Rekindles: June 1996

June 3, 1896: NEW YORK, NY A burning rag blown from the chimney of a restaurant on Sixth Avenue, near 13th Street, ignited the wooden cupola of the American Musee, formerly known as Worth's Museum. The fire department arrived and extinguished the small fire but not before a hole was burned through the wood. The hole was little worry to the management, but three trained doves escaped from the cupola and flew away. This left the star performer a magician appearing that night without most of his act.

June 8, 1896: TORONTO, ONTARIO Fire broke out at 7 P.M. in the McKendry & Co.'s large department store on Yonge Street. The building was quickly filled with flames and the fire threatened another large department store and structures. Diligent work by firemen held the fire to the original building.

June 11, 1896: NEW YORK, NY Fire swept through the American Horse Exchange on the corner of Broadway and 50th Street. More than 100 horses perished in the blaze. One hundred carriages, many of them extremely expensive, were destroyed. Four alarms were transmitted and arriving firemen had to contend with sheets of flames that shot from the hay lofts and had to dodge excited horses running loose in the streets.

June 11, 1896: PIKES PEAK, CO Strong winds pushed a forest fire up the northwestern slopes of the famous mountain, damaging several square miles. The smoke column extended a mile over the 14,110-foot peak.

June 19, 1896: BARCELONA, SPAIN A large blast in an explosives factory shook the country's second-largest city and chief port. A panic followed as frightened citizens believed anarchists were blowing up the city. Firemen moved in and extinguished the remaining flames to prevent further explosions. One person was killed and three were injured.

June 19, 1896: LONDON, ENGLAND The International Fire Brigade Tournament was opened in the Royal Agricultural Hall. U.S. attendees included those from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, Michigan and Florida. Montreal and Hamilton represented Canada.

June 21, 1896: WEST CARTHAGE, NY A disastrous fire swept through the town during a quiet Sunday afternoon. The blaze originated in a furniture factory, then spread to two mills and a butter tub factory.

June 22, 1896: SAN FRANCISCO, CA A three-story wood-frame building on the corner of Fifth Street and Mint Avenue collapsed during the afternoon. The building, occupied as a restaurant on the lower floor and a lodging house above, was burning briskly as firemen arrived. Rescuers controlled the flames and dug out a dozen injured and trapped people.

June 26, 1896: POINT PLEASANT, WV Flames leaped from the Denton millinery store to the Harper Brothers furniture store, then to the Filsen Brothers hardware store. Several small buildings and the Harf Opera House were also destroyed.

June 29, 1896: ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND Forest fires burned across the northern portion of the island, leaving 20 families homeless in Botwoodville. Flames also destroyed a Methodist church, Salvation Army barracks, the court house and 35 homes on Pilley's Island. Great efforts saved an exposed powder magazine.

June 29, 1896: HOUSTON, TX A three-story building that was home to The Daily Age newspaper on Congress Street was the scene of an explosion at about 3 P.M. The building's engineer was operating the boiler when it exploded and rocketed through the rear wall of the newspaper building, across a vacant lot and crashed through the wall of the Southern Pacific Railway Office. The mangled heating unit killed two people in the railroad building before coming to rest over 300 feet from its boiler room. The building engineer was also killed; his hand was found some distance away, still clutching the water valve.