CHEW, Thomas
June of 1934 had been much hotter than usual in the Great State of Maryland. Much of the state,including Frederick County, was experiencing an unrelenting heat wave and heated related deaths were on the rise. The afternoon of Friday June 30th the outside temperature had reached 104 degrees. Several members of United Steam Fire Engine Company #3, including Fireman Thomas Chew, were in the rear of the station when suddenly Fireman Chew collapsed to the floor. Fellow firemen tried to revive him, the oxygen inhalator from Citizens Truck Company was obtained and used on Chew, but all to no avail and he was pronounced dead from a heat exhaustion induced heart attack. Thomas Chew was a well-known life-long resident of Frederick & longtime active member of United. He was one of the original, Swampers, and served on the 1878 committee responsible for purchasing United's famous Clapp & Jones steam engine affectionally known as "The Lily of the Swamp". Fireman Thomas Chew was 78 years old and had served for over 56 years.
Listing Details
House
United Fire Company
Age
78
Years of Service
56
County
FREDERICK
