By Paul Hashagen
A look at fires that made history
June 20, 1940: Manhattan Box 355 was transmitted at 12:02 p.m. for a manhole fire on Washington Street, between Clarkson and Leroy Streets. The arching wires burned into the cellar of 591 Washington Street, the seven-story Great Atlantic Paper Warehouse. Flames spread quickly inside the huge structure, requiring five alarms. At the height of the fire, the warehouse collapsed, destroying the aerial of Hook & Ladder Co. 5 and damaging the hose wagon of Engine 13. In all, 50 firefighters were injured or overcome at this difficult fire. (Photo courtesy of the Paul Hashagen collection.)
In this month’s column, I present historic fires or significant events in the fire service from June 1918. A reminder: Readers are encouraged to share information from their departments
June 1, 1918: East Newark, New Jersey: A fire of unknown origin swept through the plant of the Gleeson Wire Works during the early morning hours. The plant, located at 407 John Street, stored considerable amounts of wire destined for use by the Allies fighting in Europe. The East Newark firefighters called in firefighters from Harrison for mutual aid. Considerable damage was done to the stored wire, the manufacturing looms, and the structure.
June 1, 1918: St. Louis, Missouri: Warehouse No. 1 of the United States Arsenal, one of many large warehouses filled with army equipment, was the scene of an incendiary fire. As soon as the fire was discovered, army guards surrounded the area as firefighters began their operations. The troops captured an apparent enemy agent believed to have ignited the blaze. The fire extended to Warehouse No. 24. The loss was estimated at more than $3 million.
June 2, 1918: Kearny, New Jersey: A startled watchman transmitted a fire alarm when he saw flames racing across the surface of the Passaic River and igniting the barge he was patrolling. He leaped off the barge and pulled the fire alarm box at the Trexler Lumber Company’s plant nearby. Arriving firefighters were greeted with two large barges engulfed in flames that drifted away and were lodged under a railroad bridge. Chief Charles Greenfield requested help from Newark as he commandeered two fireboats undergoing repairs at a nearby dock. The boats held and extinguished the spreading flames before they reached warehouses and a lumberyard. A mixture of chemicals and oils improperly disposed of into the river apparently ignited and spread the fire.
June 15, 1918: New York, New York: Flames broke out on the fourth-floor varnishing area inside the seven-story furniture warehouse of Spear Company on Tenth Avenue between 39th and 40th Streets. The fuel-fed flames spread rapidly. Within the first hour, the smoke had become so thick it blanketed the entire neighborhood. Deputy Chief Smoky Joe Martin had to transmit five alarms. Fire companies from as far south as Spring Street to 102nd Street to the north descended on the blazing structure. Shortly after the arrival of Chief John Kenlon, the wall on the Tenth Avenue side of the building collapsed into and across the sidewalk and street. Forty-five firefighters working nearby scrambled to safety, each just narrowly escaping serious injury. One man working the deck pipe on the high-pressure hose wagon of Engine 34, Firefighter Mathias Fox, was completely buried by bricks but amazingly was left uninjured. However, Water Tower 3 was badly damaged.
June 19, 1918: Pembroke, Ontario, Canada: A blaze broke out on Main Street and destroyed a large section of the business district including F.W. Woolworth’s and stores of cigars and wine. The fire extended to several fine homes. High winds drove flames that at one point threatened to wipe out the entire town.
June 22, 1918: Hammond, Indiana: A circus train carrying four sleepers, five stock cars, 15 flatcars, and a caboose stalled as it was pulling into a switch area because of an overheated wheel box. Still partly on the main track, the train’s flagman went back along the track to set up warnings. Meanwhile, another train following the circus train on the same track was closing in on the stalled cars. The engineer of the second train, an empty 20-car troop train, had fallen asleep. The second train plowed into the circus train at a high rate of speed, splintering the sleeper cars and leaving a huge pile of mangled steel and wood that was quickly ignited by the oil lamps inside the circus cars. Firefighters from nearby Gary responded and attempted to battle the growing flames but were hampered by poor water pressure. The death toll was staggering. Eighty-six people were killed and 127 were injured.
June 29, 1918: Sioux City, Iowa: At 1:30 p.m., a major building collapse occurred during renovations of the three-story structure known as the Ruff Building. The Oscar Ruff Drug Company was located at Fourth and Douglas, and the large commercial building toppled as old supports were removed. The building’s eastern wall crashed onto the adjacent two-story grocery store and meat market, collapsing it and trapping many people inside. Shortly after the collapse, fire began burning in the debris pile. Under the command of Chief George Kellogg, the entire fire department responded and, joined by volunteers, began a difficult and dangerous battle against the flames while extricating those trapped in the rubble. The Sioux City Fire Department battled the blaze for nearly 36 hours. In all, 39 people were killed.
Paul Hashagen is a 40-year veteran of the fire service. He retired from the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) after 25 years of service, with 20 of those years in Rescue Company 1. Hashagen is a former chief of the Freeport (NY) Fire Department and is still a member of Truck Company 1. He has written several books and numerous stories on the history of the fire service, including his new book Stories of Fire and One Hundred Years of Valor: Rescue Company 1 New York City Fire Department Rescue 1915-2015, both of which are available at paulhashagen.com Visit his Facebook page at Paul Hashagen-author.
