Jan. 2, 1904: BERLIN, GERMANY – With the world still reeling from the horrific Iroquois Theatre fire in Chicago the month before, fire departments around the world were on high alert. A blaze caused by short-circuiting electrical wires broke out in the cloakroom of the new Royal Theatre during a performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” A fireman stationed at the theater discovered the fire and extinguished it without alarming the audience.
Jan. 3, 1904: WOODBRIDGE, NJ – The explosion of an acetylene tank in the cellar of the Keasby Inn set fire to portions of the structure, seriously injuring 30 people. The blast toppled walls and set areas of the rubble on fire as the more than 500 guests attending a reception were driven into a major snowstorm outside to escape the smoke and flames. One man made his way to the cellar and held the flames with a stream of water from a faucet.
Jan. 4, 1904: DES MOINES, IA – A fire of unknown origin swept the northwest wing of the state capitol building, causing a half-million dollars in damage. The fire department was hindered by the height of the structure and difficulty in getting streams on the fire, which ran behind several false ceilings. The governor, wearing a rough coat and rubber boots, helped firemen stretch hoses.
Jan. 5, 1904: MONTREAL, CANADA – Fireman Frank Hutt was killed by falling walls as he helped battle a blaze in the exclusive Mount Royal Club. The club’s secretary was killed and several other people, including two firemen, were seriously injured. A defective flue was the apparent cause of the fire.
Jan. 7, 1904: AUGUSTA, ME – Flames that were first noticed near the furnace of the huge Whitman & Adams Store spread with amazing speed to the adjoining property. Mutual aid was quickly requested from the Gardiner, Howell and Waterville fire departments. The combined forces battled the flames for five hours, holding it to two blocks. Several firemen were injured, including Chief Ricker.
Jan. 12, 1904: LOWELL, MA – The third major fire within a week destroyed three blocks of businesses on Merrimac Street. Five firemen were injured battling one of the most stubborn blazes the department faced in many years. The four-story interconnected brick buildings warehoused dry goods that helped to fuel the flames.
Jan. 15, 1904: PATERSON, NJ – As flames swept through the Hinchcliffe Brewing Company at Governor and Ann streets, members of Engine Company 7 ascended a ladder to direct their stream toward the base of the fire. During their operation, the ladder failed, hurling them to the street below. Fireman Hugh Kelly was critically injured and Captain James O’Neill and Fireman Thomas McGill were less seriously injured.
Jan. 16, 1904: BUFFALO, NY – Fire spread among the wholesale establishments and warehouses in a triangular block at Pearl and Erie streets. Five firemen were injured, one seriously battling the four-hour blaze. Streetcars, trains and vehicular traffic were all halted during the height of the half-million-dollar fire.
Jan. 28, 1904: NORTH TONAWANDA, NY – Half a square mile of glowing embers was all that remained of one of the largest lumber yards in the region. Flames raced across the entire north end of the island, consuming more than 15 million feet of lumber. The fire started shortly before midnight in the White, Rider & Frost Company’s yards and was soon out of control. Help was requested from Buffalo, Lockport and Niagara Falls as the entire end of the island was evacuated. The fire was believed to be arson.
Time Capsule
JAN. 22, 1904: BROOKLYN , NY – FIREMAN KILLED IN HUGE BLAZE
A fire swept through a huge, square-block building at 123 Plymouth St., the home of E.W. Bliss Company, a manufacturer of torpedoes and projectiles for the U.S. armed forces. More than 1,500 workers were evacuated from the building as employees attempted to fight the fire. The flames originated in an electrical box and spread with lightning speed to a shaftway that ran the height of the six-story building.
As the first-due Ladder Company 68 (now Ladder 118) arrived, flames were pouring out of the sixth-floor windows. Using the aerial and then a scaling ladder, Lieutenant George Gibson led his men toward the roof, pulling a hose with them. At the tip, the officer reeled and fell over to the horror of the huge crowd of spectators. Gibson fell until he was caught by one of the protruding rungs of the ladder, where he hung momentarily before falling to the pavement below. Severely injured, he was immediately tended to by an ambulance physician, but succumbed to his injuries within several minutes.
The blaze quickly escalated to four-alarms. Chief Lally pulled his men back as the roof became a sea of flames and began to collapse inward. The spectacle was witnessed by throngs of people who used the Brooklyn Bridge as a vantage point.
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.
