Engine Company Competition

The Fire Department owned two steam fire engines which did very good work for years. With these two engines came tremendous competition between the two engine companies. One crew was called, "The Irish Brigade." It consisted of men by the names of, "Hugh O'Neil, Pat O'Brien, James Hanlon, Edward Higgins, Mike Farrell, Frank McPeak, Dan McCashen, and Daniel Hennessy. (Hennessy later became a multi-millionaire in Missoula Montana and is buried in Butte MT). Their steamer was the 1874 Silsby steamer called 'The City of Fredericton'.

The other company was named, "The Hawthorn Company" and consisted of men by the names of, John Hawthorn, Fred Todd, Jim Smith, Hersey, and others. They manned the 1867 Amoskeag steam engine called 'Alexandra'. Hawthorne and Todd owned two famous fire hounds which would rush to the station at every call of the fire bell and seemed to enjoy the company rivalry. On one occasion in a contest of efficiency, as the story goes, the Hawthorne hound seized the tow rope of the rival engine and forced the crew to give up their holds so that the Hawthorne-Todd crew took first honours.

In another competition between the two steamers, was a contest to see which one could get water up the steeple of the methodist church. The Amoskeag won, but nearly blew up in the process. Water was pumped from a cistern or well near the Barker House Alley.