See Fire & Water Engineering’s coverage HERE of the Baltimore Fire that occurred on February 7-8, 1904. You find a discussion of the fire, its causes, and the efforts of firefighters, many from out of state, to combat the flames. Although the lack of standard fire hose thread prevented some responders from connecting directly into Baltimore’s system, they improvised, drafting from barrels or natural waterways. Some overhead wires were still energized when they fell; one struck Baltimore’s Chief J.W. Horton, was put out of commission. Fire & Water Engineering emphasized the need for standardized hose thread, noting that for some cities, some of their neighboring fire departments would be defeated by the thread issue.
The Baltimore Conflagration: February 20, 1904
THE BALTIMORE CONFLAGRATION: A description of the fire
Don’t miss the editor’s comments on other topics of the day, such as a major city with a “village” administration, the reinstatement of New York’s Chief Croker, and more.
MORE FIREFIGHTING HISTORY
Arcadia Hotel Fire, 1913: ‘All Was Over in 10 Minutes’
