NYCFD (PRE-FDNY) 11 VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS KILLED LODD'S 4/25/1854

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NYCFD (PRE-FDNY) 11 Volunteer Firefighters Line of Duty Deaths​

April 25, 1854 – Manhattan, NY -231 Broadway in the William T. Jennings Building Claimed the Lives of Eleven Firefighters.


On April 25, 1854, a fire broke out at the large tailoring establishment of W.T. Jennings & Co. at 231 Broadway, near City Hall. Noah Farnham and John Cregier, both assistant engineers of the N.Y.F.D., were on the scene, surveying operations from an adjacent roof. Lowering the halyards of the building's flagpole to the street, they attempted to pull a length of hose up to their position, whence they could advantageously hit the flames. Soon after they started water, the rear wall of Jennings' collapsed onto a setback, crushing several firefighters operating on the second floor. As others rushed to extricate them, Cregier directed the stream onto heavy timber rafters that were in danger of igniting. From below, calls were heard that the water was scalding the trapped men and their rescuers, but Cregier decided that it was a risk that needed to be taken, if it meant saving the roof from collapsing on the men below. In the end, eleven firefighters perished, and twenty-four were hurt. The public set up memorials and collections for the families.
While battling the blaze the top floors as well as a large iron safe collapsed into the 2nd floor killing 11 of New York’s Bravest. The names of the deceased were:

Fireman James O’Donnell, 22 of E42
Fireman James McNulty, 24 of E20
Fireman Andrew C. Schenk, 2 of H&L 1
Fireman John Keyser, 24 of Hose 8
Fireman Daniel McKay, 22 of E21
Fireman Alexander McKay, 24 of E21
Fireman Michael Flynn, 15 of L53
Fireman James G. Deegan, 25 of Hose 18
Fireman Richard Wilson, 50 of E21
Fireman John Reinhardt of E21
Fireman Hugh Gallagher of E23

 

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History in the Making 4/25: In Memory of a Horrible Fire​

Above: A dramatic depiction of a fire which took place 160 years ago today.

W. T. Jennings was a fine gentleman’s clothing store located at 231 Broadway, on the site of today’s Woolworth Building. A tremendous fire took the building on the evening of April 25, 1854, causing thousands of dollars in damage and destroying the “hair-dye and wig establishment” next door.

In the image above, you can see the volunteer fire fighters manning a pump at the very edge of City Hall Park. The Astor House would have been one block to the south.

Eleven men were eventually killed in this horrible blaze, the worst fire-related accident since the Great Explosion of 1845 (which killed 30 people). It was later discovered that the fire was started by teenager thieves who were subsequently sent to Sing Sing Prison. However the architect and builders of the structure were censured in a later hearing for creating a so-called fire “death-trap.” Jennings eventually opened another location at 566 Broadway (at Spring Street). Below: headline from the NYT.

History in the Making 4/25: In Memory of a Horrible Fire - The Bowery Boys: New York City History

Above: A dramatic depiction of a fire which took place 160 years ago today. W. T. Jennings was a fine gentleman’s clothing store located at 231 Broadway, on the site of today’s Woolworth Building. A tremendous fire took the building on the evening of April 25, 1854, causing thousands of dollars...

www.boweryboyshistory.com

 

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FIREFIGHTER HISTORY

4/25/1854 a fire in the William T. Jennings Building in Manhattan, NY (231 Broadway) claimed the lives of eleven firefighters. While battling the blaze the top floors as well as a large iron safe collapsed into the 2nd floor killing the firefighters. “A fire broke out at the large tailoring establishment of W.T. Jennings & Company, near City Hall. Two firefighters were on the scene, surveying operations from an adjacent roof. Lowering the halyards of the building’s flagpole to the street, they attempted to pull a length of hose up to their position, whence they could advantageously hit the flames. Soon after they started flowing water, the rear wall of Jennings’ collapsed onto a setback, crushing several firefighters operating on the second floor. As others rushed to extricate them, a firefighter directed the stream onto heavy timber rafters that were in danger of igniting. From below, calls were heard that the water was scalding the trapped men and their rescuers, but he decided that it was a risk that needed to be taken, if it meant saving the roof from collapsing on the men below. In the end, eleven firefighters perished, and twenty-four were hurt.”

 

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Artist: Louis Maurer, American, 1832–1932
Publisher: Currier & Ives, American, active 1834–1907

The Life of a Fireman: The Ruins. – “Take Up.” – “Man Your Rope.”​

1854
Color lithograph

Mabel Brady Garvan Collection

This print portrays the aftermath of a major blaze, perhaps the disastrous fire at the clothing store of William T. Jennings & Co. at 231 Broadway in New York City that injured twenty firemen and killed eleven on April 25, 1854. Here firemen “take up” their gear after containing the great blaze, which is now controlled by a single hoseman. The engines pictured are manual pumpers. Firefighters were slow to adopt steam engines, not only because the earliest prototypes were cumbersome, but also because the use of manpower was a source of pride among fire companies. With the development of lighter, more-powerful steam engines, this attitude would quickly change.

 

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