From Phil Stenholm:
Another installment in our ongoing series on the History of the Evanston Fire Department.
Pensions and White Elephants
On Christmas Day 1912, 52-year-old Assistant Chief Fire Marshal J. E. “Jack†Sweeting passed away from stomach cancer after 25 years of service with the Evanston Fire Department. He had joined the department in 1887 when it was still a part-time, paid force, and was one of the first three men appointed as full-time firefighters in 1888. Sweeting was also the first to be promoted to captain in 1895 and later to assistant chief in 1905. He spent his entire career at Fire Station #1, where he served as the company officer of Motor Engine Co. 1 at the time of his death.
In 1913, Captain Thomas Norman of Engine Co. 3 was promoted to Assistant Chief Fire Marshal, taking over as the company officer of Motor Engine Co. 1. Meanwhile, Captain George Hargreaves was transferred from Station #1 to Station #3. That same year, the Evanston Firemen’s Pension Fund was officially chartered by the State of Illinois, and the first pensions were issued in 1916 once the fund was fully funded.
The first recipients were Fireman Matthew Maxwell of Engine Co. 3, who retired after 20 years, and Engineer William Sampson of Engine Co. 2, who received a disability pension. Tragically, the widow and eight children of Lieutenant John Watson of Engine Co. 2, who died in 1914 from an accidental aspirin overdose due to chronic back pain from a 1911 fire injury, also became eligible for a survivor’s pension around that time. However, Jack Sweeting’s family was denied a survivors’ pension because he had passed away just a week before the pension fund was legally established.
In his 1913 report to the city council, EFD Chief Carl Harrison advocated for the complete motorization of Fire Station #1, suggesting that the seven remaining horses could be transferred 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 an automobile for the chief. While the city declined funding for the tractor and chemical engine, they approved $800 for an “auto-buggy†for the chief, leading to the arrival of an Overland roadster in 1914, replacing the chief’s horse-drawn buggy and his horse, Barney.
Despite his enthusiasm for motorization, Harrison faced setbacks. Just a week after submitting his report, a bolt failure damaged four of the six cylinders in the Robinson motor-engine, sending the rig into repair for a month. Frustrated, Harrison told the council that fire departments might still need horses due to the unreliability of early automobiles.
Nevertheless, when the Robinson engine was operational, the Evanston Fire Department became a key source of aid for neighboring communities. In 1916, the EFD responded to a major fire on Railroad Avenue in Wilmette involving a bank, restaurant, and grocery store. The Jumbo, as the Robinson engine was known, became a symbol of speed and power, even if it was prone to breakdowns.
On October 31, 1913—Halloween in Wilmette—a devastating fire broke out at 514 Linden Avenue, the home of prominent civil engineer Grafton Stevens. Mrs. Stevens was trapped inside, and despite heroic efforts, both she and her husband perished in the flames.
The Jumbo’s finest moment came on December 30, 1913, when Motor Engine Co. 1 raced up Railroad Avenue to assist the Winnetka Volunteer Fire Department. As they arrived at the scene of a fire at the Winnetka Merchandising Company, the crew used two 25-foot ladders to rescue five residents before their powerful 750-GPM pump helped bring the fire under control.
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.
While the Robinson Fire Apparatus Manufacturing Company was known for building fast and powerful engines, its vehicles were often unreliable and temperamental. The Jumbo was no exception, spending more time in the shop than on the road. Still, when it was running smoothly, there was no denying its speed and strength.
By 1911, when the Robinson engine was considered by the city, no other companies had yet produced reliable triple-combination pumpers. However, as Seagrave, American-LaFrance, and Ahrens-Fox began producing durable and dependable units, the Robinson could not compete. The company eventually went out of business, and spare parts became scarce—often requiring salvaging from other Robinson rigs, if any were available at all.
Metal Spray Bottles,5Ml Perfume Atomizer Bottle Spray,Portable Mini Refillable Perfume Atomizer,Aluminum Bottle With Aluminum Spray Cap
Wuxi Yogo Material Co.,Ltd , https://www.yogobottle.com