June 2, 1901: JASPER, TX - A conflagration that started as a result of the robbery of the local post office almost wiped out this small Gulf town. At about 3 A.M., robbers set off a large explosion that blew open the post office safe. They escaped with the cash, but left behind a fire that was soon raging out of control. Nearly the entire business district and 17 houses were soon in flames.
June 5, 1901: VALLEJO, CA - A chemical reaction caused the ignition and explosion of a large magazine of smokeless powder at the Mare Island Navy Yard. Twenty tons of the powder exploded, taking off the top of the magazine and creating a smoky fire situation that continued for hours.
June 5, 1901:WELLSVILLE, NY - A fire in the cellar of Otis & Day's Hardware Store caused an explosion that destroyed the rear of the structure and blew several people through a plate-glass window.
June 6, 1901: MILWAUKEE - A fire started near the roof of an elevator that was being worked on by employees. Flames quickly filled the cupola above that housed the elevator machinery. A coppersmith working at the roof level was killed in a four-story fall during the fire.
June 10, 1901: CHICAGO - After more than half a century of service to the Chicago Fire Department, including 20 years as chief, Denis G. Swenie resigned under protest. The 67-year-old chief was unable to pass a physical exam he was ordered to take by the mayor.
June 13, 1901: CLIFTON TOWNSHIP, NJ - More than one million matches caught fire due to a chemical reaction in the Royal Match Factory. The blaze caused several explosions, greatly hampering firefighting efforts.
June 14, 1901: NEW YORK CITY - The horse-drawn steamer of Engine Company 133 in Brooklyn was responding to an alarm when a trolley car filled with commuters pulled out in front of the apparatus. The driver of the fire engine turned his engine directly into an elevated railway pillar to avoid running into the trolley. Engine driver Charles Reichardt jumped off at the last second and suffered minor injuries, but the engineer on the back step, Fred Manning, was seriously injured when the engine overturned.
June 22, 1901: NEWARK, NJ - A major fire swept through a large brush factory on Ogden Street. Flames shot from the structure and ignited adjacent buildings. Flaming embers rained on the neighborhood, causing several fires. The approaches to the Morris and Essex Bridge were damaged by severe heat conditions.
Time Capsule
PATERSON, NJ, JUNE 21, 1901: FIREWORKS EXPLOSION & FIRE KILL 17
A candy and stationery store was squeezed between two other stores on the ground floor of a four-story wooden tenement building at 440 Main St. The owner of the store had recently laid in a supply of fireworks and stored most of them in the cellar. Suddenly, a terrific explosion rocked the store and immediately caused a fast-moving fire. Glass broke, and fire was driven out the windows. Pedestrians a block away were knocked from their feet and every window in the neighborhood was broken. Numerous people were trapped inside the badly damaged wooden building as flames raced through the splintered wood.
Arriving firemen scrambled to put a line in place to shield the injured and trapped people from the growing wall of fire. Captain Allen pressed his men forward in an attempt to keep the fire from the top floor. As they moved in their line, the upper part of the structure leaned out and collapsed on them.
Two hose streams were quickly directed on the burning pile that entombed the firemen. A few moments later, burned and bruised, Captain Allen and Fireman Delaney crawled from the wreckage. Instead of moving to safety, both men dove back into the flaming debris and rescued Fireman Slingland, who they found seriously injured. With a large section of the building hanging over their heads, they dug out the trapped man and rushed him to the hospital.
For more than an hour, firemen fought the fire and pressed into the building to search for those trapped inside. Despite the heroic efforts of the firemen and several civilians, nine women, six children and two men were killed.
Compiled by Paul Hashagen
