The Christmas Holiday in 1914, fell on a Friday which meant
a prolonged weekend for many to enjoy. Christmas Day, the fire
department endured a normal routine with only three runs for the day.
The weather turned extremely cold during the day and Christmas night
the temperature dropped to zero. On Saturday morning, December 26th,
at 8:23 a.m., an alarm was received from box 26. Upon arrival the
fire department found massive fire and smoke issuing from the Pope
and Cottle Lumber Company yard at 140 Carter Street. A second alarm
was immediately sounded. The fire was spreading with immense speed
creating the fear of another conflagration. The fire department
remained at the scene all day and all night enduring severe inclement
weather. On Sunday morning, Chief Hudson sounded the special call
bringing in, all call fire fighters to give a much needed relief to
the permanent men.
Chelsea at this time had in commission three horse drawn
steam engines, one motor driven ladder truck, one motor driven hose
and chemical wagon and one motor driven Chief’s car. The permanent
force of the department consisted of thirty-seven men while the call
force consisted of thirty-one men.
The Salem Fire Department had purchased a new six-cylinder
Robinson fire engine that was delivered to the Back Bay freight yards
in Boston. Early Saturday morning, December 26th, the engine was
picked up by the Salem fire fighters to be delivered over the road to
Salem. The new Salem Engine #4 was passing through Chelsea at the
time the Pope and Cottle fire broke out. Immediately the Salem men in
charge called Mayor Hurley of Salem and secured permission to give
the new pump a try-out on a real fire and help a neighboring city at
the same time. (All new pumps have a work out period before being
accepted.) Working eighteen and one-half hours of continuous pumping
in zero degree weather, the new Salem pump performed wonderfully.
This unexpected assistance came at a time when it was most appreciated.
Pope and Cottle experienced a huge fire loss. The company
recovered and remained in business for another thirty five years.
On June 25th of this same year, 1914, Salem had a
devastating fire that wiped out 253 acres in thirteen hours. Twelve
thousand people were left homeless, six people died and over fifty
people were injured. Losses totaled fourteen million dollars, 1792
buildings were completely consumed. The fire started in the Korn
Leather Company at 57 Boston Street, followed by a series of
explosions. An alarm was sounded at 1:37 p.m. and four minutes later
a general alarm was sounded. The call for assistance went out to
every city and town. Apparatus was dispatched from Chelsea, one of
the twenty-two cities and towns that responded. Most of the apparatus
was moved in by rail flatcars. Delay was encountered because of a
lack of horses to unload the apparatus. Many of the apparatus had to
be drawn by hand. The fire began in an area called “Blubber’s
Hollow” in the northwest section of the city, spread eastward
and then southward, carried by a brisk breeze. To the people of
Salem, it was an horrific occurrence, one that was experienced by the
citizens of Chelsea six years previous and like Chelsea, Salem showed
the same resilience to recovery.