Aug. 6, 1904: ST. JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND – A number of settlements and huge supplies of lumber were destroyed by forest fires. The outskirts of St. John’s were threatened as flames moved toward the city. A force of policemen and citizens joined firemen on the lines attempting to hold the wall of flames. More than $20 million worth of timber was consumed by the fire.
Aug. 9, 1904: VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA – A huge fire that started in the Albion Iron Works soon swept through the northern residential district of the city. Hampered by poor water pressure and strong winds, firemen struggled to gain a foothold as fire consumed residences on Government Street and spread toward nearby blocks.
Aug. 15, 1904: PARIS, FRANCE – Military garrisons were mobilized, sending soldiers to join firemen as they battled fires raging in the famed ancient Fontainbleau forest. The reinforced firefighting forces faced a six- mile firefront as flames raced through the dense stands of trees.
Aug. 15, 1904: ROSLYN, NY – Following a fire in a house in the Italian quarter of the village, a riot broke out and a man was shot in the leg. As the last of the flames was extinguished, the fire had spread to a church and two barns, a crowd gathered and became agitated as Chief Remsen began to interrogate the homeowner as to the cause of the fire. The owner became enraged and hurled a brick at the crowd. He was arrested by a cop and as he was being led away, the crowd moved in and released him. A pistol was fired and one man was struck in the leg, causing the crowd to disperse.
Aug. 16, 1904: NEW YORK CITY – Scores of firemen, including two battalion chiefs, two captains and two lieutenants, were overcome while operating at a stubborn fire in an engraving and printing company on Cortland Street in Manhattan. As the dense smoke took its toll, firemen moved in and dragged their unconscious comrades back to fresh air. In all, 22 firefighters were pulled from the thick smoke and resuscitated; only two were taken to nearby hospitals.
Aug. 20, 1904: BRIDGEPORT, CT – An explosion during a fire in the powerhouse of the Burritt Lumber Company hurled two men, a building employee and Fireman Thomas Weller, from the roof of the building, killing both. Twenty firemen, including the chief, were buried under a huge pile of sawdust and were rescued by other firemen.
Aug. 26, 1904: ANTWERP, BELGIUM – A fire that started in a Russian company’s oil storage tanks spread to nearby tanks. A strong wind drove flames from tank to tank until 38 of the huge tanks, containing 26.5 million barrels of oil, were ablaze. Two men lost their lives in the initial explosion.
Aug. 29, 1904: BINANG, MANILA, PHILIPPINES – One hundred people perished in the flames and 5,000 were left homeless as fire swept through this city located on the island of Luzon.
Time Capsule
AUG. 8, 1904: BUFFALO, NY – PANIC AVERTED IN BUFFALO THEATER
A fire in a five-story commercial building on Main Street threatened the adjoining Academy of Music and its patrons during an afternoon play. Just before 4 o’clock, flames tore through the commercial building and spread toward the filled theater. As firemen removed those trapped in the fire building, Assistant Fire Chief Murphy took the stage of the Academy of Music and directed a calm and orderly evacuation of the hall. The audience, under the watchful eye of the fire chief, filed from the building as firemen battled the fierce flames next door. The fire quickly destroyed the commercial structure, but no injuries were reported as the large crowd vacated the theater. Considering the fate of similar audiences in recent years (the lives of 296 people were lost at the Brooklyn Theatre fire of 1876 and 602 died in the Iroquois Theater fire in Chicago in 1902), it was amazing no one was injured.
