Rekindles: November 2005
Nov. 5, 1905: ISHPEMING, MI - When the telephone operator at the Miners' National Bank Building at Bank and Main streets was found unconscious, a gas leak was suspected. Two men were sent to the basement to investigate. Within moments, a powerful explosion tore through the structure. Firemen rolled up to find the bank severely damaged, four people dead, scores injured and glass from nearby buildings covering the street.
Nov. 6, 1905: NEW YORK CITY - Firemen were battling a stubborn basement fire in a five-story tenement on St. Nicholas Avenue in Manhattan when a collapse occurred, burying Engine 67's nozzle team and their officer. Brother firemen struggled in the thick smoke to uncover their comrades from the tons of brick and mortar. One by one, those entombed were recovered and passed out until finally the lifeless body of Assistant Foreman Daniel J. Sheehan was found and gently removed.
Nov. 13, 1905: BROOKLYN, NY - A five-story factory on Meserole Avenue in the Williamsburg section was the scene of a three-alarm fire that trapped many workers. Fire companies arrived to see fire on every floor and through the roof, while most of the 500 people who worked in the huge building had escaped and filled the street. Above, 30 women were pressed at windows, crying for help. Firemen sprang into action; life nets were opened, ladders were thrown and firemen hustled upwards on fire escapes severely exposed by flames. All those trapped were rescued, although several were slightly injured as they jumped into the nets below.
Nov. 15, 1905: ALBANY, NY - A huge store on North Pearl Street caught fire and virtually brought the city to a halt. Flames tore through the structure and halted the entire streetcar system. The fire affected a large section of the city's electric power grid as the flames burned large overhead feeder wires.
Nov. 16, 1905: PITTSBURGH, PA - A panic began to take hold of the crowd attending the convention of American Federation of Labor in Old City Hall as smoke drifted into the room and a cry of "Fire!" was given. President Samuel Gompers rapped his gavel loudly and brought the crowd quickly to order. The small fire was quickly extinguished and the meeting was soon back to business.
Nov. 19, 1905: BROADFORD, PA - A huge whisky distillery adjacent to the train tracks was the site of a wind-driven fire that filled the night sky with blue, alcohol-fed flames. The main warehouse burned to the ground as wooden barrels burst one after the other, constantly fueling the fire. In all, more than 800,000 gallons of whisky valued at $4 million was lost.
Nov. 21, 1905: PARLIN, NJ - Four men were killed by an explosion and fire in the laboratory of the International Smokeless Powder Company. The explosion killed the men working in the lab at the time and started a fire that spread quickly to other parts of the complex. Firemen struggled to stop the fire at the second structure and feared further explosions until the flames were finally stilled.
Nov. 24, 1905: MAPLEWOOD, NJ - The Old Hickory Inn, a frequent visiting place of Theodore Roosevelt, was destroyed by an afternoon fire. The house was located on the Ridgewood Road and had been built about 40 years earlier. It was considered at the time of its construction as one of the finest structures in the region.
Nov. 26, 1905: LINCOLN, MA - Sixteen people were killed and two dozen seriously injured in a railroad wreck at the Bakers Bridge Station, about 1.5 miles outside Lincoln. Apparently, an express train crashed into the rear of another passenger train, causing a derailment and fire. Passengers and trainmen joined firemen in freeing those trapped in the wreckage as the flames in the wooden cars were held at bay.
Paul Hashagen, a Firehouse contributing editor, is a retired FDNY firefighter who was assigned to Rescue Company 1 in Manhattan. He is also an ex-chief of the Freeport, NY, Fire Department. Hashagen is the author of FDNY 1865-2000: Millennium Book, a history of the New York City Fire Department, and other fire service history books.