On March 4th 1907 Lt. Benjamin O. Birch died in the line of duty.
Heroic attempts at rescue. While fighting a mysterious fire in a cafe at market brothers at one Market Street, Lt. Benjamin O. Birch of Engine Company No. 5 lost his life and three other members of the Newark fire Department including Chief Engineer Kiersted were injured.
Heroic attempts at rescue
Birch met his death searching in the cellar for a vantage point to combat the blaze. He was overcome by the smoke and fell in about 3 ft. of water which had accumulated from the many streams that had been played into the building through the upper stories.
The injured firemen besides the Chief Kiersted where Charles E. Beebe of Engine Company No. 2 who’s left hand and wrist were lacerated when the heavy plate glass window broke and fell on him and Joseph A. Garland of Engine Company No. 5 who was overcome by smoke in the heroic efforts to save birch.
Beebe’s injuries were attended to at a nearby drug store while Garland was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital. Chief Kiersted was injured by falling down a basement stairway, he reinjured his hurt right ankle.
Garland was able to sit up at the hospital this morning he complained of pains in his abdomen but otherwise his condition is considered good and it is to be expected that he will be able to leave the hospital tomorrow.
In relating to the incidence attending the death of Birch and the finding of the man’s body had said…
“I was working on the ground floor while Birch and several members of Truck Company No. 2 were directing a stream in the basement. They had been ordered out by Chief Kiersted but Birch returned to the basement for a second time having borrowed the chiefs lamp to take with him.
As I came out I heard the chief asked for his lamp and being told that Birch was using it in the basement, I went down to get it from him. I had gone but a few yards when my lamp went out. I could not see Birch but when I yelled to him he replied and said that his lamp had gone out. He told me that he did not have the chiefs lamp.
I came out and reported this to Chief Kiersted who directed me to tell Birch to come out. Accordingly I went to the basement for a second time. This time I failed to get any response to my calls and being unable to find him in the cellar I came out and reported to Chief Kiersted that Birch could not be found. He then ordered a party of us to search for him and after groping about in 3 ft. of water for 15 minutes with the smoke half blinding and suffocating me I finally discovered an object in the water which I found to be the body of my companion in a bent position his head under the water.”
Lieutenant Benjamin Birch, Jr., badge #144, was appointed on 9/1/1894 and was assigned to Engine 5. He was promoted to the newly created position of Lieutenant on 8/10/1899. On 3/3/1907, at Station 21, he was fighting a café fire in the basement of 156 Market Street when he was overcome by smoke. He collapsed into a pool of water on the floor and died from drowning. He was 42 years old at the time of his death.
On March 4th 1907 Lt. Benjamin O. Birch died in the line of duty.
Heroic attempts at rescue. While fighting a mysterious fire in a cafe at market brothers at one Market Street, Lt. Benjamin O. Birch of Engine Company No. 5 lost his life and three other members of the Newark fire Department including Chief Engineer Kiersted were injured.
Heroic attempts at rescue
Birch met his death searching in the cellar for a vantage point to combat the blaze. He was overcome by the smoke and fell in about 3 ft. of water which had accumulated from the many streams that had been played into the building through the upper stories.
The injured firemen besides the Chief Kiersted where Charles E. Beebe of Engine Company No. 2 who’s left hand and wrist were lacerated when the heavy plate glass window broke and fell on him and Joseph A. Garland of Engine Company No. 5 who was overcome by smoke in the heroic efforts to save birch.
Beebe’s injuries were attended to at a nearby drug store while Garland was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital. Chief Kiersted was injured by falling down a basement stairway, he reinjured his hurt right ankle.
Garland was able to sit up at the hospital this morning he complained of pains in his abdomen but otherwise his condition is considered good and it is to be expected that he will be able to leave the hospital tomorrow.
In relating to the incidence attending the death of Birch and the finding of the man’s body had said…
“I was working on the ground floor while Birch and several members of Truck Company No. 2 were directing a stream in the basement. They had been ordered out by Chief Kiersted but Birch returned to the basement for a second time having borrowed the chiefs lamp to take with him.
As I came out I heard the chief asked for his lamp and being told that Birch was using it in the basement, I went down to get it from him. I had gone but a few yards when my lamp went out. I could not see Birch but when I yelled to him he replied and said that his lamp had gone out. He told me that he did not have the chiefs lamp.
I came out and reported this to Chief Kiersted who directed me to tell Birch to come out. Accordingly I went to the basement for a second time. This time I failed to get any response to my calls and being unable to find him in the cellar I came out and reported to Chief Kiersted that Birch could not be found. He then ordered a party of us to search for him and after groping about in 3 ft. of water for 15 minutes with the smoke half blinding and suffocating me I finally discovered an object in the water which I found to be the body of my companion in a bent position his head under the water.”
Lieutenant Benjamin Birch, Jr., badge #144, was appointed on 9/1/1894 and was assigned to Engine 5. He was promoted to the newly created position of Lieutenant on 8/10/1899. On 3/3/1907, at Station 21, he was fighting a café fire in the basement of 156 Market Street when he was overcome by smoke. He collapsed into a pool of water on the floor and died from drowning. He was 42 years old at the time of his death.