GILL, George
August 16, 1907 National automatic Box No. 13-6-3 sounded at 12:54 p.m. Billowing black smoke was rolling from the upper windows of Gretjan & Loeb Company on W. Baltimore St. Chief Engineer No. 5 Lewin Burkhardt sounded 3 alarms from Box No. 414 at once The fire started among 800 rolls of straw matting and was blazing fiercely. The Hale water tower was placed in position and No. 2 Hayes aerial ladder was extended to the roof. Ladderman Henry Carle climbed up carrying a hose pipe, followed by members of Engine Co. No. 7 dragging a hose line The flames suddenly leaped out of the windows and surrounded the firemen on the ladder. The stream from the Water Tower was ordered turned on the men to protect them, but instead, the force of the water began to push the ladder along the cornice. After about ten feet, it looked as if it would break and dash the firemen to their deaths. Firemen on the ground quickly grabbed the guide rope and pulled the ladder back into position and the firemen were ordered to descend to the ground. Meanwhile, the Water Tower was pouring tons of water into the burning top floor and soon extinguished the flames. Firemen then entered and started to spark down the embers when suddenly the floor collapsed, carrying everything down to the third floor. The top floor originally had been the skylight and had merely been covered over with boards and used as storage space for the heavy straw mats. Chief Burkhardt was stunned, but he climbed up on the matting like a squirrel in a cage, and helped to dig in for the buried firemen. Slowly they uncovered, one by one, until everybody was accounted for except three. Next, Laddermen George Michael and Hugh J. Lavery (H&L-4} were uncovered, and then the crushed and lifeless body of Tillerman George E. Gill, who was lowered to the ground and carried on the shoulders of the crying members of the Company to a patrol wagon, where it was taken to H&L House No. 4. There his comrades washed the body, dressed it in his uniform and laid him out on the apparatus floor, which had been his second home. The next day the body was taken to his home for burial services. Tillerman George E. Gill was 48 years old and had served 17 years
Listing Details
House
Baltimore City Fire Department
Age
48
Years of Service
17
County
BALTIMORE CITY
