June 3, 1902: HARTFORD, CT - An explosion and fire, caused by lightning, rocked a building on Capitol Avenue. The lighting caused a fire on the second floor that spread to a tank of naptha. The volatile liquid then exploded, injuring one boy. City firemen moved in quickly and doused the blaze.
June 3, 1902: BROOKLYN, NY - As Engine 127 pulled up to a burning apartment building on Broadway at Myrtle Avenue, members realized it was the home of Fireman Joseph Holdsworth, who was riding the back step of the rig. Inside the smoke-filled building firemen were rescuing Holdsworth's unconscious wife as he climbed a ladder and rescued his mother, who was trapped at a smoke-filled window. Several other residents were rescued as the fire was extinguished.
June 6, 1902: YONKERS, NY - A fire in a country mansion-style home on Saw Mill River Road was saved by the prompt and efficient operations of local firemen. As the smoke cleared, two huge illegal stills were revealed. Officials inspected the contraptions that featured direct city water attachments. Fifty-eight barrels of mash whisky were found in one room and a 60-gallon tank of distilled alcohol was discovered in a bathroom. The homeowner was being questioned by the police as firemen packed their hose.
June 9, 1902: SARATOGA, NY - Five people perished and Chief Engineer Elias Shadwick was seriously injured by a fire that started in the Arcade Building. In the original fire building a bank and theater were destroyed. Flames then spread to adjoining buildings before being brought under control.
June 9, 1902: LONDON - A top-floor fire in a four-story building took the lives of nine people when ladders failed to reach the top floor. Trapped victims were forced to jump and were seriously injured. A search later revealed nine young girls had perished in the fire area.
June 10, 1902: ENGLISHTOWN, NJ - A woman drawing some water from a well accidentally fell in and had to rescue herself. When she reached safety she noticed her kitchen on fire and drew a pail of water and extinguished the fire - herself.
June 10, 1902: CHICAGO - Ten people were killed and 34 were injured, three critically, by a fire at the Sanitarium of the St. Luke's Society. After firemen extinguished the fire, city officials moved in and made a number of arrests for operating a sanitarium without a license and for chaining mental patients in their rooms.
June 13, 1902: ALEXANDER CITY, AL - A strong wind spread a fire from the city machine shop throughout the small town. The telegraph office was one of the first buildings lost and virtually cut off communications with the outside world. Every business building in town was lost.
June 13, 1902: PHILADELPHIA - A celluloid fire in a storage room raced through a huge factory, driving hundreds of trapped people to windows. Firemen opened lifesaving nets and caught person after person as they jumped from the upper-floor windows. More than 400 people escaped the fire, many by use of the net.
June 22, 1902: WEST HANOVER, MA - A historic structure built in 1710 and being used as a fireworks factory was destroyed by fire that lasted for nearly three hours. The owner dashed into the blazing structure and moved loose powder in the magazine, preventing the detonation of more than three tons of powder.
Paul Hashagen, a Firehouse® contributing editor, is an FDNY firefighter 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 recently published history of the New York City Fire Department, and other fire service history books.
