Show Veteran 11 Red Shirt Tells I Of Early Day Fire F re Fights F Member No Picnic Says Member of Old S. S L. L Volunteer Organization B By CLARE CLARENCE CE WILLIAMS IS Fighting fires tires in Salt Lake City in the early aOs was no picnic if you'll UJ lend nd an ear to William A. A Cardwell of L street president of the Veteran Volunteer Firemen's as who was in a reminiscent ent mood Saturday when he celebrated his seventy fifth birthday Tie The r famous famous anious red shirts of the thes city city's i s fire lighting fighting force which had little equipment to combat fires did some heroic work in stopping s sweep seep ing lag gulping flames In the downtown section Mr Cardwell recalled Some o of the fires we pulled our equipment to in the old days das were darn larn big ones on-es and dangerous too he ie said Ill ru never forget when a n batch of powder powder- stored in the old Jawson Clawson Implement company place back of the Council house exploded and nearly blew down all the surrounding surrounding sur stir rounding dwellings Explosion and Fire That was a fire lire for lor you ou It happened happened hap hap- in June 1883 The Council house was destroyed all the windows were blown out of the Z C. C M. M L 1 the he roof was was blown off the Sava Savage e eart art gallery nearby and sparks ignited the roo roof of ot the L. L D D. D S. S tabernacle We were busy declared the veteran veteran vet vet- eran fire tire eater cater We were handicapped handicapped handi handi- capped because many of the volun volun- cers were attending a celebration at Saltair We had everything under control in five hours however Mr Cardwell shivers when he thinks hinks of the inferno caused cawed when the he old White House building caught fire ire The site of the structure is where the Continental National Bank and Trust company building now stands Was that a fire he remarked We had small water mains then and the pressure was low It was in January Jan Jan- uary 1880 and the snow was deep The structure burned for lor two days I believe this was the biggest early arly ary day blaze He also recalled events concerning the he old Sudbury mill fire firc in City Creek canyon in 1382 First Fire Force Mr Cardwell said the city council organized the first fire lighting fighting force 1 k William A. A Cardwell I in 1853 at which time was appropriated appropriated ap ap- ap to purchase a steam fire lire engine to pump water This he stated had to be torn down and rebuilt rebuilt re reo re- re built during the next five live years I Salt Lake City's first fire lire department department depart depart- ment was organized with paid men in October 1883 he said the same year the red shirts shirts' disbanded For Fora a long time some of the volunteers remained as call men but they had only el eight ht paid fire laddies When lour our organization was at its peak we had 14 companies I Mr 1 Cardwell is a native of or Birmingham Birmingham ingham England and came to Utah with his parents Amos and Harriett Caldwell Caidwell in 1879 1819 He lIe has lived here ever since He has two Iwo living brothers broth broth- ers in Salt Lake City who a also o were members of the old volunteer guard They are John and Lorenzo Card Card- well The veteran returned Saturday from Los Angeles and will be the guest of honor at a family dinner and party at Olt his home Saturday evening ening His wife VUe will be hostess |