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Engine Company No. 23
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Engine
Company No.23 Truck Company No.5 in service . Rescue Squad 23 in service Disbanded Squad 23 in service . E23 and Squad 23 moved to FS9 . . . Engine Company No. 23 (reopened) |
10/02/1910 |
225 East Fifth
Street |
10/02/1910 |
Engine Company 23 and Truck Company 5
225 East Fifth Street
1910 to 1921
Late in September, 1910, the new engine house for 23 was finished and dedicated. It contained three stories, and on the ground floor, in addition to space for the new auto truck with 65-foot ladders (which had not arrived) it had ten stalls for horses--the reason for having quarters for horses when the equipment was to be motorized not being clear either at that time or now. The editors of the local papers took occasion to expand at great length upon the extravagance of those who would provide a mantel of Vermont marble, over which a mirror of French bevel glass hung so high that only a seven-footer could see into it, paneling of Peruvian mahogany, polished oak floor, and leatherette wall covering in the reception room on the third floor. The chief's suite opened off this reception room and contained a marble shower and a tub large enough for two chiefs. In the "boudoir" was a mammoth brass bed and three mahogany lockers. Across a narrow light well was another suite of two rooms and bath equipped similarly to the chief's quarters, finished in Peruvian mahogany, with floor of polished oak. One reached the third floor either by stairway of metal with wainscoting of white tiling and a hand rail of nickel plate, or one could ride in the automatic passenger elevator. There was also a freight elevator, and of course, exit by the conventional brass poles. On the second floor were the quarters of the captain of the house, assembly room, reading room with built in bookcases with doors of leaded glass, and the dormitory with twenty beds and twenty lockers. One editor disappointedly remarks that this floor only had white oak finish, rather pretty, you know, but much inferior to the polished Peruvian mahogany of the upper floor. Another seemed to feel that only six brass poles from this floor were wholly inadequate--that there should have been one for each man--a gross oversight on the part of those who were so lavishly spending the taxpayer's money. And now to the ground floor, with its 24-foot wide
arcade running from one end of the building to the other. Along the walls were the
ten stalls for the horses, of which one was our old friend "Searchlight," the
chief's wonder horse who knew the alarms better than most of the firemen. These
stalls had sides of sheet metal and floors of wood with the latest approved sanitary
arrangements--no doubt thoroughly appreciated by the horses. Hay for the horses was
kept in a loft on the third floor which was approachable only by the freight elevator from
the ground floor. |
Engine Company 23 and Truck Company 5 |
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ENGINE 23 TRUCK 5
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Jerry the Fire Eater Adjoining "Searchlights" stall was that occupied by "Jerry the Fire Eater," who earned his sobriquet "fire eater" by his amazing liking for cigar or sigarette butts. Many a time he would be seen chewing a cigar butt from which the smoke was still curling as he ate. Jerry was no doubt the original "snipe" shooter, and when he could not find a "snipe," he would nuzzle the clothing of anyone passing near enough and his sensitive nostrils told him that here was a snack of "Bull Duram" or a handful of "Granger Twist." Jerry picked up many amusing
tricks, one of which was his ability to make faces. He would elongate his
upper lip, showing his teeth, drop one ear back and leer in a most amusing
fashion. But his appetite for tobacco seemed to indicate that he would
certainly die of "tobacco heart." He was very fond of apples and
usually sensed when there were any in the station. He was also very
jealous of any attention paid to any other horses, and naturally since
"Searchlight" was the chief's special pet, Jerry must have had many a
heartache. However, his "boss," Captain Banning, and his driver,
Joe Sepulveda, felt that there was no horse ever born like Jerry, and they
managed to favor him in many little ways. |
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Circa 1911 |
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Circa 1911 |
Circa 1911 |
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Source: Captain Duane Warth, LAFD Retired
Engine 23, Truck 5 In year 1915 there was five horses in quarters, two on hose wagon. three on the engine. As all alarms sent in from any place in the City came to ever station, all members had to get up - so many times at Engine 23 you had to hit the floor you had to hit the floor. At one time, from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. ten alarms in, so it was down the pole, climb the stairs. Always three or more alarms at night, so it was a hard job Every time an alarm, hitch up the horses, unhitch if not responding, and at 5 a.m. driver of horses got up to tend to the horses. 6 a.m. roll call for members, then meal time for part of the crew which ended at 8 a.m. - this followed same hours until late meals, then the job, every now then so store upstairs hay, grain, coal, baguettes, when a worker and back the xxxxxxx of wood, excelsior in the fire box of Engine, Engineer had to oil his engine, so it was always hours of work, then if chemical tank used, it had to be charged, sa a worker at night, hours of work after in quarters. At one time Capt Scott got Lieutenant (who slept in the dormitory) at 2 a.m. to go to the basement where a poker game Scott pulled the blanket off the table and members scattered to bed. The care of the horses was a big job - one member on watch 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., to clean up the horse stall with a shovel and broom. It was a strict rule to keep the horse stalls free of debris. Taps were at 6 a.m., 12 noon and 6 p.m. the horses had to be hitched up and roll call after every alarm. |
Notes by Capt. H. J. Griffith, LAFD retired.
Truck Company 5 |
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