WPBFD History

tary Trail. A kerosene light exploded and the ensuing fire destroyed the entire structure. Losses were estimated at $1,500. As the weary firemen returned to their station at 6:30 a.m., another call came in for an overheated chimney at the Dixie Court Hotel in downtown West Palm Beach. March 1, 1927, the numbering system for identifica- tion of fire apparatus was changed: OLD DESIGNATION NEW Type 12, No. 197 Pumper No. 1 Type 75, No. 3353 Pumper No. 2 Type 75, No. 5484 Pumper No. 3 Type 75, No. 5485 Pumper No. 4 Type 14, No. 1511 Serial No. 1 Type 10, No. 66 High Pressure No. 1 Type 17, No. 5497 Aerial No. 1 Type D, Ford Chem No. 1 Chemical No. 1 Type D, Ford Chem No. 2 Chemical No. 2 Chief's Car Chief's Car No. 1 Asst. Chief's Car Chief's Car No. 2 At 2:00 that afternoon the newly designated trucks raced a few short blocks to a fire at 521-3rd Street. A hot water heater had exploded igniting the large rooming house. Damage was carried as $1,000. Fire spread through an apartment house on the cor- ner of Cheerful and Contentment early on the morning of March 3, 1927. By the time firemen arrived there was little left to save, but their efforts kept the blaze from nearby structures. Damage was estimated at $5,000. Fire loss for the fiscal year 1926-27 totaled a stagger- ing $360,502, a figure that would not be surpassed until the 1959-60 fiscal year. Five major fires had involved multiple buildings. There was one fire death; ten year old Celestine Glover died a few hours after being rescued from a fire March 11, 1927. M. D. Carmichael received severe burns August 8, 1927, when leaking gasoline on his boat caught fire. There were 249 alarms for the year of which 229 were fires. Arson was suspected in 13 cases. There had been eight fires where additional equip- ment had been requested by first arriving units. In the annual report presented to City Manager A. E. Parker November 15, 1927, Chief Sadler made two recommendations: 1. That some action be taken in the near future to secure a site for a new central fire station. This site should be centrally located, East of the Florida East Coast Railroad and should have a frontage on the street for a building with not less than four (4) doors, doors should not be less than fourteen (14) feet in width. The depth should be enough to allow the building to set back at least fifteen (15) feet from the street line

gasoline stored at the facility. A stiff northwest wind fanned the fire, but was instrumental in preventing it from spreading to the nearby tents of Bob Morton's Circus. Water was sprayed over the tents as a precaution. Ele- phants, enlisted as volunteer rescue workers, lifted endan- gered ponies from their corral to a place of safety. The firemen were credited with saving the big top and allow- ing the performance to go on that night. The two year old city garage was a total loss with damage estimated at $132,750. The fire destroyed more than thirty pieces of motor apparatus. Robert Smith, a city employee who was using the blow torch when it ex- ploded, was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital suffering burns on his hands and arms. He was listed in good con- dition that night. City Manager Bingham declared that the loss was fully insured. This fire resulted in the largest single loss for the fiscal year 1926-27. It is thought that the original Flagler Alert hand drawn hose cart of the 1890s was destroyed in the fire. Circus strongman, Frank Russell, came down to the fire house after the fire to thank the men and put on an impromptu demonstration of his strength. He attached a rope to the front of an old fire truck and told the firemen to climb on for a ride. Russell then pulled the loaded truck around the station with his teeth. City commissioners had many difficult decisions to make as West Palm Beach grew. The Palm Beach Post headlines of Friday, February 11, 1927, dealt, of course, with the municipal garage fire and the resulting damage. An interesting article appeared adjacent to the large pic- ture of smoke billowing into the sky. City Attorney Says Even Roosters Have Constitutional Power Roosters have constitutional rights, according to R. S. Yeomans, city attorney, and to discrimi- nate against them would be a case of "class leg- islation." A request was made yesterday to the city com- mission, via Commissioner Vincent Oaksmith, that the city prohibit the keeping of chickens within city limits, especially roosters. The peti- tioner, according to Commissioner Oaksmith, had been unable to rent some apartments owing to the fact that roosters were kept next door. Such an ordinance, it was decided would pro- hibit a farmer from bringing live chickens through the streets or poultry men from han- dling live roosters in the shops. Visions of tough, cold storage fowls were conjured. The petition was rejected with regret. Firemen were awakened in the early morning hours of February 19, 1927, to fight a fire in a building on Mili-

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