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.
Aug. 1, 1897: OTTAWA, IL The Pioneer Fire-Proof Construction Co. plant, the largest of its kind in the world, was nearly destroyed during an afternoon fire that caused more than $100,000 in damage. The blaze, incendiary in origin, was the second of the day after a grain silo was set on fire during the morning.
Aug. 2, 1897: SAVANNAH, GA The British merchant ship Cypher was destroyed by a fire, along with its cargo of lumber and resin. The vessel was at dock, and it was believed members of the crew who did not want to go to sea set fire to the ship.
Aug. 2, 1897: ORAN, Algeria A detachment of 1,500 men belonging to the French Foreign Legion were pressed into fire duty as enormous forest fires spread over the countryside. The legionnaires battled the flames night and day for over a week but could do little to stop the advancing walls of fire.
Aug. 4, 1897: PHILADELPHIA An explosion of distilling oil in the chemical works of D. Jayne & Sons at Bermuda and Tucker streets started a major fire. Seven firemen and two workers were seriously burned by a secondary explosion after firefighting efforts had begun. Assistant Chief Engineer McDade's clothes were burned completely off his body and it was feared his burns would be fatal. Fourteen firemen in all were treated for burns.
Aug. 5, 1897: CHICAGO An exploding grain elevator took the lives of at least four firemen and three civilians. The fire, believed to have started in the boiler house, soon spread toward the grain elevator. Members of Engine 3 were stretching lines up ladders when the explosion occurred. Newspaper articles described the blast as so severe the "structure burst into atoms." The east wall of the building and a number of firemen were hurled into the river by the explosion. Numerous firemen were severely injured by the blast but picked themselves up and battled the flames to save their comrades.
Aug. 10, 1897: GREENWOOD, NY An exploding oil lamp in a barber shop quickly spread throughout the business section of town. Mutual aid companies arrived by train.
Aug. 10, 1897: NEW YORK CITY Firemen were called to the site of the Croton water trench at 164th Street, where two workers were trapped in an excavation cave-in. Rescuers found the two men buried under 12 feet of sandy soil. The first man was reached, alive, within 15 minutes. The second worker was found dead 15 minutes later.
Aug. 12, 1897: NEW YORK CITY Harlem firemen were again faced with a rescue situation involving an excavation cave-in. This time, a worker was trapped by a collapsing wall of dirt while digging a building foundation. The man was buried up to his neck in an unstable area when firemen arrived. They carefully dug him out amid cheers from his fellow workers and a crowd of spectators.
Aug. 15, 1897: BALTIMORE A bolt of lightning struck a saw and planing mill at the foot of Boston Street and started a fire that was soon out of control. The flames began spreading from the mill buildings to the mill owner's houseboat and the adjacent wharf, dry dock and vessels moored there. Firefighters were able to stop the advancing flames as a large storage shed became involved. More than a half million dollars' damage was caused by the fire.
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS: The Pikesville, MD, Volunteer Fire Company marked its 100th anniversary this year by hosting a Centennial Fireman's Muster. The company's original 100-year-old hand pumper was displayed…The Huntington, WV, Fire Department was reorganized in 1897 with a paid chief, four paid drivers and a force of call men who were paid by the alarm of fire. This marked the end of an all-volunteer fire department that had been formed in August 1874 with an engine company, a hose company and a hook-and-ladder company.
TIME CAPSULE
AUGUST 1814: BRITISH ARMY BURNS WASHINGTON, D.C.
A series of political problems, among them shipping restraints imposed on American vessels by England, an American trade embargo against Great Britain and the popular American desire to take over Canada, found the nations pushing each other until war was finally declared in 1812. After numerous naval battles, British General Robert Ross began a military and naval operation in the Chesapeake Bay area. The Redcoats prevailed and began moving on the capital city in August 1814.
With the enemy approaching, First Lady Dolley Madison gathered what official papers she could and ordered them placed in a wagon. With the sound of cannon getting closer, she refused to leave until the famous portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart was taken down. The first lady then climbed up into the wagon and joined the throng fleeing the city. Ross entered Washington on Aug. 24 and was promptly shot at by snipers. Angered, the British general ordered the buildings burned.
The army contained most of its incendiarism to public buildings, although some homes were torched. By 8 P.M., soldiers set fire to the Capitol, the War Building, the Treasury Building and the President's House. The city was nearly empty. All the firemen had joined the other citizens and fled the wave of British soldiers. The fires raged unchecked until the next day, when a heavy rain doused the remaining flames.
The British advance was stopped at Baltimore, where many citizens were outraged by the burning of Washington. The Americans dug in and, in a battle that would inspire "The Star-Spangled Banner," they held. A few months later, a peace treaty was signed, letting firemen and citizens alike return to their normal lives.
Paul Hashagen
Compiled by Paul Hashagen
