The evolution of Fire Fighting in Paris

Until 1850, the villagers organized themselves into bucket-brigades. A bucket-brigade was useful for putting out a small fire, or for preventing the spread of flames from building to building. But it was usually helpless in the face of a big fire. Sometimes the distance between the well and the flames was so great that the members were unable to form a continuous line. Sometimes the well or cistern would quickly be pumped or bailed dry And usually the endmen, when the heat became intense, could not get close enough to throw water on the flames and certainly they could not easily throw it from the ground to a second story. Consequently, the townsmen organized new brigades with better techniques and equipment. To begin with, in 1850 they organized five volunteer fire companies, modelled upon those that had already appeared in the larger towns of Canada These brigades were at first independent of one another and of the village council. They had their respective clubhouses and distinctive uniforms. And they were equipped by the council with either a hook-and-ladder wagon or a hand operated fire-engine. To supply the brigades with water, the council constructed a number of public water-cisterns and wells. About 1851, for instance, a big cistern was constructed at the corner of Burwell and Dundas Streets. In 1856 a large well was dug in the North Ward. And in 1857 a tank was built beside the Olde Town Hall, to be filled with water from the roof. In 1856, a sixth company was formed After the organizational meeting, George Angus, the captain elect, appeared before the council to ask that his brigade be officially incorporated and be supplied with equipment. The request was gladly granted. Most of the young bloods who could run, climb, or pump, were eager to join one of the volunteer companies The rewards of being a member were considerable. There was the club house where, among the fire-fighting equipment, the members had fun times with boon companions. There were the precision drills on the main street, during which, dressed in a natty uniform, they could glow under the admiring eyes of young boys, old boys, and young ladies. And there was keen and exciting rivalry with other clubs, and dangers under fire, when they could play the hero. At the sound of the alarm, all the local companies would try to arrive first at the fire and go first into action. Each member would run to his club house, hastily don a colorful shirt and a great leather helmet, seize one of the handgrips on the wagon tongue, and then, together with his mates, speed off towards the fire

Until about 1875, these first fire companies served the town well. Then, in that year, the councilors decided that a steam-powered pumping-engine would be more effective. During 1876 and the spring of 1877, they carried on negotiations with manufacturers such as Ronald & Co. of Chatham and A G Gilbert of Gananoque; and finally, they arranged a competition among rival engines as part of the celebrations of May 24, 1877 On the great day, the three competing machines were lined up on the bank of the Nith, a short distance above the River Street Bridge. The intake-hose of each lay in the river; the nozzle end of the outlet-hose lay a thousand feet away at the Town Hall. Large crowds milled around both the engines and the nozzles When all was ready, each machine in turn, after being coupled to the hose, blew smoke from its funnel and puffed vigorously. Its pump labored, and a stream of water shot from the distant nozzle and flew up towards the bell tower. The engine of the Century Steam Fire Engine Company of Chatham forced its stream the highest. When its spout soared clear over the roof of the main building, so loud a sigh of wonder and satisfaction issued from the throng that the walls quivered like those of Jericho This engine was judged the winner The council bought it for the sum of $4,000, and paid $1,100 more for 1,000 feet of hose and a reel The existing fire brigades were then re-organized around this new equipment. Thos. Avers was appointed First Fireman at a salary of $100 a year, and Mather Willson, Second Fireman at a salary of $50 a year. One brigade of 23 men, stationed at the Town Hall, was placed in charge of the steamer; another of 30 men, equipped with a new hand-engine, was stationed at the Junction; and a hook-and-ladder brigade was re-stationed at the Old Village Hall. Furthermore, since the steamer could theoretically pump a mighty torrent, the council had to provide new reservoirs. Thus, we find it having a well dug on the Congregational Square, placing tanks of 500-barrel capacity each at a number of other strategic points, and supervising the construction of a wharf-like structure on the bank of the Grand at William Street and at the Nith Bridge, upon which the steamer could be backed to pump water from the rivers And later in 188o, the new steamer, although at first it excited much interest and was quite spectacular, was sometimes inefficient. Often its hose burst under the usual pressure of 125 pounds; and often, too, its mechanism refused to function. In 1880, when called upon merely to flood the rink, it failed to force the tiniest spray from the nozzle Property owners were naturally perturbed

To be continued next week…