Another installment about the History of the Evanston Fire Department Harrison accepted the position but, due to superstition, requested that he not start on the “unlucky 13th.†He asked to begin his duties on Thursday, December 14th, meaning Assistant Chief Jack Sweeting would remain in charge for one more day. No one could have known that this was the darkest day in the history of the Evanston Fire Department. The Mark Manufacturing Company, located at 1900 Dempster Street, was the largest employer in Evanston in 1905, with over 1,000 workers. Founded in 1901 by Cyrus Mark and his sons Clayton and Anson, it was a subsidiary of the Youngstown Steel & Tube Company, specializing in wrought-iron pipe production. The plant included several buildings: the pipe mill, engine house, warehouse, and smaller structures. At 12:50 PM on Wednesday, December 13, the EFD was called to a fire at the Mark Manufacturing plant. A leak in the socket room had ignited crude oil, but all 200 employees were safely evacuated. Workers used their own equipment to fight the fire while the department made its way to the scene. Upon arrival around 1 PM, firefighters from Station #1 faced heavy flames inside the pipe mill. Due to low water pressure and the remote location, the chemical engine wasn’t effective, and only the steam fire engine, "City of Evanston No. 1," could supply two 2½-inch hose lines. Assistant Chief Sweeting ordered Truck Co. 1 to attack the fire through the north side, while Engine Co. 1 aimed a stream from the southeast corner via an alley. Despite efforts, Truck Co. 1 was driven back, and Fireman Thomas Watson was overcome by smoke and had to be rescued. Meanwhile, Engine Co. 1, led by acting assistant officer George Stiles, managed to direct water toward the fire. At around 1:15 PM, Stiles told rookie firefighter George McKimmons to pull up the hose line. As McKimmons stood at the north end of the alley, an explosion caused the south wall to collapse. Stiles ordered an evacuation, but before they could escape, a second, more powerful blast brought down the east wall, burying Craig, Johnson, and Stiles under debris. McKimmons and others rushed to the rubble, and within minutes, Craig was pulled out alive but disoriented. However, he later died at the hospital. Stiles, buried under burning debris, was pronounced dead upon arrival. Three other firefighters—Thomas Watson, Edward Johnson, and Jack Eckberg—were seriously injured, with Watson in critical condition. The fire was eventually extinguished by the Chicago Fire Department, which arrived after the disaster. Superstitious Carl Harrison, who had avoided starting on the 13th, showed up afterward, claiming he was just a spectator. The damage to the Mark Manufacturing Company was estimated at $115,000, making it the worst fire in Evanston until 1927. No firefighters were killed in action for nearly 80 years, until Marty Leoni’s death in 1985. George McKimmons, the rookie whose first day was December 13, 1905, served two tours with the EFD before joining the Chicago Fire Department in 1915. He later organized CFD Truck Co. 44 and rose to the rank of Captain. His brother Dan also served as an Evanston firefighter for 31 years. Casing Rotator,Full Revolving Drilling Rig,High Torque Drilling Rig,Full Casing Drill Xuzhou Jingan Heavy Industry Manufacture Co.,Ltd. , https://www.jinganzhonggong.com
The Unlucky 13th
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On December 13, 1905, George McKimmons began his first day as a fireman with the Evanston Fire Department (EFD). Just the night before, at the weekly city council meeting, Mayor John Barker had appointed Carl Harrison, a company officer from Hose Company 3 and the son of former EFD Chief Sam Harrison, as the new Chief Fire Marshal, replacing Norman Holmes.