April 1, 1905: WATERFORD, NJ – A devastating forest fire that began in Cedar Brook by a man burning brush destroyed thousands of acres of woods. The townspeople of Russeltown aided their neighbors in New Brookline and helped prevent that town’s destruction. The cotton, lace and dye mills of Braddock were also saved.
April 2, 1905: BALTIMORE, MD – Flames from forest fires almost totally encircled the city as strong winds fanned the conflagration. Acres upon acres of timber ignited and firefighters from the communities surrounding the city made heroic stands to stop the spread of the flames.
April 2, 1905: HYDE PARK, NY – Sparks from a passing steam locomotive set fire to woods adjoining the picturesque stone house on the point overlooking the Hudson River. Flames quickly swept through the home with a loss of more than $10,000.
April 2, 1905: GALVESTON, TX – The steamer Lampasas, which sailed from this city several days earlier, returned to its pier with a fire in its main hold. The hold was filled with cotton and heat from the blaze buckled the ship’s main deck.
April 3, 1905: SCITUATE, MA – A party of 12 Wellesley College girls vacationing in a country cottage saved the vacation spot as wind-driven flames threatened several buildings. Forming a bucket brigade and by battling the fire with brooms, they halted the fire before it extended into the structures. Several girls attacked the burning brush while others used the buckets to douse a fire on a wood roof as two of their friends ran a mile to report the blaze. The fire was extinguished before firemen arrived.
April 4, 1905: WILLIAMSBURG, MA – A carelessly discarded cigar was reported to have ignited a blaze that destroyed the fire station, including a chemical engine and hose wagons. Mutual aid from Haydenville was required to extinguish the fire, which spread to several adjacent buildings.
April 5, 1905: ORANGE, MA – Two serious fires, one in the Putnam Opera House and the other in a residential section, burned out of control despite the best efforts of town firemen. Calls for help were requested of Athol and Greenfield fire departments.
April 10, 1905: HORTON, WV – A spark from an engine on a logging road set fire to woods, then spread to the huge Condon Broom and Lumber Co. mill. Strong winds pressed the flames into more than 150 company homes adjacent to the plant.
April 14, 1905: SPRINGVALE, ME – A large part of the town business district and a number of homes were destroyed by a fire that started in a shoe factory. Flames leaped from block to block as mutual aid was requested from neighboring departments. One building was dynamited to stop the spreading fire.
April 17, 1905: SOUTH ORANGE, NJ – When rival town and village firemen arrived at the same hydrant, a brawl ensued that allowed a house fire to gain considerable headway. Firemen cooled off and doused the blaze, but not before the building was destroyed.
April 21, 1905: ROME, NY – The Verona Springs Sanitarium, a three-story building with accommodations for 150 people, was accidentally destroyed when the building’s owner overturned an oil lamp while examining the attic. He had to break through the ceiling and drop into the room below to escape the raging 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.
