USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Philadelphia > Early Philadelphia; its people, life and progress > Part 17
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FIRE PROTECTION
BOUT 1735 Franklin wrote a letter, which was published and attracted considerable attention. He says:
" In the first place, as an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, I would advise how they suffer living brand- sends or coals in a full shovel to be car- ried out of one room into another or up or down stairs, unless in a warming-pan and shut ; for scraps of fire may fall into chinks and make no appearance until midnight; when your stairs being in flames, you may be forced (as I once was) to leap out of your windows and hazard your necks to avoid being over-roasted."
He then goes on to advise the passage of a law, for- bidding " too shallow hearths " and the detestable Practice of " Putting Wooden Mouldings on each side of the Fire Place," and says:
" If chimneys were more frequently and more carefuly clean'd, some fires might thereby be prevented. I have known foul chimneys to burn most furiously a few days after they are swept ; people, in confidence that they are clean, making large fires. Everybody among us is allow'd to sweep chimneys that please to undertake that business ; and if a chimney fires thro' fault of the sweeper, the owner pays the fine and the sweeper goes free. This thing is not right. Those who undertake the sweepings of chimneys and employ servants for that purpose, ought to be licensed by the Mayor; and if any chimney fires and flames out 15 days after sweeping, the fine should be paid by the sweeper; for it is his fault. We have at present got engines enough in the town, but I question whether, in many parts of the town, water enough can be had to keep them going for half an hour together. It seems to me some publiek pumps are wanting ; but that I submit to better judgments."
Subsequently Franklin refers to this paper as being " spoken of as a useful piece," and one result of it seems
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to have been the founding of the Union Fire Company, in 1736, by Franklin and four of his friends. The Union Fire Company was an association for mutual assistance, Each member agreed to furnish, at his own expense, six leather buckets and two stout linen bags, each marked with his name and the name of the company, which he was to bring to every fire. The buckets were for carrying water to extinguish the flames, and the bags were to receive and hold property which was in danger, to save it from risk of theft. The members pledged themselves to repair to any place in danger upon an alarm of fire, with their apparatus. Some were to superintend the use of the water, others were to stand at the doors of houses in danger, and to pro- tect the property from theft. On an alarm of fire at night, it was agreed that lights should be placed in the windows of houses of members near the fire " in order to prevent confusion, and to enable their friends to give them more speedy and effectual assistance." The number of mem- bers was limited to thirty. Eight meetings were held annu- ally. At each meeting there was a supper costing three shillings. Members who came late were fined one shilling. Upon this plan, with slight variations, all the fire com- panies in Philadelphia were conducted until long after the Revolutionary War.
Franklin's Company, the Union, had a long and useful career. It was the pioneer and existed for over eighty- four years.
Franklin in his Autobiography tells of soliciting con- tributions from the peace-loving Quakers ostensibly for " a fire engine " when " a great gun " was to be purchased for the protection of the City from the enemy, as " a great gun is certainly a fire engine," said he.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the problem
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of fires had become of some moment. There were about seven hundred dwelling houses in Philadelphia; fires were not numerous but they were unnecessarily destructive, and the only appliances for extinguishing them were the bucket, the ladder, and the hook, the latter being used for pulling down buildings. As early as 1719 an English fire engine was purchased for £50. The cost of the fire apparatus was provided for by a series of fines, levied for various offenses, and among them was one of 12d. for presuming to smoke tobacco in the Streets of Philadelphia, either by day or night.
It was quite natural, therefore, that the thoughts of Franklin and other prominent men should have turned to the subject of Fire Insurance, but it was not until Febru- ary 18, 1752, that the following notice appeared in the " Pennsylvania Gazette ":
" All persons inclined to subscribe to the articles of insurance of houses from fire, in or near this City, are desired to appear at the Court-house, where attendance will be given, to take in their subscriptions, every seventh day of the week, in the afternoon, until the 13th of April next, being the day appointed by the said articles for electing twelve directors and a treasurer."
Accordingly, on April 13, 1752, the subscribers con- vened at the Court House and organized The Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire.
The Lieutenant Governor of the Province, James Hamilton, was the first who subscribed, and the first pri- vate name was that of Benjamin Franklin. Twelve Di- rectors were elected: Benjamin Franklin, William Cole- man, Philip Syng (who was also an original member with Franklin, of the Union Fire Company), Samuel Rhodes, Hugh Roberts, Israel Pemberton, Jr., John
16
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Mifflin, Joseph Norris, Joseph Fox, Jonathan Zane, William Griffitts and Amos Strettell.
John Smith was made Treasurer and Joseph Saunders Clerk.
The first advertisement after the company had begun business appeared in the " Pennsylvania Gazette " of June 11, 1752, as follows:
" Notice is hereby given, That the Insurance Office, for ship- ping and houses, is kept by Joseph Saunders, at his house, where Israel Pemberton, Senior, lately lived, near the Queen's Head, in Water Street."
The office of the Contributionship was for many years afterwards at No. 99 High Street (now No. 239 Market Street) where Caleb Carmalt, the Clerk for forty-two years, lived.
In 1818 the office was No. 25 (now No. 109) Dock Street, and in 1835 No. 96 (now No. 212) South Fourth Street was purchased, and the present office building erected thereon, where until the advent of safe deposit companies the Secretary and Treasurer was required to live as custodian of the securities.
The plan of the company was that of mutual assurance and the members were called contributors. Policies were issued for a term of seven years, upon payment of a de- posit, the interest of which, during the continuance of the policy, belonged to the company. At the first meeting of the Directors held May 11, 1752, " a seal for the com- pany was ordered, being four hands united," the badge or mark of which was placed on every property which was insured.
The minutes of May 23, 1752, show that " Benjamin Franklin is desired to get a sufficient number of policies printed," and those of December 24, 1753, that Benjamin
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FIRE MARK OF THE CONTRIBUTIONSHIP
1704
FIRE MARK OF THE MUTUAL ASSURANCE CO.
GARDEN OF THE PHILADELPHIA CONTRIBUTIONSHIP IN SOUTH FOURTH STREET The last garden in the Old City, 1917
FIRE PROTECTION
Franklin attended to the engrossing of the insurance articles and also that he " do publish an advertisement in the 'Gazette'" relative to the risk of storing gun- powder and breaming of ships, which was cleaning their bottoms by burning off the barnacles.
Owing probably to his numerous absences from this City on public matters, Franklin did not serve as a Director after 1754, but he retained his active interest in the com- pany, and in 1763 he insured another house, in addition to those insured by Policies Nos. 19 and 20, taken out in 1752. In 1767 he insured his new house " where his family dwells " for £500, by Policy No. 1148. Later he wrote from abroad several letters relative to fireproof construc- tion, to Samuel Rhodes, who for eleven years had continued as a Director.
As has before been said, at first every policy in The Philadelphia Contributionship was for a term of seven years. A certain deposit was made at the beginning of the term, a policy issued and an account opened with each contributor. His deposit was charged its proportion of the expenses and losses, and credited with any interest which might have been earned. If during the seven years the deposit, owing to losses, was used up, another deposit was made. At the expiration of the seven years, the con- tributor might withdraw so much of his deposit as re- mained, or renew his insurance.
In 1763 a change was unanimously voted by the con- tributors, and it was agreed that thereafter the interest on the deposits should be carried to a common account and out of it the losses should be paid, and the deposit money should not be drawn upon until the interest was exhausted; the contributor, however, not to be liable beyond his deposit money.
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This method has been continued to this day and with such marked success, that the contributors in 1894-95 agreed that the funds had accumulated sufficiently to war- rant paying dividends out of the yearly net income there- from. The company was incorporated in 1768; its policies continued to be seven-year policies until 1810, when they were made and have ever since continued to be perpetual.
The " Hand-in-Hand," as " The Philadelphia Contri- butionship " is familiarly known, is a purely mutual com- pany, although its members are not liable for assessment. It has no stockholders, consequently the only interest to be considered is that of the policyholders. After one hun- dred and fifty-four years this company, of which Franklin was the first Director, is still in business for the public good, and for all these years it has never ceased to fulfill its mission of giving indemnity against loss by fire, and has ever continued to spread its usefulness, and stands to-day not only the oldest Fire Insurance Company in America, but also one of the strongest active Fire Insur- ance Companies in the world.
The prevention of fires in the early days was not easy and many conceived that there was a grave jeopardy in the overhanging branches of shade trees which might catch fire from a blazing chimney and spread it farther in winter, and in both summer and winter must interfere with the application of water in the endeavour to extinguish the fire. The apprehensive directors of the Contributionship called a meeting of the subscribers of that organization in April, 1781, to consider the propriety of "Ensuring or Re-insuring Houses having Trees planted before them in the Street." The owners of shade trees being in a minority at this meeting, it was resolved that " no Houses having a Tree or Trees planted before them shall be Insured or
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Re-insured," and " that if any Person in future having a House Insured shall plant a Tree or Trees before it in the street, if not removed in three months from the time of planting he shall forfeit the benefit of Insurance." Legislation followed against the objectionable use of trees in 1782 only to be repealed a few months later, upon the urgent solicitation of tree lovers. Indignant owners of the debarred properties immediately set about organizing a rival insurance company so that they might have the trees which were " agreeable and convenient to them." The new company sprang into existence in 1784 and the badge or house mark was naturally a leaden tree on a shield- shaped board. Thus was born The Mutual Assurance Company for Insuring Houses from Loss by Fire, more frequently called the " Green Tree." The subscription papers were lodged with William Craig in Second Street and John Philips at the corner of Front and Pine. The office was opened by John Jennings, Clerk, at his house in Quarry Street between Moravian Alley and Third Street and notice was given that Matthew Clarkson, in Front between Market and Arch Street, " will also receive appli- cations " for insurance.
When the original deed of settlement was drawn up at the meeting in September, 1784, trees were allowed by the policy, under a charge of 17 to 20 shillings, with a proviso that they should be kept trimmed down to the eaves of the house, and if any tree was planted and not reported within a year, the policy should be declared void.
The charter was obtained February 27, 1786. The incorporators named were Matthew Clarkson, William Craig, Benjamin Wynkoop, John Phillips, John Clement Stocker, Thomas Franklin, Isaac Jones, John Harrison, Joseph Sims, Philip Wager, James Cooper, Presley
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Blackiston and John Wharton. These were also named as trustees of the company until the annual meeting in the following October.
The act of incorporation also created the office of treasurer, and named George Emlen as the incumbent of that office, directing, at the same time, that he should remain in office until the annual meeting of the insurers on the first Monday of the October following.
The office of president does not appear for many years after the commencement of business by the company. Those who were occasionally called president received this title only by virtue of being the presiding officer at the meetings of the board of trustees. The title of president was not recognized in the by-laws. The senior member of the Board usually presided.
In the old records of the company the following refer- ences to the president are mentioned: "January 13, 1810, the death was announced of the late President, Thomas Ewing, May 13, 1811, William Poyntell, president. Octo- ber 14, 1812, James Read, president, and occasionally chairman. November 10, 1813, letter from James Read, Esq., resigning his seat as president of the board." Octo- ber 5, 1814, Robert Wharton, president to October 7, 1829; 1830, Daniel Smith; 1834, James C. Fisher; 1841, Richard Willing; 1855, Thomas Biddle; 1857, George Cadwalader; 1879, Samuel Welsh; 1890, John Lambert; 1901, S. Weir Mitchell; 1906, J. Dickinson Sergeant; 1909, Henry W. Biddle.
The list of the company's treasurers is as follows: 1786- 96, George Emlen; 1796-1801, Joseph Sims; 1801-02, William Poyntell; 1802-03, Paul Beck; 1803-05, William Poyntell; 1805-29, John B. Palmer; 1829-33, John Clement Stocker; 1833-56, Lawrence Lewis; 1856-81,
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David Lewis, and 1881 up until the present time, Clifford Lewis.
In the old days meetings were held in the Court House, City Hall, Indian King, and the house of Henry Knorr, on the Schuylkill, until the purchase of an office, in 1812, at No. 54 Walnut Street. The company continued to meet here until 1856, when it purchased the building No. 526 Walnut Street, where it retained its offices till the occupancy of its present buildings, Nos. 238-240 South Fourth Street, on November 1, 1912.
It is related that at the time of the death of President Washington, the news reached the board of trustees while at their monthly dinner. Since that period the memory of the first President of the United States has always been revered by a standing toast upon these occasions.
The method of effecting insurance in the company has always been quite simple. A deposit is paid at the time the policy is issued, the property continuing to be insured as long as the deposit remains with the company. In the event of a policy-holder wishing to discontinue his insur- ance, the amount of the deposit was returned to him on demand, less 5 per cent., and the policy cancelled.
There have never been any stockholders in the concern, and the interest received from deposits invested created a fund out of which to pay the losses and expenses.
Nearly every Philadelphian is familiar with the metal badges of the Fire Insurance Companies which appear high up on the front walls of the older houses, but few realize the significance which these fire-plates-or, more properly, fire-marks-bore in the early days of fire insurance.
With the modern fire department trained to respond quickly to all fires, without question as to whether the
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building menaced is insured or not, it is difficult for us to conceive of a fire company answering the alarm and, dis- covering that the building did not bear the mark of their own insurance company, quietly going home and to bed, leaving the fire to be put out by the owner with what assist- ance he might get from his neighbours. Yet such was the practice of the Fire Brigades of the early days. Each insurance company maintained its own corps of men trained to extinguish fires, and their activities were strictly confined to buildings insured in their own company. Indeed, one English company made it a rigid rule that its firemen were not to render assistance at any burning build- ing which did not bear its own distinctive mark. The mark therefore was very useful. Many insurance policies were not complete until it had been affixed to the house.
With the advent of the paid Fire Department-or even before, when the various volunteer fire companies agreed to overlook selfishly material considerations and in accordance with truly humane principles offer their assistance at every fire-the fire-mark lost its former use- fulness and became merely a decorative emblem of the company. Hence, the distinction between the fire-mark and the fire-plate, the former being useful and the latter decorative.
The use of the fire-mark seems to have originated in London, and was almost coincident with the founding of the system of fire indemnity. It was in 1667, immediately after the great fire which devastated that metropolis, that Dr. Nicholas Barbon established the first office for the transaction of fire insurance. In 1680 his business was taken over by a company called the Fire Office. This company maintained a fire brigade, the first of the organ- ized and trained volunteer companies. It is at this time
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FIRE PROTECTION
that the use of fire-marks began. They were made princi- pally of lead, though later they seem to have been of tin, copper and cast-iron. The numbers of the policies for which they were issued were either stamped, cut out or painted on the bottom. The marks were then painted, often in red and gold, making a very brilliant appearance. Most companies would not issue a policy for over £1500 sterling; hence it frequently happened that a building having several of these gay marks affixed, would present to the world a decorative effect truly Oriental and bizarre. A rhyme published in 1816, referring to a certain Eng- lish lord, aptly says:
" For not e'en the Regent himself has endured
(Though I've seen him with badges and orders all shine Till he looked like a house that was over insured)-"
On this side of the water the use of fire-marks began with the establishment of fire indemnity. The Philadel- phia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire was fashioned after the Amicable Contribu- tionship of London. Its mark of four leaden hands, clasped and crossed, and mounted on a wooden shield, was a modification of the two clasped hands of the London Company, and hence was known as the " Hand-in-Hand " Insurance Society. That they early turned their thoughts to the matter of a proper fire-mark is shown by the fact that at the meeting of May 20, 1752, Hugh Roberts, one of the directors, was directed " to treat with John Stow about making the marks for Houses Insured," and on July 22, 1752, " An Order was drawn on the Treasury to pay John Stow for One hundred Marks, the Sum of Twelve pounds, ten Shillings." It would appear, therefore, that the use of fire-marks began in this country in 1752.
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The assured was charged seven shillings, sixpence- or about a dollar and eighty-seven cents-for policy, sur- vey and mark. Lest it be thought that the Contribution- ship derived an extraordinary profit from this charge, it must be said that the marks cost two shillings, sixpence apiece; the same sum was paid the surveyor for each sur- vey, leaving only about sixty-two cents to cover the cost of the policy, affixing the mark, and each policy's propor- tionate share of office expenses.
The usefulness of the fire-mark in those early days is clearly shown by a significant extract from the minutes of the meeting of October 3, 1755, wherein it is related that the directors
" proceeded to View the House of Edward Shippen in Walnut Street No. 103, that was damaged by means of a Fire which happen'd at the House of William Hodge, situate in that Neigh- bourhood; Which House of E. Shippen having no badge put up. The Directors observing that much of the damage was done thro' Indiscretion, which they think might have been prevented had it appear'd by the Badge being placed up to Notify that the House was so immediately under their Care; to prevent the like Mischief for the Future; It is now Ordered that the Clerk shall go round and Examine who have not yet put up their Badges ; and inform those that they are requested to fix them immediately, as the Major part of the Contributors have done, or pay Nathaniel Goforth & William Rakestraw, who is appointed for that service."
Upon the cancellation of the insurance on a building an allowance of two shillings, sixpence was made for the return of the mark, thereby reducing the original cost of the policy. This original cost remained seven shillings sixpence until the Revolution, when because of the great demand for bullets, the clerk was " ordered to receive seventeen shillings Earnest for each policy after this date,
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FIRE PROTECTION
the Price of Lead being so much increased as to make this necessary."
Franklin refers in his Autobiography to the origin of the first volunteer fire company, which has already been mentioned, and says:
" The utility of this institution soon appeared; and many more desiring to be admitted than we thought convenient for one company, they were asked to form another, which was accordingly done, and this went on, one new Company after another being formed, till they became so numerous as to include most of the inhabitants who were men of property."
Among the early companies was the Queen Charlotte, all of whose members were from the German Lutheran Church; the Northern Liberty Fire Company, the Dili- gence and the Hand-in-Hand, organized in 1741. Among the incorporators of the last were Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Rush, Robert Morris and John Clymer.
The Hand-in-Hand claimed to have a continuous existence from 1741 to 1870, but there has been some dis- pute as to whether its existence was continuous, and an important law case grew out of this controversy, with much taking of testimony, in 1858, the issue being whether the Hand-in-Hand or the Hibernia was entitled to march first in the Firemen's Parade.
The Hibernia, the nationality of whose founders can- not be in doubt, was formed in 1852. Upon its coat-of- arms was appropriately placed the motto, " To assist the suffering and protect the weak."
From the By-Laws and Minutes of the Hibernia, one learns something of the methods of fire fighting in those days. Each member had to provide two leather buckets, two bags and one large wicker basket with two handles. The bags and baskets were used to save articles of prop-
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EARLY PHILADELPHIA .
erty, and the use of the buckets is obvious. This personal fire apparatus was to be kept by the member in his hall, immediately by the front door. At an alarm of fire, given on a great gong by the State House, each member was to put candles in the windows of his own home, so that his fellow-firemen would know which house should first re- ceive attention, for under the constitution of the Hibernia it was only "when none of our own houses, goods and effects are in danger." If the alarm sounded at night, a member would hurry to his front door, put his buckets, bags and baskets into the street where others on the way to the fire might pick them up and take them along promptly. He would then hastily dress and rush to the scene.
Even prior to the formation of the Union Fire Com- . pany, there was in Philadelphia a sort of fire engine which had been imported from England by a public-spirited citizen. The Hibernia imported another engine in 1758. A bucket line would form from a pump neighbouring to the fire, or from the Delaware River, and the buckets would be filled, passed from hand to hand along the line, and poured into the little hand engine. Water was precious, so the gutters would be dammed up to catch any that ran back from the fire, and this would again be bailed into the engine. In 1791, the Union procured 80 feet of hemp hose, which was kept in salt pickle to preserve it. This kind of hose did not work well, but constantly leaked. In 1803 someone invented a leather hose of spiral strips of leather riveted together, sold at 80 cents a foot; and 300 feet were purchased by the Hibernia.
In 1781 Franklin had cause to write in the Autobi- ography: " so that I question whether there is a city in the world better provided with the means of putting a stop
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