formed, in Nov. of 1892, with the following firemen elected as officers: G. H. Holbrook, president; Theo. Fleisher, vice president; Frank Merritt, foreman; J. E. Hoyle, secretary; and A. G. Heck, treasurer.

Mayor Heck, councilmen Becker and Holbrook, and city attorney Garter traveled to Lime Springs to witness a demonstration of chemical fire engines. Two engines, one of 55 gallon capacity, the other 100 gallons, were ordered at a price of $1500. Unfortunately before this equipment was delivered, another in the series of disastrous fires destroyed the town's new "fire-proof" city hall and seriously damaged business buildings owned by Ole Thompson, A. Gleisner and T. Scheidelmantel. A contract for the new seat of city government was let to Anton Zwack on his bid of $3360 for a 28' X 60' brick structure.

In October, R. W. Anderson's summer kitchen caught fire. The alarm was sounded and the new chemical engines were brought to the scene. The blaze was extinguished, but not before the kitchen was gutted. There was no damage to the Anderson house only a few feet away. Editor Carter is lavish in his praise of the new equipment. He suggests fire drills to familiarize the crews with the operation of the engines. He complained that the lack of full personnel may be due, in part, to failure to allow the firemen exeption from the poll tax as provided by Iowa statute.

The chemical engines were again to prove their worth when a fire in Garter's law office was quickly smothered with damage to his library of only $10 and to the bank building of $150. The editor writes; "Where are those critics who have been calling our engines 'pop and soda' wagons?" However, engineers, Boyle and Broghammer, are quoted as saying, "The little no. 2 was loaded! After putting out the fire, it wanted to put out the firemen." (Evidently, this engine blew a gasket and doused its crew.)

The chemical engines were still in use in 1932, when they were used to fight a blaze in the Brockamp farm house east of town. The fire department's supply of hose was insufficient to reach this conflagration. Unfortunately, the chemical engines were not up to this challenge—the home burned to the ground.

The advent of the town's water system, established in 1917, gave a tremendous boost to control of fires. Water hydrants were installed in every city block, with the water tower furnishing sufficient pressure to reach the tallest of the city's buildings. One of the first conflagrations, after this system's completion, was at the corner of Dessel and Becker Ave. The firemen were jubilant over the ease with which they extinguished this blaze.

By 1900, the department's personnel had expanded to these members: Theodore Fleischer, president; D. D. Rosa, Vice president; J. E. Boyle, secretary; A. C. Heck, treasurer; S. G. Oxley, chief; Wm. Broghammer, engineer of no. 1; A. W. Draheim, engineer of engine no. 2.

FIREMEN