September 11, 2008

Engine Company 6.

Engine Company 6

Photographed last September, the painted door to Engine Company 6:
Engine Company 6 traces its roots back to 1756 when it was organized as a bucket brigade on Crown Street, now known as Liberty Street. After several reorganizations, locations, nicknames, and a bitter rivalry with Engine Company 1, Engine 6 was disbanded in 1846.

The company was reorganized in 1846 as “Americus” and elected William “Boss” Tweed of Tammany Hall as its first foreman. By this time Engine No. 6 was popularly known as “Tiger” due to a tiger’s head painted as part of the decoration on the back of the engine. Thomas Nast later used the tiger in his political cartoons as a symbol for Tammany Hall. The company also adopted the tiger as its symbol.

Engine Company 6 was located in various places in lower Manhattan until it found its current home at 49 Beekman Street. Due to its proximity to the World Trade Center, the engine had a specially built pump that could push water to the top of the 110 story towers. Engine 6 was a first responder on September 11 and hooked into a Trade Center standpipe on West Street. The collapse of the North Tower destroyed the pumper.

AND: More on the men of Engine 6 here, with a picture of the "chalkboard called a 'Riding List' [that] shows the duty roster for September 11. It was never erased."

8 comments:

rhhardin said...

``There is the falchion, and then sometimes you must speak abruptly into the face of grief, for grief gives bad advice. Grief will tell you to throw your heart into the grave with the dog's corpse, and this is ecologically unsound. The ants will take care of the corpse in a few weeks, but a discarded heart stinks for quite some time.''

Vicki Hearne ``Oyez a Beaumont'' _Animal Happiness_ p.94

Anonymous said...

Never forget. Never forget. Never forget.

Trooper York said...

God bless those men and their families. They had a terrible job that day and gave their lives to try to save others. We could only wish we could do the same if we are ever called on to give the last full measure.

All the politics and posturing don't really add up to a hill of beans in the face of their heroism. Of course very few people will acknowledge it. They want to score political points like the other threads today.

I just hope that their families know that many of us remember and remember them and their departed sons and fathers and brothers in our prayers.

George M. Spencer said...

Excellent shading in the top central parts of the eyes to show the shadows cast by the brows.

Nose is kinda flat, though

The Drill SGT said...

These words were written for another purpuse, but they feel right here:

We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate - we can not consecrate - we can not hallow - this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Craig Landon said...

George,

Screw you

Faithfully yours,
Craig Landon

Gray said...

Interesting example of an addition to a quote here [thatt] doesn't really improve the orginal statement, Althouse!
:D

Angst said...
This comment has been removed by the author.