Today in Fire History 10/14

On 10/14/1973 the second Great Chelsea Massachusetts conflagration started in part of the city that was known as the "Rag Shop District." Eighteen blocks of the city were destroyed. “In 1971, part of Chelsea was slated for urban renewal including the "Rag Shop District," due to many junk and salvage dealers located there. Negative economic conditions in the early 1970s resulted in numerous businesses closing up shop forever, with many property owners just abandoning their buildings. Most of the structures in "Millionaire's Row" were two-story either wood buildings or constructed of brick and wood. At 3:56 p.m. a fire alarm was sounded at Third and Arlington Streets. Winds were gusting up to 35 mph and the fire quickly spread. “The fire was out of control due to high winds, and a lack of water from leaky ancient city water mains. Aid was called in from sixty-seven fire companies from eastern Massachusetts, and one from Hampton New Hampshire. After several hours, a stand was made at Everett Avenue. The fire was controlled in a triangular area bounded by Second Street to the south, the Boston & Maine Railroad tracks to the west, and Everett Avenue to the east. Eighteen square blocks were completely destroyed, with 1000 people evacuated from the disaster area. The firefighters and emergency response people did an unbelievable job in fighting this great conflagration, thus preventing a much greater disaster.” This was the second Chelsea Fire, the city was also heavily damaged on 4/12/1908.

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On 10/14/1909 a San Francisco, California firefighter “was burned to death while working at the M. Friedman Company fire at 645-649 Brannan Street.”

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On 10/14/1911 two Washington District of Columbia, firefighters died while fighting the five-story brick Washington Tobacco Company building, at 618 Pennsylvania Street NW. “An exterior attack was made on the fire, and the members of Engine 4 had positioned themselves on the roof of a one-story building at the rear of the four-alarm fire, with their hose lines. Suddenly, an explosion, possibly a backdraft, occurred, pushing the entire rear wall out onto the members of Engine 4. Before the men could run, tons of bricks and mortar rained down upon them, smashing the building to the ground. Firefighters began to dig furiously and found both firefighters dying under tons of burning rubble. They died before they could be removed.”

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On 10/14/1921 a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania firefighter “died from injuries he sustained after he was caught in a dwelling collapse at Ashton Road and Grant Avenue.”

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On 10/14/1931 a Manhattan, New York (FDNY) firefighter “died as a result of critical burns sustained the previous day, when he was engulfed in flames after opening a skylight at a fire in a two-story garage at 106 West 123rd Street.”

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On 10/14/1973 a Boston, Massachusetts firefighter “died of a heart attack after operating at a building fire, 28 Cranston Street, Jamaica Plain, Box 2416, (Cranston & Sheridan Streets), while detailed as the Aide to the District Chief 9. This was the same day as the 2nd Great Chelsea fire.”

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On 10/14/1979 a Queens, New York (FDNY) firefighter “suffered a fatal heart attack while operating at a single-alarm fire.”

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On 10/14/1918 the Moose Lake, Cloquet, Minnesota forest fires may have killed up to 1,000 people. “Officials in charge of relief work still are unable to make an accurate estimate of the material damage resulting from the fire. It was said, however, that in this district alone, fifty square miles have been stripped clean of timber, crops, livestock, and human habitation.” The fire started on 10/12/1918.

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On 10/14/1913 a colliery (a coal mine and connected buildings) fire killed 439 in Mid-Glamorgan, Wales.

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On 10/14/1908 the Bisbee, Arizona conflagration started in the rear of the Grand Hotel, on upper Main Street.

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On 10/14/1907 a fire destroyed the Fremont Normal School in Fremont, NE. “President W. H. Clemmons of Fremont College, caused a stir in chapel this morning by announcing to the student body that he had secured almost positive proof that a student of the school started the fire.”

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On 10/14/1890 the Syracuse, New York Leland Hotel fire left twenty-five dead. “The fire is said to have started in the kitchen. The building was built two years before the fire for $150.00. It was six stories high and contained 400 rooms. It is impossible to learn how many guests were in the hotel at the time the fire broke out.”

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On 10/14/1886 the Eastport, Maine conflagration started. “At last account, four sardine factories had been burned in addition to many stores and dwelling houses.”

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On 10/14/1962 the Cuban Missile Crisis began.

On 10/14/1944 German Gen. Erwin Rommel committed suicide.

On 10/14/1933 Nazi Germany announced that it was withdrawing from the League of Nations.

On 10/14/1918 Adolf Hitler was wounded in a British gas attack.

On 10/14/1912 Theodore Roosevelt was shot in the chest while campaigning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he continued his speech; William Schrenk was arrested.

10/14/1890 President Dwight David Eisenhower was born in Denison, Texas.