Today in Fire History 10/22
On 10/22/1980 near New Castle, Delaware a chemical plant explosion and fire at the Amoco Chemical Corporation plastics plant killed five people and injured twenty-nine. “The blast ripped out the plastic plant's main water supply, and as a result, firefighters could not get water to the fire for nearly 45 minutes.” “The official cause of the blast was later determined to be a propylene gas leak from an improperly serviced valve. Five employees died that day, and another died in the hospital in December. Twenty-seven others were hurt. About 600 people were evacuated from nearby Dobbinsville, Shawtown, and Washington Park neighborhoods. Some of the evacuees were taken to William Penn High School and George Read Middle School. The explosion shook buildings as far north as Hockessin and blew out many windows, including one at a store 6 miles away. The plant produced the plastic known as polypropylene. Decades later, cleanup from the plant's unauthorized discharges and the explosion cost millions of dollars. In some places, the pollution was 5 feet deep. When the marshland caught fire, it would release toxic smoke. The explosion gutted an area of about 100 square yards in the plant and caused a raging fire that took firefighters — called in from all over the county — about 11 hours to bring under control. Their job was made more difficult by the fact that the explosion had knocked out the electricity that powered the hydrants on the site.”
?
On 10/22/1896 a Brooklyn, New York (FDNY) firefighter “was burned to death while operating at a four-alarm factory fire.”
?
On 10/22/1946 a Boston, Massachusetts firefighter died, and a second firefighter “was severely injured, from the inhalation of smoke and poison gases from burning fur in the basement of Kakas Furs, 70-72 Chauncy Street, Downtown, Box 1463, (Chauncy Street and Rowe Place), at 5:07 p.m. (The second firefighter died on March 6, 1974, at age 67, after never regaining consciousness from the effects of the poison gas and smoke that he received on October 22, 1946.)”
?
On 10/22/1954 a Bronx, New York (FDNY) firefighter “died while operating at a single-alarm basement fire, he suffered a fatal heart attack on the roof of a building after running to the top floor via the stairs.”
?
On 10/22/1984 three Baltimore County, Maryland died at a six-alarm fire, caused by workers using cutting torches to dismantle an old sign, which destroyed the Shiller Furniture; a furniture and appliance store. “On arrival, firefighters found smoke showing from the roof of the three-story brick structure. Being unaware that the building was three stories, and not two, as it appeared from outside, firefighters began their fire attack on what they believed to be a fire in the concealed spaces on the first and second floors. Meanwhile, the fire that had been burning on the third floor quickly built up and caused the roof to collapse 15 minutes into firefighting operations. As more lines were being readied for advancement, inside conditions rapidly deteriorated leading to several flashovers on the first and second floors. The three firefighters on the second floor, who did not have radios, and were unaware of the rapidly changing conditions, became trapped when the front wall collapsed, bringing the third floor and roof down on them. A misunderstanding in communications between officers at the scene led Command to believe that the three firefighters were safely removed from the building. However, the three removed were the men advancing the secondary lines, not the original attack crew. It wasn't until almost an hour later, that one of the men was found to be missing and a headcount was taken, revealing that actually, three men were missing. The bodies of the men were found amid the rubble later that evening.”
?
On 10/22/1991 a Savannah, Georgia firefighter “was killed when he was struck by a burst hose at the scene of a church fire and suffered severe chest and head injuries. He died two weeks later.”
?
On 10/22/1997 a Taylor County, Florida firefighter “was killed when an overheated bullet (.22 caliber) from a greenhouse fire discharged hitting him in the chest.”
?
On 10/22/1913 the Stag Canyon #2 coal mine explosion killed 263 in Dawson New Mexico around 3:00 p.m. when “a pocket of methane gas had been ignited by a miner’s lamp.”
?
10/22/1883 in Annapolis, Maryland a fire killed two and destroyed ten houses that started from a lit coal-oil lamp in a store on Market-Space at about 4:00 a.m.
?
On 10/22/1962 President John F. Kennedy announces that U.S. spy planes have discovered Soviet missile bases in Cuba.
On 10/22/1957 American forces suffer their first casualties in Vietnam “when 13 Americans are wounded in three terrorist bombings of Military Assistance Advisory Group and U.S. Information Service installations in Saigon.”
On 10/22/1934 Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd, a bank robber was killed by Federal agents in East Liverpool, Ohio.
On 10/22/1903 Tom Horn was hanged in Wyoming for the murder of Willie Nickell.
On 10/22/1903 Three Stooges Jerome (Curly Howard) Lester "Jerry" Horwitz birthday.
On 10/22/1836 Sam Houston was inaugurated as president of the Republic of Texas.
On 10/22/1746 Princeton University, in New Jersey, receives its charter.