If there was a significant fire or emergency that occurred 100 years ago in your department, or your department's 100th anniversary is coming up, please drop us a line for possible inclusion in "Rekindles" in an upcoming issue.
Oct. 1, 1898: COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - A 45-mph wind drove a major fire through the streets in the business district. The fire started in a pile of rubbish beneath the loading platform of the Denver and Rio Grande freight depot at the foot of Cuchares Street at about 2 P.M. Firemen battled the wind-driven flames for more than four hours with help from the Denver and Pueblo fire departments. A strip four blocks long and two blocks wide burned to the ground with firemen concentrating on stopping the moving wall of fire. The wind stopped by the late afternoon and the blaze was contained. The Antlers Hotel, one of the largest in the West, major lumberyards and many commercial buildings were destroyed.
Oct. 1, 1898: WISCONSIN and COLORADO - Major forest fires tore through large sections of both states, driven by high winds and dry conditions. Many people were missing as the flames burned the hardwood forest between Rice Lake and Cumberland, WI. Fires also burned through the extensive lumber areas outside of Chippewa Falls, WI. Meanwhile, on the western slopes of the Rockies fires continued to spread, threatening the towns of Kokomo and Hahn's Peak.
Oct. 4, 1898: LOWELL, IN - Arsonists struck this small town during the early-morning hours. Even though the town had no organized fire department, the arsonists took the time to tie the town's fire bell so it could not be sounded. Three hours later, 14 businesses were in ruins.
Oct. 4, 1898: CUBA - The United States transport ship Obdam left Cuba with numerous sick soldiers being transferred to hospitals in Puerto Rico. The ship had to turn back to port after fire broke out in its coal bunker. The ship's captain conferred with military officers on board, and soon a fire team of willing sick and injured soldiers was battling the blaze in the ship's hold. Some concern was given as the flames began impinging on the ship's powder magazine. Brave work by the fire teams averted a catastrophe and the ship was able to return to port.
Oct. 5, 1898: POUGHKEEPSIE, NY - A late-night fire flashed through a private dwelling, trapping a woman and her five children. The mother awoke and was able to drop four of her children out the window to a neighbor. The fifth child died from smoke inhalation. The father, who was a baker, was at work at the time of the accidental blaze.
Oct. 7, 1898: WEST ASBURY PARK, NJ - Fourteen buildings in the business section went up in flames. Mutual aid was called from Asbury Park, Ocean Grove, West Park, Bradley Beach and West Grove before the flames could be brought under control. An ex-chief of the West Park Fire Department fell through the roof of one of the buildings and broke his wrist.
Oct. 8, 1898: ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - A block of amusement buildings and stores on the beach front was left in ruins as fire swept through the district. Within 20 minutes, firemen were faced with an acre of seething flames fanned by a sea breeze. The fire threatened the entire town and mutual aid calls went out to Camden and Philadelphia. The call for help to Philadelphia was canceled after two pumpers from Camden arrived and helped exhausted local firemen bring the fire under control. Twenty buildings housing more than 50 businesses were burned. Two large merry-go-rounds were destroyed and a dozen families were left homeless. The blaze was believed to be the work of a disgruntled former employee of a business in one of the fire buildings.
Oct. 24, 1898: BROOKLYN, NY - The biggest waterfront fire since 1864 raged all afternoon and well into the night as flames leaped from ship to pier to building. Sailors aboard the British four-masted sailing ship Andorinha discovered a fire in its hold, and the flames spread quickly. Four alarms were sounded as the fire consumed bales of cotton, bales of jute, saltpeter, shellac and raw silk before spreading to nearby pier buildings. Firemen were hard pressed to protect another ship nearby loaded with turpentine, benzene and alcohol. New York City fire boats assisted Brooklyn's fire fleet.
Oct. 26, 1898: CHICAGO - Seven hundred pupils of the Lewis School at 61st Street and Princeton Avenue were quickly and quietly removed from the school building while a fire was raging inside. The fire was discovered by the principal in her office; she sent the janitor to call the fire department. The principal went to nearby classrooms and told the children if they got dressed quietly and left the building, they would get the day off. The scholars took her at her word and soon were outside before realizing the structure was ablaze.
TIME CAPSULE
OCT. 16, 1927: PITTSBURGH FIREMEN CAUGHT IN COLLAPSE
At 10:29 P.M., a civilian walked up to Pittsburgh Fire Station 33 and reported a fire in the nearby six-story brick building at 931 Penn Ave. Arriving firemen found a fire raging through the fifth floor of the structure and threatening to spread to the floor above. A second alarm was sent in at 10:41 P.M., sending an additional five engines and a truck company to the scene along with Chief Richard Lee Smith.
Despite the efforts of the 18 engines, three truck companies, the emergency squad and a water tower battling the blaze from nearly every vantage point they could reach, the fire continued to spread. The third alarm was transmitted at 11:03 P.M., bringing the total up to 28 engines plus the other units now battling the blaze.
The fire had spread from the original building to a six-story building to the west and an eight-story building to the east. The eight-story building housed the Pittsburgh Drygoods Company, one of the largest wholesale mercantile structures in the city. As the flames swept across the top floor of the Pittsburgh Drygoods building, the fire weakened a huge water tank on the roof. Without warning, the tank toppled over and crashed through the roof down to the second floor of the building, pushing out a large section of the brick wall as it fell. The wall showered firemen below with tons of hot bricks and debris.
Firemen on a fire escape of an adjacent five-story building had been directing a hose stream into the fire when the wall collapsed on them. Waves of firemen descended into the collapse area to rescue their trapped brothers. Digging through the scorched rubble they pulled out a number of injured men. Two members of Engine 5, Captain Coslett and Hoseman O'Toole, were removed with severe injuries and both later died as a result of these injuries.
Many other firemen were also injured by the collapse, other flying debris or smoke inhalation. More than 280 firemen (both the night and day tours) battled the stubborn fire. The Pittsburgh Fire Department operated for 19 hours and 15 minutes before the fire was declared under control.
Paul Hashagen
Compiled by Paul Hashagen
