HAMBURG, GERMANY: July 3, 1906 – During the afternoon hours, workmen repairing the clock in the steeple of the huge St. Michael’s Church accidentally ignited a fire that swept upward through the 426-foot-high tower and spread across the entire church. The alarm was sounded and within 40 minutes, the flaming steeple collapsed and fire had spread to 12 nearby structures. Three workmen and 20 other civilians were killed and 30 firemen were injured, two of them critically.
NEW YORK CITY: July 3, 1906 – A three-horse team galloped down Second Avenue in Manhattan, pulling Engine 35’s steam pumper to a reported fire. The driver, Martin O’Leary, was strapped onto his seat and Captain Williams and Engineer Dunn stood on the ash pan in the rear. As they responded, they were suddenly cut off by an auto and the engine swerved to avoid the vehicle. Realizing they would then collide with a trolley car, O’Leary pulled up on the horses turning back toward the auto. The rig grazed the car, throwing O’Leary up and over the galloping team as they and the rig smashed into a steel railroad pillar. O’Leary, unconscious, suffered a broken leg and serious internal injuries.
LONG BRANCH, NJ: July 5, 1906 – A sparking wire caused a fire in the basement of S.R. Guggenheim’s summer home on Ocean Avenue. A general alarm was sounded and the fire department responded quickly. Lines were stretched and the fire was contained, although it caused several thousand dollars in damage.
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ: July 8, 1906 – A moving-picture machine exploded in a theater, causing a panic in the audience of 2,000 people. The crowd rushed for the exits and jammed the doorways, causing numerous minor injuries. The assistant manager was seriously burned by the blazing projector and was rushed to the hospital.
WINSTON-SALEM, NC: July 14, 1906 – Firemen responding to a house fire were startled to find the family murdered in their beds. The husband, wife and three children were killed by burglars who then set the home ablaze. Two other children escaped both the attack and the fire.
PATERSON, NJ: July 21, 1906 – An afternoon fire destroyed a tapestry factory that made goods for two prestigious Manhattan firms. The fire originated in a storage loft inside the large mill building. Flames spread with amazing speed and the building was fully involved in short order.
NEW YORK CITY: July 29, 1906 – The FDNY placed its first ambulance into service this morning. The gleaming white rig was powered by a team of white horses and would respond to special calls for its service. The custom-made ambulance was designed to transport injured fire horses.
SOUTH FRAMINGHAM, MA: July 29, 1906 – Two walls of a partially constructed brick-and-cement building collapsed and trapped more than 20 workers. The fire department arrived and began rescue operations in the twisted debris. Faced with a tremendous collapse area with numerous trapped men, help was sent from a nearby army base. After hours of dangerous work, nine men were removed injured, but alive. Eight were known dead and several were still missing.
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.
