Jan. 1, 1906: JEFFERSON, TX - A late-night fire tore through this north Texas port town, destroying seven stores. As flames leaped from the telephone exchange building, a telephone operator climbed a pole and sent word of the fire directly over telephone wires to Fort Worth.Jan. 1, 1906: JEFFERSON, TX - A late-night fire tore through this north Texas port town, destroying seven stores. As flames leaped from the telephone exchange building, a telephone operator climbed a pole and sent word of the fire directly over telephone wires to Fort Worth.
Jan. 2, 1906: BROOKLYN, NY - A longshoreman, James Cornell, fell into the freezing waters of the East River and was quickly swept away by the strong tide. The fireboat David A. Boody took to the river from its North Eighth Street mooring and headed for the drowning man. Ropes and life rings were tossed to Cornell, but he was too cold and numb to help himself. Firemen Shortell and O'Neill entered a punt (a small rowboat) and moved toward Cornell, who with great difficulty was pulled from the water. He was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition.
Jan. 3, 1906: PHILADELPHIA - A blaze broke out in the basement of the First Presbyterian Church while a meeting of the congregation was going on upstairs. The first puffs of smoke caused people to hurry to exit the church. Firemen arrived to find a well-involved cellar fire and pushed in hoselines as valuable records and religious artifacts were removed from the floors above. It took an hour to control the blaze.
Jan. 3, 1906: SPRINGFIELD, MA - An incendiary fire started in a barn and quickly spread to the chapel of the Highland Baptist Church. Captain Sidney Bowers was leading the nozzle team from Engine 4 into the burning barn when the blazing roof suddenly collapsed, trapping them. Firemen pressed into the burning rubble and rescued three of their comrades, but could not reach the captain in time. The church was destroyed.
Jan. 9, 1906: HAVERSTRAW, NY - The town, built on a huge clay bank, was the site of a major emergency when five city blocks along Rockland Street disappeared in a series of collapses. Massive sections of clay and earth shifted below, taking along buildings and people. Arriving firemen found numerous people buried under tons of clay, sand and burning debris within the landslide area. As the homes toppled into the abyss, stoves and lamps crashed, spilling their flammable contents and igniting wooden structural members and furniture. Neighbors joined firemen as they began rescuing those trapped below. Firemen were faced with broken water mains and had to run feeders a great distance. Mutual aid from Garnersville arrived and helped in the rescue and firefighting efforts. As many as 22 people were believed buried.
Jan 9, 1906: NEW YORK CITY - A three-alarm fire tore through a dilapidated rear tenement in Manhattan being used as stable housing 75 horses with storage lofts above. Firemen swarmed the building, laddering the structure, moving in hoses and removing the trapped horses. As the last of the horses was led away, the building shuddered and collapsed, hurling men from ladders and trapping a number under the burning debris. Six unconscious firemen were dug out and taken to nearby hospitals in serious condition.
Jan. 10, 1906: MINNEAPOLIS - A fire raced up an elevator shaft and burned into the top two floors of the West Hotel on Hennepin Avenue and Seventh Street, imperiling 700 guests and employees. Crowds watched firemen rescue numerous people trapped at upper-floor windows. Captain John Berwin reached a seventh-floor window by a scaling ladder. He smashed the window, entered the dense smoke and began a search. He located an unconscious woman and began to descend the ladder with her when he lost his balance. Showing tremendous strength, he threw the woman onto a projecting ledge. Unable to regain his balance, the captain fell to his death. Seven other people also lost their lives.
Jan. 21, 1906: PHILADELPHIA - Eighteen people were killed and 50 others were injured when a panic followed a small fire in St. Paul's Episcopal Church on Eighth Street near Girard Avenue. As services were coming to a close, a cry of "Fire!" caused the congregation to rush toward an exit that became jammed with excited people. The mass of people became wedged at the staircase and many were trampled or crushed by others attempting to flee the fire. The flames near the oil furnace were extinguished quickly and firemen shifted their efforts to tending to those injured.
Jan. 27, 1906: McGRAWVILLE, NY - A devastating midnight fire burned through the business section along Main Street. Flames were discovered at the H.T. Palmer Building and a young lad ran to turn in the alarm. Members of Active Engine Company 1 and Corset City Hose Company 2 raced to the scene and were faced with several wooden buildings burning furiously. Chief Randall called for mutual aid to Cortland and 45 minutes later Waterwitch Steamer Company 1 and Hitchcock Hose Company 6 joined the battle. Over a dozen structures were lost to the flames.
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.
