|
1922
Larchmont
Year in Review
The "Year in Review" interprets Larchmont history, year by year. Larchmonters speak for themselves through the news articles, pictures and official documents of the times. Larchmont Gazette's first year in review is 1922.
|
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RUNS OUT OF CASE ON THE WAY TO THE FIRE
by L. F. Van Zelm
Published in the Larchmonter-Times, 1922
By Ned Benton
During 1922, the Larchmonter-Times published a series of cartoons by L. F. Van Zelm. The cartoons featured local merchants, advertising their stores, and lampooning local residents. Larchmonters today may recognize the names of relatives. The second cartoon focused on Larchmont's Fire Department, which was considering the purchase of a new fire engine. Apparently at least some residents had concerns about replacing old and reliable steam-powered and horse-drawn equipment with new-fangled motorized apparatus -- Engine One.
While responding to a fire, Engine One runs out of gas. Larchmont's Fire Department had an excellent record of performance and a national reputation for excellence. While there is no evidence that an LFD apparatus ever ran out of gas while responding to a fire, there were some bad days. For example, the LFD Day Book includes an entry for August 7th where nothing went right - an engine failed to respond, another got lost in Mamaroneck, and the Fire Chief's car ran into a road sign.
|
 |
 |
At the fire, the occupants tried valiantly to save their store inventory and possessions. Fiallace Brothers was the contractor for construction of Village Hall.
|
Larchmont had many volunteer members of the Fire Department, who responded by foot, car, or even bicycle to the scene.
|
 |
 |
In the lower right corner of the cartoon, the East Creek is shown adjacent to the Post Road.
|
Four local businesses are featured in this section - the Larchmonter-Times which was the local paper that published these cartoons, Zvirin's Stationery Shop, the Manor Garage, and Collins Real Estate.
|
 |
 |
This section of the cartoon features local resident Frank Johnson on the bicycle, who worked at the Parish house and who is mentioned in the January 8 entry of the LFD Day Book Pete Nelson worked at the Manor Garage. A volunteer firefighter with the last name Boshcher is getting some gas for the Engine.
|
To see the entire cartoon at once, click below:
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RUNS OUT OF CASE ON THE WAY TO THE FIRE
|
|
