Keeping a Promise. (The Goodness of America).(terrorism, United States)(Brief Article)

Nancy Turner is principal of White Knoll Middle School in Columbia, South Carolina. In the wake of September 11th, White Knoll students were anxious to help the recovery effort. Since dozens of rescue vehicles had been destroyed, they settled on a project to raise sufficient money to purchase a new fire truck for New York City's Fire Department.

Principal Turner, while gathering information about types of fire trucks and their cost, ran across an obscure incident that occurred 134 years ago. It served to bolster the resolve of both students and the community to succeed.

In 1867, the Palmetto State's capital was struggling to recover from the devastation of the Civil War. Among other things, the burning of the city during the war had destroyed its fire station and equipment, forcing firefighters to rely on clumsy bucket brigades. When the New York Fireman's Association learned about the plight of its Southern brothers, it instigated a collection to purchase and send a hose-carriage to Columbia. When the first fire wagon sank during shipment, more money was raised to buy another. As recalled by the Associated Press last November, "Former Confederate Col. Samuel Melton was so overwhelmed that he promised on behalf of South Carolina's capital to someday return the favor 'should misfortune ever befall the Empire City."'

According to Principal Turner, most adults who learned about the ...