From Phil Stenholm: Another installment in the History of the Evanston Fire Department. Pensions and White Elephants In 1913, Captain Thomas Norman, who had been the company officer of Engine Co. 3, was promoted to Assistant Chief Fire Marshal and took over Motor Engine Co. 1. At the same time, Captain George Hargreaves was transferred from Station #1 to Station #3. The Evanston Firemen’s Pension Fund was officially chartered by the State of Illinois in January 1913, and the first pensions were issued in 1916 once the fund was fully funded. Fireman Matthew Maxwell of Engine Co. 3, who had served 20 years, and Engineer William Sampson of Engine Co. 2, who received a disability pension, were the first to benefit. Meanwhile, the widow and minor children of Lieutenant John Watson of Engine Co. 2, who died in 1914 from an accidental aspirin overdose following a back injury sustained in a house fire in 1911, also began receiving a survivor's pension. However, Jack Sweeting’s widow and eight children were denied a survivors’ pension because he died just a week before the fund was legally established. In his 1913 report to the city council, EFD Chief Carl Harrison proposed the complete motorization of Fire Station #1, suggesting that the seven remaining horses could be transferred to the street department or sold. He recommended purchasing an automobile tractor for the aerial ladder truck, a new 50-gallon chemical engine to replace the 40-year-old Babcock model, and a car for the chief. While the council approved $800 for an “auto-buggy†for the chief, they refused funding for the more essential equipment. An Overland roadster replaced the chief’s horse-drawn buggy and Barney the horse in 1914. Despite Harrison’s enthusiasm for motorization, a major setback occurred just weeks later when a bolt broke on the Robinson motor-engine, damaging four of its six cylinders and sending the rig into repair for a month. Frustrated, Harrison told the council that fire departments might always need horses due to the unreliability of early automobiles. Yet, when the Robinson engine was operational, the EFD became a key resource for neighboring towns like Wilmette during the 1910s. One notable incident was a large fire on Railroad Avenue in Wilmette on August 3, 1916, involving a bank, restaurant, and grocery store. October 31, 1913, turned out to be a tragic day. On Halloween, a fire broke out at the home of prominent civil engineer Grafton Stevens on Linden Avenue. Mrs. Stevens was trapped inside, and despite her husband’s heroic attempt to save her, both perished in the flames. The combined efforts of Wilmette and Evanston firefighters couldn’t prevent the tragedy. One of the EFD’s most memorable moments came on December 30, 1913, when Motor Engine Co. 1, known as the "Jumbo," raced to Winnetka in response to a call for help. As it sped down Railroad Avenue, it passed the Wilmette Fire Department’s horse-drawn truck en route to the same fire. The Jumbo quickly helped rescue five residents using its two 25-foot ladders and then used its powerful 750-GPM pump to extinguish the blaze. The Jumbo also played a crucial role in several major fires in Evanston, including the Bogart Building in 1912, Rosenberg’s department store in January 1916, and the Evanston Strand Theatre in December 1917. Although the Robinson Fire Apparatus Manufacturing Company was known for producing fast and powerful custom engines, their machines were also notoriously temperamental. The Jumbo was no exception—often breaking down and spending more time in the shop than on the road. Still, when it was running smoothly, it was a force to be reckoned with. By 1911, when the Robinson engine was being considered by the city council, companies like Seagrave, American-LaFrance, and Ahrens-Fox hadn’t yet entered the market for reliable automobile pumpers. Once these manufacturers began producing durable models, the Robinson’s weaknesses became apparent, and the company eventually went out of business. After that, spare parts were hard to come by, often requiring salvaging from other Robinson rigs—many of which were already long gone. Belt-Driven Air Compressor,Belt Driven Compressors,Car Belt Driven Compressor,Available Belt-Driven Compressor Jiangsu Minnuo Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd. , https://www.minnuoindustry.com
On Christmas Day 1912, 52-year-old Assistant Chief Fire Marshal J. E. “Jack†Sweeting passed away from stomach cancer after a 25-year career with the Evanston Fire Department (EFD). He joined the department in 1887 when it was still a part-time paid force, and he became one of the first three full-time firefighters in 1888. Sweeting was the first to be promoted to captain in 1895 and later to assistant chief in 1905. His entire career was spent at Fire Station #1, where he served as the company officer for Motor Engine Co. 1 at the time of his death.
Evanston Fire Department history Part 22