Chapter 15

Chapter XV

Spark Chasers

Billy Johnson, an ex-driver in the fire department, was passing a house on Margin street and noticed a fire on the roof. He went in and told the woman her roof was on fire. She said, "What can I do with no water in the faucet?" Billy inquired if she had tried the hot water tank. She admitted she had not. Billy drew some water and went on the roof. Not being able to put it entirely out that way, he got the axe, cut a hole in the roof, pulled off the shingles and the house is still standing.

Bill Peterson and Clarence Lee are quite friendly and meet "now and then." Bill’s home is on the southeasterly end of the burned district. The street adjoining Bill’s was cleaned up. Clarence’s home was in a fairly safe district and he, knowing Bill would

Spark Chasers

not be home at that time, beat it to Bill's house, rendered "first aid" to the blazing shingles and Bill still has a home.

Ed. Holt, a B. & M. conductor lives on Barr street. He was away at work on Thursday evening, June 25th. With a garden hose, a neighbor kept the side of Ed’s house wet while those passing told him his work was in vain. The neighbor stuck, the house was scorched as the next one was completely consumed, but the persistent neighbor with the small garden hose won out and saved Ed.’s house.

Dan. O’Brien came to Warren street and glancing at the coping of E. J. Faben’s house, saw the coping under the tin roof on fire. Going to the front door Dan. rang the bell. The genial Joe Littlefield, who had been left to watch the house answered the bell. A few words of explanation and these two with Dibert and Dryer of Kresge’s store reached the roof, and tearing up the tin, with tea-kettles and pans of water extinguished the fire. This large house was the possible key to the situation here, as the chances are, if it had burned, lower Warren street and Chestnut

Spark Chasers

street would have been fire-swept.

In Hathorne street Mr. Price on the roof of the house, stuck there when it looked as if the house was going under him, but he won out in a position where the firemen could not place their water, because of the poor pressure.

Minot Foote did his part in stopping the fire reaching Broad street from Hathorne, watching for hours a house where he had been working, putting out sparks and keeping the roof wet.

Engineer Costello was working with three of his Peabody boys with us on an Engine 3 stream in William Cass’s house, corner of Hathorne and Broad streets, well into the night. The fire here had worked under the slate to the middle of the roof, and without a shut-oft nozzle we had some job to get it.