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The first mention of any public action concerning fire precautionary measures is found in the Bellefonte borough records of May 23, 1814. J. Miles and Elisha Moore were appointed a committee to draft an ordinance making it the duty of the owners of "dwelling houses" in the Borough., "to furnish them with two leather fire buckets." In January, 1815, the council instructed Richard Miles, "to place a covering over the fire ladders, so as to secure them from damage from the rain." At the council meeting in June, 1816, a paper was read, signed by a majority of the residents, requesting the council to lay a tax for the purpose of procuring an engine, etc., not exceeding seven hundred dollars. In response to the petition a committee consisting of Messers, Shugert, Daniel H. Hastings (future Governor of Pennsylvania) were appointed for the purpose of laying a tax as requested. At the council meeting in March, 1830, Mr. Burnside reported an ordinance for the purchase of a fire engine and the necessary hose and other materials and for protecting the houses of the borough from fire, and for laying a tax to pay the expenses thereof, and for building an engine house. The engine was purchased, and in March, 1831, the council directed the transmission to the county commissioners of a petition asking an appropriation of money to aid in paying for the engine. At the council meeting in May, 1833, council resolved, that "the young men of the borough of Bellefonte be invited to form themselves into a company of firemen in the borough of Bellefonte and vicinity, to be duly organized for that purpose." Future Pennsylvania Governor John Bigler, among others, was a key figure in that first organization. At the same session it was resolved, that "the town council of said borough will deliver said company after their organization full authority over the engine, together with the use of the frame house for said engine back of the court house, and that the council will pay for ladder, fire hooks, and necessary repairs of the engine and engine house." The reference to a fire company doubtless dealt with the existence of the Bellefonte fire company, organized Feb. 16, 1831, at a meeting held that day in the court house, Thomas Burnside was chairman and Franklin Smith secretary. The company had a primitive mud-box machine, called the Little Belt. At fires it was kept filled by the bucket brigade, which was usually under the command of John Lowery. The active members of this company consisted of nearly all of Bellefonte's prominent citizens, lawyers, newspaper editors, congressmen, bankers and merchants.
The scenes which took place at fires one hundred and seventy-five years ago would seem comical to us today. The foreman of the company had a large brass trumpet through which he directed the firemen by shouting orders. He wore a tall beaver or silk hat, as did most of the members of the company. It was a rare occasion when they actually reached a fire in time to save the building. Lines of the bucket brigade were formed from the nearest hydrants, given the task of keeping the engine full of water, while six other members operated the hand pump. From ten to twenty men were used in supplying water to the hoses for every one fireman occupied in actually putting out the fire.
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