BOSTON'S BAD LUCK TRUCK - THE CURSE OF THE WHITE ELEPHANT

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How many of you thought that Boston’s fire apparatus was always red, except when they tried that horrible green color in the late 1970s?

In 1941, the city purchased a 1941 American LaFrance tractor-drawn 125-foot metal aerial, five (5) section ladder. It was painted white! There were rumors about why it was white; all speculation. Some say it had originally been built for Denver, Colorado because they had white rigs. Others say it was white just to be different. Whatever the reason, Boston purchased it. It was assigned to Ladder Co. 8 in Fort Hill Square, downtown, on September 11, 1941. The new truck was a 500 Series American LaFrance cab, manufactures number 8106-C672, and was assigned Shop Number 207.

This was a new type of apparatus for the city. It had a sizeable closed-in cab, and a metal aerial ladder. The fully extended, 125-foot aerial could operate two (2) ladder pipes, 600 GPM at 125 feet and 1100 GPM at 65 feet. It was equipped with a 240 horsepower V-12 engine. The bell was mounted behind the grill but was later moved up near the turntable. The new truck was also equipped with a Marz ”Figure 8” warning light on the cab’s roof. The price of this truck was $24,000, which was an expensive purchase in 1941.

The narrow streets and parked cars made in difficult to drive in the city. All other apparatus had open cabs, except the 1930 Federal Rescue trucks, assigned to Rescue Companies 1 and 3. Inside the cab, the visibility was terrible; looking through the narrow windshield, firefighters equated the rig to being inside an army tank. The overall length was fifty-three (53) feet, seven (7) inches, which was ten (10) feet shorter than the contemporary 85-foot wood aerial as advertised in the trade journals.

 

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The officers of Ladder Co. 8 were Captain Thomas D. Brown and Lieutenant John F. “Red Mac” McNamara, both very experienced and capable fire officers. (NOTE: In 1941, the BFD was still operating under a two-platoon, 84 hours per week work schedule. There were only two officers assigned to each company, a captain and a lieutenant. Each platoon worked “24 on and 24 off,” which meant that they were in the firehouse every morning at 8:00 AM either coming to work or going home.)

On September 23, 1941, at about 1915 hours, while Ladder 8 was drilling outside their quarters in Fort Hill Square the aerial ladder failed to retract correctly and buckled. An engineer was summoned from the American LaFrance Corporation in Elmira, New York. He was able to bring the ladder down. The apparatus was transported to the factory by train and remained out of service for several weeks while the necessary repairs were made; it returned to service with Ladder 8.



On November 15, 1942, box 6153 was transmitted for a fire in Luongo’s Restaurant, 12- 16 Maverick Square, East Boston. At 3:05 AM, the second alarm was struck, and Ladder 8 responded as the second due truck. They took a position on Henry Street and raised the aerial ladder. Firefighters operated from the aerial as the fire progressed to three alarms.

 

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Then, at about 4:02 AM, when it looked like the firefighters were winning the battle, the entire sidewall collapsed. Six Firefighters were killed, many more were trapped, and Ladder 8 was partially buried under the rubble.

Some firefighters blamed the new ladder truck saying that the ladder was so heavy it caused the collapse. But most did not see it that way. The building involved had been the scene of several previous fires over the years, and it’s unlikely that the aerial’s position contributed to the collapse. However, this incident served to add to the theory that the truck was jinxed.

On the contrary, several firefighters said the aerial saved them from severe injury or death because they dove under the ladder when the collapse occurred. One of the most seriously injured men was Captain John V. Stapleton of Engine Co. 26. Captain Stapleton later became Chief of Department and was the father of Fire Commissioner/Chief of Department Leo D. Stapleton. Captain Stapleton was on injured leave for close to one year before he could return to duty.



Ladder 8 had been the first company in Boston to use a metal aerial. Almost all the other ladder companies had wooden, spring-raised aerial ladders. Some old-timers believed the wooden aerials would last forever, and the metal ones were just a fad that would pass. Somewhere around this time, this rig acquired the nickname “White Elephant.”

The deaths of the six firefighters were quickly overshadowed by the Cocoanut Grove fire, which occurred two weeks later, and killed 492 people. In an ironic turn of fate, the same platoon of firefighters was working for both fires.

After the East Boston fire, Ladder 8 needed extensive repairs. It was again transported to the American LaFrance factory to be rebuilt. When it returned to service, it did so as a 100- foot aerial; one of the five sections had been removed. And it was re-painted red. It remained in service at Ladder 8 from March 26, 1944, until June 26, 1944, when it was re-assigned to Ladder 19 in South Boston.

 

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At the time, many of Boston’s firefighters still believed that the aerial was jinxed; some were afraid of it, some even refused to ride on it. A firefighter assigned to Engine 2 remembered that Ladder 19’s firefighters would tell him not to go over the stick because the building would collapse. Members of Ladder 19 were not happy about having the “White Elephant” assigned to them. The nickname stuck even after it was re-painted red.

The apparatus did have problems, some of which may have created and seemingly confirmed that the jinx was real. The apparatus had jackknifed several times and had to be retrofitted with a trolley brake to control the tiller section better. Brake problems persisted, and it was this condition that most likely brought about its end. On December 3, 1947, Mr. William Miller, a representative from the brake manufacturer, rode in the enclosed cab during a road test along the Strandway in South Boston. During the test, it was noted the apparatus was “pulling to the left,” so Ladder 19 stopped, and Mr. Miller made some adjustments. Then, just as they resumed speed and neared a corner, the truck skidded and tipped over about 100-feet before the Admiral Farragut statue at East Broadway and Day Boulevard.



Ladderman (Military Substitute) Joseph B. Sullivan, age 33, riding on the right side running board, was killed in the accident. It has been theorized that the brakes may have locked, causing the truck to overturn.

 

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The chauffeur was Ladderman Joseph Babb, Ladderman Arthur Spacone was the tillerman. Spacone was thrown about thirty (30) feet onto the sandy beach, probably saving his life. Ladderman Dooley was also injured. A fund was started for Ladderman Sullivan’s family by Ben Ellis, a well-known fire appliance dealer, and red hot spark. Ladderman Sullivan left a wife and two children. (NOTE: The apparatus was taken out of service and sold for junk after the accident.

Cruel fate was not done with Ladderman Spacone; on Christmas Eve, 1959, Arthur was killed while responding to a false alarm. He fell off the back step after losing his balance and died soon after. He left a wife and nine children.

 

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