CHAPTER XI.

THE P.VID DEP.\RTMKNr, 1S91 to 1895.
COM.MISSIOXERS  .ArPOIXTED    AND    OrO.VXIZED—.SELECTIOX   tiF     MEMBERS  AXD

Officers of Comf.xxies—New Code of Disciplixe and Etiquette—
Heavv Fires to Begin witfi—The First Fatality; Death of
Goldex .VXD Parer.x—The Gruxewai.d Fire axd its HERfiEs—Gold
Medals Awarded—Death of Charles E. iMcDoxALn—AIutual Bene¬
fit Flxd Proposed—.A Departmext Libr.vkv—.St. Charles Hotel
Fire—The Fire Departmext Reoroaxized Uxder State L.vw—
De.xianhs for Ixcreased .Apparatus axd Force—First Yk.xr ov the
Mutual Relief axd Be.xefit Fuxd—Citizkxs axd Underwriters
Combine for Additioxal Facilities.

IHE first step toxvards the formal organization of the new depart¬
ment in 1891 xvas the appointment of a Board of Fire Com¬
missioners and officers ; and these xvere named by the Mayor
as soon as under the ordinance he was authorized to do so, in
order to have all in readiness for starting the nexv machinery on the
appointed day. The original Board consisted of Mayor Joseph A.
Shakespeare and Police Commissioner Thomas Agnew, ex-officio members,
xvho were succeeded in May, 1892, by Mayor John Fitzpatrick and Police
Commissioner C. Taylor Gauche, respectively ; and the following Fire
Commissioners, whose terms, decided by lot, expired with the years set
against their names—Joseph H. DeGrange, Commissioner-at-Large,
Upper District, (.Acting President) 1898 ; Gustave Pitot, Commissioner-
at-Large, Lower District, 1898 ; John F. Simpson, First Municipal Dis¬
trict, 1897; Frank Barker, Second District, 1898; Charles Noel, Third
District, 1896 (resigned May i, 1892, and succeeded for balance of term
by H. Miestier) ; J. J. Kuhner, Fourth District, 1894; Dr. W. H. Riley,
Fifth District, 1895 ; H. VVellman, Sixth District, Dec. 15, 1892. Andrew
A. Roland was appointed Secretary  and Treasurer of the  Board, John