which the paid department would be called out would probably result in a riot. The first fire was a serious one on Sycamore above Fonrth street. When the bells struck, an enormous erowd gathered around the engine at Green- wood's shop. No one was willing to drive the team and finally Greenwood himself took eharge of the engine and swung ont into the street fol- lowed by his new firemen in their splendid uni- forms. With him came the men of his great foundry and work shops and Jaeob W. Piatt surrounded by 255 of his Irish retainers. The expected fight came off but lasted bnt a short time. Greenwood with his bright helmet and big trumpet was the leader in the fray and after about 30 minutes loss of time and the smash- ing of a few heads the volunteer companies were driven off and left with no weapons but their own engines. With these they tried to show greater efficiency than their new opponents, but failed. Two other fires occurred that night and the success of the new engine was so great as to end the opposition to the paid department. Within less than a month all the fire companies were clamoring for the new invention, reorganiza- tion and pay. Greenwood took the greatest in- terest in the reorganized department and at one time furnished $15,000 of his own money and obtained $15,000 more from private citizens and insurance companies to insure the success of the scheme. He moved his family to Avondale previous to the contest and for 18 months slept

at home but six nights. From his house on the corner of Ninth and Race he answered every tap of the alarm bell. He paid $1,500 for a man to take charge of his business and the $1,000 allowed him by the Council he donated to the Mechanics' Institute. Eventually the steam fire engine and the paid fire department became fixed facts in the city life and Greenwood returned to his own business. . A depntation froin Baltimore who were examining the workings of the system were given the points of difference between the paid and volunteer system by Mr. Greenwood as fol- lows: "First, it never gets drunk; second, it never throws brick bats; its only drawback is that it cannot vote."

Miles Greenwood was born in Jersey City, March 19, 1807. In 1831 he started an iron foundry in Cineinnati, which subsequently be- came an immense establishment. He was one of the most publie spirited men in the city and State. He was a man of immense physique, great endurance and fierce determination and whatever he undertook he carried through to a successful issue. He was most prominent in the Ohio Mechanics' Institute and in the organization of the fire department both during the days of the volunteer system and those of its successor. In 1861 he turned his foundry into an arsenal where he employed over 700 hands. Here were turned ont 200 bronze cannon, the first made in the West, linndreds of caissons and gun car- riages and a sea-going monitor. Forty thousand Springfield muskets were turned into rifles and the Greenwood rifle although of great kicking powers rendered effective service. He died in 1885.

James H. Walker and Alexander Bonner Latta are entitled to share with Piatt and Greenwood the credit of inanrgurating the paid fire depart- ment. Walker was at the time a trustee of the City Council from the Fifth Ward and was most influential in holding his associates to the new plan. Every possible influence was brought to bear to perpetuate the objectionable volunteer system. As is frequently the case, a reform which was unquestionably for the benefit of the city at large was violently opposed by the po- litical element from whom it threatened to move a part of their vocation. After the change had been determined upon, new difficulties arose in the matter of adjustment of the pecuniary inter- ests of the city and the respective companies. Mr. Walker took a most active part in these negotiations and personally effected a settlement

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between the city and each company which in the end proved satisfactory to all parties.

Latta the inventor was a native of Ross County, where he was born June 11, 1821. His first ex- perience was in a cotton factory and afterwards in the Washington Navy Yard. He finally settled in Cincinnati as an expert mechanic and became foreman of a machine shop. He con- structed the first iron-planing machine used in the city and built for the Little Miami Railroad the first locomotive, the "Bull of the Woods," constructed west of the Alleghanies. It was in 1852 when he was but little over 30 years of age that he built the first steam fire engine. This · work occupied nine months and the engine was tested on January 1, 1853. In October of that year he constructed a second which received a gold medal at the Ohio Mechanics' Institute Fair in 1854. During the following eight years he built no less than 30 engines which became part of the paid fire departments of the principal cities of the Union. After this time he devoted himself to the manufacture of acrated bread, having turned his mechanical business over to the firm of Lane & Bodley and afterwards the Ahrens Manufacturing Company, from which concerns he received royalties on his inventions for a num- ber of years. He died in Ludlow, Kentucky, April 28, 1865.

Joseph S. Ross was another Jerseyman, born at Brunswick March 5, 1803, and from his third year a resident in Cincinnati. During his early manhood he was a carpenter in the employ of Jonathan W. Lyon and afterwards on his own ac- count. In 1832 he opened a feed store at Seventh street and Central avenue. At this time he be- came a prominent member of the City Council. Seven years later he built the steamboat "Relief" and engaged in the steamboat trade on the Red River for four years. There he had the misfor- tune to lose his boat with all he possessed and returned to Cincinnati in 1844. He was reelected to the Council and began the livery stable busi- ness in company with Higdon at the southwest corner of Seventh street and Central avenue where he continued for seven years. He was chairman of the committee on fire department and having become impressed with the efficacy of steam as applied to fire engines he closed a con- tract with Latta and Shawk for the first steam fire engine. This was named in his honor "Uncle Joe Ross." He organized the Miami Valley In- surance Company in 1860 and was its president for 11 years. During his term in the Council, he was particularly active in attempting to in-

duce the city to purchase the tract from Eighth to Court street and Central avenue to Pluim street, which Judge Burnet offered the city for $60,000. Through the change of the vote of one member, the ordinance was lost by a tie and two years later the city gave the same price for less than half of the tract. Mr. Ross is credited with changing the name Western row to Central avenue. It was thought at the time that this change gave an impetus to the western movement of the city. He was a candidate for mayor of the city in 1853 but was defeated by David T. Snelbaker. He died at Glendale July 6, 1875.

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Centennial history of Cincinnati and representative citizens, Vol. I, Pt. 2, Part 25

Author: Greve, Charles Theodore, b. 1863. cn Publication date: 1904 Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1048

Author: Greve, Charles Theodore, b. 1863. cn
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1048