Union Historical Fire Society Delaware Valley Chapter S.P.A.A.M.F.A.A. The Union Historical Fire Society website www.unionhistoricalfiresociety.com The REGISTER Newsletter editor theregister@unionhistoricalfiresociety.com 2013 Officers President... Joe Landy joetmugs@comcast.net Vice President... Robert Zulinski Corresponding Secretary... Chris Straub secretary@unionhistoricalfiresociety.com Membership Secretary... Mike Kush membership@unionhistoricalfiresociety.com Treasurer... Craig Glass, Jr. Sergeant at Arms... Mike Parks Director... John Lambing, Jr. Director... Mel Shapiro Director... Ken Snyder Director... Kelley Straub Up Coming Events 2, November 2013 (Sat) - Nashua, New Hampshire Handtub Junction USA is pleased to announce it s 14th Annual Fire Memorabilia Auction. St. Philip Greek Orthodox Church, 500 W. Hollis St. Preview 4-6 pm. Auction starts at 6 pm. For additional information visit: http://tinyurl.com/kcd3lzh 30, November 2013 (Sat) - Wallington, New Jersey Wallington Fire Department s Annual Holiday Night Parade. Parade is Saturday night starting at 6:00 pm. For additional information visit the website: http://wallingtonfdholidayparade.webs.com or contact: richard.pelcher@gmail.com with any questions 7, December 2013 (Sat) - Lewes, Delaware Lewes Chambers of Commerce Annual Christmas Parade. The parade starts on Savannah Road at 5 o clock. For additional information visit the website: http://www.leweschamber.com 7, December 2013 (Sat) - Wampum, Pennsylvania Christmas Parade. 1:00 pm at the Old School Gymnasium, Main St. Extension, Wampum, PA 16157 (Come in Clyde St. Parking on site). Parade line up is on Wampum-New Castle Road. Step off is at ~1pm. For additional information contact Noob at blueshepp@gmail.com 7, December 2013 (Sat) - Blackwood, New Jersey Blackwood Fire Company 26th Annual Christmas Parade. Commencing at 6:00 pm the parade will begin at the Blackwood Plaza. For additional information visit: http://www.blackwoodfire.org/ 5-8, February 2014 (Wed - Sat) Charleston, South Carolina 2014 Winter SPAAMFAA Conference. For full schedule of events and registration forms www.spaamfaa.org/pdf/2014_registration_ Packet.pdf. For more info email emodelmack@aol.com There is a complete list of events on the Union Historical Fire Society website under calendar. If you would like your event listed with us, please email your event to: secretary@unionhistoricalfiresociety.com Union Historical Fire Society Delaware Valley Chapter of S.P. A. A. M.F. A. A. P. O. Box #596 Havertown, PA 19083-0596 The REGISTER Newsletter Dated Material
The REGISTER NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 2013 Issue 150 Delaware Valley Chapter of S.P.A.A.M.F.A.A. www.unionhistoricalfiresociety.com Newsletter of The Union Historical Fire Society President Report I would like to thank the Merion Fire Company and Chief Tom Hayden, Jr. for hosting the September meeting. Members had an opportunity to see a film of the Autocar plant fire from 1956. Once again, it is time to let your voice be heard! On the agenda at the November meeting is the nomination of officers for 2014 Board of Directors. Enclosed with the newsletter is a nomination form. If you are interested in running, please complete the form with your name and position for which you are interested in running and submit to Michael Kush, chairman of the nomination committee, by November 9. Nominations will also be accepted from the floor during the meeting. If you have an interest, please become involved in your society. We encourage all members to become active in the Union Historical Fire Society and attend a meeting or two or any of the upcoming events. On behalf of the Union Historical Fire Society, I wish you and your loved ones a merry and healthly holiday season and a joyous New Year. Joe NEXT MEETING OF THE UNION HISTORICAL FIRE SOCIETY WILL BE HELD AT: Mack South Fire Station, Allentown, PA Sunday, November 10th, 2013, 10:00 a.m. The next regular meeting of the Union Historical Fire Society will take place at Mack South Fire Station, located at 1902 Lehigh Street, Allentown, PA 18103. Directions to Mack South Side Fire Station Training Academy: Take I-476 N. to exit #57/Lehigh Valley, Keep right at the fork, and merge onto US-22 E, Exit onto PA-309 S via ramp to Allentown/Quakertown, Exit onto PA-309 S toward Quakertown, Take exit 57 for Lehigh St, Turn left at Lehigh St for 3/4 of mile. The Fire Station is on the left. Parking is on the Vultee St side of the station. If you need additional directions, please see the direction tab on left side of the website or please phone: 610-999-6732. Please join us for refreshments prior to the meeting, followed by the bimonthly regular meeting. After our meeting, there will be lunch. Members are welcome to bring along a guest, and newcomers are welcome. On the agenda will be nominations for 2013 Board Officers. For GPS use: 1902 Lehigh Street, Allentown, PA 18103 Mack South Fire Station f
Union Historical Fire Society Minutes Minutes from Merion Fire Company, Ardmore, PA held on Sunday, September 8, 2013 President Joe Landy called the meeting to order at 10:00 with 18 members in attendance. After the pledge of allegiance to the American Flag and a moment of silence, a motion was made by Joe Landy to dispense with the reading of the minutes from the previous meeting held on July 14, 2013 at Dewey Fire Company, Hellertown, PA. The motion to dispense with the minutes was 2nd by Mike Kush. The motion was accepted. President Report: President Landy welcomed all the members and thanked the Merion Fire Company for the use of their fire station. President Landy also welcomed Dave Napier from SPAAMFAA National to the meeting. Fire Chief Thomas Hayden, Jr. gave the members a brief history of the Fire Company, which was started in 1890 and is 123 years old. It was originally manned by workers of the Autocar factory and built by members of 7 stations of Lower Merion. The fire company averages 400 calls per year, which are mostly commercial in nature. Finance Report: The finance report was prepared by Craig Glass, Jr. and presented by Joe Landy. A motion was made by Mike Parks to accept this report. The motion was 2nd by Butch Denny. The motion was accepted. Membership: Mike Kush reported that there are 215 members: 142 Active members, 46 Life members, 15 Distinguished Life members, 4 Affiliate members, 4 Honorary members, 3 Organizational members, and 1 Courtesy member. A motion to accept this report was made by Kelley Straub. The motion was 2nd by Butch Denny. Motion was accepted. Correspondence: Chris Straub reported receiving a letter from Seaside Heights promoting their upcoming vintage parade on October 5, 2013. Joe Landy reported receiving a call from Bill Anderson from Cradle of Liberty chapter about co-sponsoring the 2015 Summer SPAAMFAA convention. Joe will be calling a meeting of the Board of Directors to discuss this opportunity. Communications: Chris Straub reported receiving several newsletters from other groups and circulated them to the members. Committee Reports: Burn Foundation Committee: Mike Kush reported that the Lehigh Valley Burn Center needs a Laser treatment light, ipad, and lidocaine crème for burn treatments. We also plan to add to the Burn Buddies Fund in the amount of $1000. Mike Kush made a motion to allocate the funds for these items; the motion was seconded by Chris Straub and accepted by the members. Activity Committee: Joe Landy reported that he is looking for interesting places for next year s meetings. By-laws Committee: No report. continue on page 3 2
Fire Service in Philately Founded in 1976, we are an international organization devoted to the study and collecting of fire stamps, pictorial fire cancels and post cards of fire engines, fire personnel, fire prevention and fires. l Quarterly Newsletter (Fire Stamp News) l Yearly Dues $15.00 l New Issue Service l Informative Articles For more information and a sample copy of Fire Stamp News Contact: John Zaranek, 81 Hillpine Rd. Cheektowaga, NY 14227 jczaranek@roadrunner.com Group photo from the September meeting at Merion Fire Company, Ardmore Pennsylvania Member of the Society stand in front of Hockessin Fire Company s 1967 Autocar pumper January Meeting of Union Historical Fire Society located at NORRIS HOSE FIRE STATION NORRISTOWN, PA SUNDAY, JANUARY 12th The History of the Helmet Frontispiece Continued from page 6 Presentation fronts were made by well-known craftsmen who spared little in the design and materials, using precious jewels and gold and silver inlay. These presentation fronts were larger in size than the standard eight inch working fronts, with some ranging as high as thirty inches. Besides their use in parades, these presentation frontispieces were exchanged between fire companies, given to an individual as an award, or made to mark a significant event. They were a source of great pride and were displayed prominently. Today, the frontispieces are only 6 high instead of the 8 with the fancy holder. The fronts are made from several layers of leather. The hand-cut, hand-sewn lettering has been replaced by hot leaf stamping. Many companies have even elected to use decals on their helmets instead of the leather fronts. During the 150 years of their use, the Helmet frontispieces have been a source of both company and individual pride. There have been many changes to the size, materials, and use, but their purpose remains the same, identification of the firefighter and his company. These collector pieces continue to increase in demand and value. Wear your helmet front with pride. This article is reprinted from Union Historical Fire Society The REGISTER, Nov-Dec 1981 Mark your calendar Union Historical Fire Society SPRING MELT 2014 Saturday April 13 Sunday April 14 7
The History of the Helmet Frontispiece By Scott Schimpf The History of the Helmet Frontispiece The earliest frontispieces were made by individuals for their own helmets; these frontispieces were a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. The origin of the frontispiece of the fire helmet has been associated with the helmets of the Hessian soldiers during the Revolutionary War. The first official mention of the frontispiece was by the Common Council of New York in 1812. The Council stated that, the lettering and numbering of the fire caps should be as uniform as possible. What is interesting is that the frontispieces used by these New York firefighters were not only uniform, but strikingly resembled the front of the Hessian soldiers. The purpose of the early frontispieces was twofold: identification and security. The primary need was to identify the firefighter and the fire company. The second reason was the need to distinguish between firefighters and looters. During this time, there was a lack of manpower to pump the engines and a lack of turnout gear. With the use of frontispieces, the men authorized to fight a fire could be identified from looters on the firegrounds. The early frontispieces had a crude appearance. They were made from a single piece of heavy sole leather with the company designation painted on it. In the 1830 s, Henry T. Gratacap, the foremost fire hat and helmet maker at the time, made the first stitched helmet front for Ebenezer Silleck, foreman of Engine 14 of New York City. For this frontispiece, Gratacap used two pieces of leather, cut the numbers 1 and 4 in white leather, put a piece of black leather behind the numbers, and hand stitched them together. He also reversed the pattern and stitched the number 14 directly on the black leather. These two methods are still used today. Gratacap continued to be one of the leading manufacturers of helmets and fronts until 1859, when he sold the business to Jasper and Henry Cairns. Cairns remains a leader in the business of helmet and frontispiece manufacturing to this day. The tradition of the helmet frontispiece has survived throughout the years. The Chief or Engineers fronts were gilded and usually have an oil painting of the Company s fire engine on the front. Foreman, Assistant Foreman, and Officers had fronts in black lettering; firefighters displayed front pieces with white lettering. In most firehouses, there was a further differentiation between ladder, hose, and engine companies. The front pieces of a ladder company had a crossed hook and ladder across the company number. Hose and engine companies had a coiled hose around the company number or around the edge of the front itself. Today, black fronts indicate engine companies and red fronts indicate ladder companies. In addition to the type of company, these fronts would also display the rank of the wearer. Engineer, Hoseman, Foreman, Chief, Captain, and Lieutenant were some of the ranks displayed on these frontispieces. Parades were and still are an important part of the life of the firefighter. Nothing was spared for a parade and many firehouses had special fronts made strictly for use in parades. Instead of the leather working helmet fronts, these fronts were made of polished nickel with an embossed gilded design. In addition to nickel, brass, copper, and tin were also used. At times, works of art and oil paintings by famous apparatus painters and portraits were used. 6
Spring Melt: Mike Kush reported that work on the Spring Melt will begin in January. Tom D Arcangelo will be assisting Mike with all the preparations. This year, the Society will used targeted advertising in fire media instead of the Morning call or the radio ads. The plan is to place press releases in First Responder in PA/NJ/DE and Fire News in NY in advance of the event. Chris Straub also talked about adding New England states for advertising as well. We are also planning to feature Hahn trucks on the T-shirt for next year. Web Site: Chris Straub reported that the website had 3,600 hits since the last meeting, with 143, 476 hits in total. Chris reported that the website has been updated and several upgrades have been made to the site. Trading Cards: Joe Landy reported that the best of show from the Muster will be the piece for the next trading card and they are working on this card. Muster Committee: Joe Landy discussed the 2014 Muster. The Goodwill Fire Company is anxious for next year. Next year, there will be articles in the PA Fireman and First Responder magazines about the Muster. A discussion ensued about ways to increase attendance at the Muster. Flyers will be distributed to the vendors at the Melt and to attendees, and sent throughout the Lehigh Valley. Next year, there will be a water rocket competition to increase interest and participation. The date will be moved to July to decrease competition with other events. The tentative date is July 27, 2014. Interaction Committee: This year, the Society increased its presence in the area by attending Musters held by other groups, visiting different firehouses for meetings, and encouraging many different groups to participate in the Spring Melt and Muster. Old Business: None. New Business: None. Good and Welfare of the Society: None. Next Meeting: The next meeting of the Union Historical Fire Society will be held Sunday, November 10, 2013 at Mack South Fire Company, Allentown, PA at 10:00 a.m. 50/50 was won by Barry Beck. Union Historical Fire Society Minutes continued from page 2 Motion to adjourn was offered by Stu Lathrop. The motion was 2nd by Chris Straub and accepted. The meeting was adjourned at 11:15 a.m. Minutes by Kelley and Chris Straub After the meeting, Chief Hayden, Jr. showed film of the July 31, 1956 Autocar fire that was extinguished by the Merion Fire Company. 3
Silsby Manufacturing Company Photo s by Jack Norbeck The Silsby Manufacturing Company of Seneca Falls, New York & Wissahickon Fire Company, Ambler, Pennsylvania, Silsby Steam Fire Engine by Jack C. Norbeck, NORBECK RESEARCH By 1845, the Silsby Manufacturing Company would, make steam engines and establish itself in substantial quarters along the banks of the Seneca river. What Silsby manufactured in their plant was the Silsby rotary steam fire engine. It occurred to Mr. Silsby that the principle of the Holly pump could be applied to the steam fire engine. Less than thirty years later, the company would become the largest manufacturer of steam fire engines in the world. By 1885, more than half the fire engines in use in the United States and Canada had been made in the Silsby plant in Seneca Falls. In time, Mr. Silsby s sons, Horace, Charles, and William, would join their father at the plant. The company made many products, including the steam fire engines, hose carriages, hose carts, hose wagons, and the Holly rotary pump. By the time the steam era ended, Silsby had produced more engines than any other builder. Silsby built engines of seven different sizes, with pump capacities ranging from 400 gpm for the 4,000 pound Sixth Size to 2,000 gpm for the 7,500 pound Extra First Size. Wissahickon Fire Company got their Silsby Steam Fire Engine, type 2D, 600 gpm, horse-drawn in 1896. The Engine s Manufacturing number is 2483. A complete restoration of this engine was started in June, 1984. When disassembled, the pump and steam engine were found to be in excellent condition. The only part requiring replacement was a brass packing bushing on one of the engine shafts. The wheels were removed and sent to Wittmer Coach Shop in New Holland, Pennsylvania, for spoke straightening and alignment. Re-painting was done by the members of the Wissahickon Fire Company and by Howard Loring and Steven Kemmann. Upon completion of painting, parts were sent to Steve Heaver, Jr., in Baltimore, for replacement of the gold leaf. 4
& Wissahickon Fire Company, NORBECK RESEARCH Three problem areas were discovered during work on the project. The boiler, which had been changed from a Silsby boiler to a LaFrance nested tube boiler in 1890, proved to be unsafe for operation and required replacement. The new boiler, built by Boiler Erection and Repair Company of Ambler, Pennsylvania, is of the smoke flue type similar to the type used by the American Fire Engine Company on their engines and later Silsby engines. The decorative outer boiler jacket contained numerous stress cracks rendering it useless. A new covering was constructed and donated by Jack Cox of Cox Sheet Metal Company, of Scranton Pennsylvania. Finally, the feed water heater tank was rusted beyond repair and had to be replaced. Three individuals rendering considerable technical assistance were: Steve Heaver Jr., of Baltimore, Maryland, Chief Jack Robrecht, Retiree of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Steve Frady of Liberty Engine Company #1 in Virginia City, Nevada. Left: Wissahickon Fire Company s Silsby Steam Fire Engine. Right: Delaware Valley Volunteer Fire Company, from Erwinna PA., their pumper. The company started in 1935 and their first fire truck was a 1938 Ford pumper. Today s president is Doug Skelto.n. Photo by Jack C. Norbeck, NORBECK RESEARCH The late Walter Rice from Newville, PA with his team of Percherons hitched to Wissahickon s Silsby Steamer. Coming out of the bridge at a trot. Photo by Jack C. Norbeck, NORBECK RESEARCH Erwinna covered bridge in Bucks County, PA built in 1871, 56 feet long, 15 feet width and a town truss. Owner is the State of PA. The late Walter Rice from Newville, PA taking his team of Percherons hitched to Wissahickon Fire Co., from Ambler, PA, to their Silsby Steam Fire Engine. The engine built in 1896 and they are on there way to the covered bridge. Photo by Jack C. Norbeck, NORBECK RESEARCH A good exmple of Wissahickon Fire Company s trailer used to haul their steamer. Photo by Jesse Hayden, Assistant Engineer. Big Thank You; Wissahickon Fire Company, Jesse Hayden, Delaware Valley Volunteer Fire Company, Mike Schechner, Ben Powell and the late Walter Rich. 5