Wausau Daily Herald – October 10, 1916: FIRE I AT THE UNIVERSITY Entire Madison Fire Department Unable to Check Blaze Which Broke Out at 10: 15 HALL VALUED AT $202,000 Fifteen Hundred Students in Building No Loss of Life As They Escape Flames LOSS NOT OVER $10,000. Madison. October 10. Main hall at the universityContinue reading “Burning of Main Hall at University of Wisconsin – Madison, Wisconsin”
Tag Archives: Fire
S.S. Morro Castle Disaster
The S.S. Morro Castle disaster is one of the strangest and most fascinating disasters in American history. On September 5, the Morro Castle departed Havana, Cuba, headed for New York. For two days there were no problems, but on the third day tragedy of multiple kinds befell the four-year-old luxury liner. The ship was metContinue reading “S.S. Morro Castle Disaster”
The Great Chatsworth Train Wreck – August 10-11, 1887 – Chatsworth, Illinois
Just outside of Chatsworth, Illinois on U.S. 24 lies a historical marker that reads: The Chatsworth Wreck – Midnight, August 10–11, 1887 – One half mile north on the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railroad occurred one of the worst wrecks in American rail history. An excursion train – two engines and approximately twenty wooden coachesContinue reading “The Great Chatsworth Train Wreck – August 10-11, 1887 – Chatsworth, Illinois”
Fire at Stern’s Residence – August 5, 1906
Taken from The Sun newspaper on August 6, 1906: Middletown, N.Y, Aug, 5 – Fire this morning practically destroyed the residence of Lehman Stern, on Highland Avenue, the wealthiest section of the city. Adjoining were the houses of Edson G. Lavidge and Mrs. James Morton, formerly of New York. Each of these residences is valuedContinue reading “Fire at Stern’s Residence – August 5, 1906”
The Great Bellows Falls Fire – Bellows Falls, Vermont – March 26, 1912
WHAT: City/Building Fire WHEN: March 26, 1912 WHERE: Bellows Falls, Vermont FATALITIES: Zero dead – three building and numerous businesses were destroyed What proved to be the most disastrous fire as far as loss of property was concerned, that ever visited Bellows Falls, broke out Tuesday morning at 2 o’clock, and before It was extinguished,Continue reading “The Great Bellows Falls Fire – Bellows Falls, Vermont – March 26, 1912”
Gulf Hotel Fire – September 7, 1943
Fifty-five men, many of them elderly and living off government relief, died in the early morning of September 7, 1943 in the worst hotel fire in Houston, Texas history. The fire started around 12:10 a.m. the front desk clerk was alerted to a problem on the second floor. A lit cigarette inadvertently caused a mattressContinue reading “Gulf Hotel Fire – September 7, 1943”
The Terminal Hotel Fire – Atlanta, Georgia
WHAT: Hotel fire WHEN: May 16, 1938 around 3:00am WHERE: Atlanta, Georgia FATALITIES: 35 dead, as many as 15 injured On May 16, 1938 the most disastrous fire in Atlanta’s history at time based on the loss of life, broke out in the kitchen of the Terminal Hotel. Located in the Hotel Row District in Atlanta at the corner of Spring andContinue reading “The Terminal Hotel Fire – Atlanta, Georgia”
The Burning of the Iroquois Hotel – Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
CITY IN RUINS WHAT: Hotel Fire WHEN: March 12, 1907 WHERE: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan CASUALTIES: Zero. The hotel was totally destroyed While not a fire that resulted in any loss of life, the Iroquois Hotel fire of 1907 is fascinating to me. The postcard above was mailed the very same day that the hotelContinue reading “The Burning of the Iroquois Hotel – Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan”
The Newhall House Fire – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
WHAT: Hotel fire WHEN: January 10, 1883 WHERE: Milwaukee, Wisconsin FATALITIES: At least 74, maybe as many as 90 The Newhall House was built by a group led buy Daniel Newhall. It was opened to the public on August 26th, 1857. The building was made of Milwaukee Brick and occupied the corner Broadway and Michigan Streets in downtown Milwaukee.Continue reading “The Newhall House Fire – Milwaukee, Wisconsin”