On November 8, 1866, time unknown and exact location unknown. A fire of undetermined origin destroyed a shed containing hay. The
Vigilant and
Cumberland Valley Fire companies answered the alarm. At this time both companies were operating two-wheel hose reels and the Vigilants had their Button hand engine (purchased new in 1860) and the CV's were still using their first engine the "Cumberland Valley" a smaller Philadelphia style engine.
For a three to four year time period during the Civil War Shippensburg Newspapers are scarce so little information can be found. The minutes for the Vigilant's are gone from this time and the CV's have none from this era either because they had become inactive and almost faded away.
Beginning with today's entry I will do a two part installment on the history of the Alert Fire Company in Shippensburg, Pa. For those that read the Shippensburg Sentinel, I ran this in the FD edition a few years ago.
Part 1Alert Fire Company
The Alert was one of four early fire companies in the Borough of Shippensburg, which no longer exists. Information varies as to when the Alert Fire Company formed. The first recorded news article found on the Alert was on February 15, 1849 when the company held a meeting in the Council House to elect officers for the year.
It was noted in the Cumberland Valley Fire Company’s minutes from their first organizational meeting in January 1859 that the men who had been members of the Alert, mentioned that the Alert Fire Company was formed in 1843. On April 11, 1887, C. V. Hose Co. President, D. K. Wagner, delivered a speech to the company, giving a brief history of the Alert Fire Company, which he stated organized in 1830.
On January 22, 1878, an old “Shippensburger” wrote that in the 1840’s, the Vigilant Fire Company hoped of getting a new fire engine and began to lay plans. They succeeded in electing a town council, which was pledged to the purchase of a new fire engine. Council made good on their pledge and purchased a used engine from the Hibernia Fire Company in Philadelphia.
As soon as the procuring of a new engine was found to be a foregone conclusion, some of those pledged to it became suddenly impressed with the importance of a thoroughly organized fire department and proceeded to raise a second company of about 120 members.
The new company asked council to ignore the existence of the Vigilant Fire Company and give them the new engine. However, the conspiracy did not succeed and the Vigilant Fire Company was given the new engine.
After the Vigilant’s took possession of the Hibernia engine, the minors of the borough requested that Council give them the Vigilant’s old engine. The primitive fire engine was named the “Rocket.” When the minors were organized into a company, they took the name of “Alert” and the title of the engine was changed to that of the company.
The “Alert” was a small wooden engine designed like a coffee grinder. The borough may have purchased the engine in 1817. To make the engine work, a line of people with buckets would be formed to keep the box filled with water. One or two men would be on each side of the engine turning a crank that would operate a rotary pump affixed to the top of the wooden box. This caused water to be forced out of a hose, which was mounted on the top of the engine.
In the February 1851 edition of The Shippensburg News, it was reported that the Alert was comprised mostly of young men under the age of twenty.
By March 1851, the Alert was attempting to raise funds to purchase a new engine. A number of citizens had subscribed liberally and council intended to make an appropriation for that purpose.
In April 1854, the company was still trying to get a new engine and laid before Town Council a petition for new fire apparatus. The report from Council was they would grant their petition provided; a majority of the voters of the Borough can be obtained. Once again, an engine was not obtained.
Little is mentioned of the Company over the next three years until the night of Saturday, December 21, 1857. About 9:30 pm, an alarm of fire was sounded in Shippensburg. Firemen pulling the “Hibernia” and “Alert” arrived at the Rev. James Mackley lot on East King Street to find a stack of straw ablaze. Firemen were able to confine the fire to the straw limiting damage.
The Shippensburg News reported that after the fire, a party of lawless characters, whose names were yet unknown, almost totally destroyed the Alert engine. The newspaper went on to state that the engine was not worth much. However, in the event of fire, some good might be accomplished by it. They ventured to say that few engines had attained greater age than it; it’s origins being traced to the seventeenth century.
On December 31, 1857, Council met in special session at the Geeseman & Company shop. The purpose of the meeting was to settle a suit with the members of the Alert Fire Company for damages they did to their engine. The following persons appeared before Council; David Shugers, John Snow, John Boltz, John Middleton, Theodore Smith, George Forney, Wilson Boher and Jacob Gable. It was agreed that the men were to pay the borough 86 and one-half cents each.
In January 1858, Council paid Joshua Wright $5.00 for work done on the Alert engine. It was agreed in council session that the engine was useless and no more repairs should be made. On April 26, 1859, Council sold the Alert engine to Joshua Wright for $3.00.
After the engine was destroyed, the Alert Fire Company disbanded. It is unknown where the Alert housed their engine when in service.
Part 2 on Friday November 9
This is the only photograph I have ever found of the Keystone's ladder truck, it was taken in Hagerstown in front of the Pioneer's building. Additional information on the truck along with the short history of the company will be posted at a later date.
Chief Tinner looks good on the orange and white and I know Kenny has to be proud to see his son on a KME.
