As night began to fall, a severe thunderstorm rolled its way across the City of Reading. At the height of the storm, Box 521, 10th and Robeson streets, began to sound. Many people passed this off as being a lightning strike in the area, which were known to activate Gamewell stations from time to time.
The alarm came in at about 20:01, and brought out the Hampden, Marion, and Junior engine companies, along with the Washington aerial.
As the companies approached the telegraph box location, they found heavy fire shooting from the 4th floor and roof area at the Prospect Dye works, 1120 - 1132 Moss street.
Several minutes later, Chief of the Fire Department George W. Miller arrived on the scene. As in past experience with the other fires in this building, he wasted no time in sounding a second alarm. This additional call for help brought out the Rainbows, Riversides and Keystones, as well as the chemical wagons from the Washies and Friendships. By this time, the Prospect Dye Company was well involved. The industrial building was a 150 by 100-foot, four-story, L-shape structure that had a north wing that extended toward North Mill street.
Minutes after the second alarm was sounded, Box 35, 5th and Elm streets, began to sound. As in the Hampden Planning Mill fire on August 19, 1902, firemen anticipating a general alarm to be struck for the dye works, misread the tapping and believed it to be 3 3 3, the general alarm signal. The Liberties listened to the tapping and read the signal correctly. When they arrived on location at box 35, they found the steeple of the St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, 5th and Elm streets, on fire. Since all the other apparatus ran to the Prospect Dye fire, the men from the Liberties had no choice but the combat the flames themselves.
Soon after they went into service at St. Matthew's, they noticed the dome roof of the Memorial Church of the Holy Cross, 5th and Buttonwood streets, was also on fire. It was estimated that more than sixty volunteers from the Liberty Fire Company arrived when the bell sounded, which was sufficient in handling both fires. The two churches suffered only minor damage, and the cause of each was believed to be from a lightning strike.
Nearly thirty minutes after the Liberties left the area, they were called back for a flare up at the St. Matthew's church.
Back at the Prospect Dye fire, flames had spread rapidly and gained control of the entire structure. Chief Miller and his two assistants, First District Chief George C. Obold and Second District Chief Joel H. Krick, directed the firefighters in saving the exposures on the north and south sides of the structure, as well as cooling down the smoldering houses across the street.
As the fire raged on, a structural failure of the south wall occurred. The wall, which extended high above the third floors of neighboring row homes, gave way and crushed the roofs of 1116-1118 Moss street, while 1114 Moss street sustained only moderate damage. Soon after the south wall gave way, the eastern wall along Moss street fell into the street. This brought down all the electrical wiring that was strung up on poles in front of the dye works.
By 22:30, the fire had burned itself out. It was believed that lightning struck a cage-like, timber-constructed structure above the drying house, where the printing was done. Over a dozen men were at work inside the Prospect building when the fire was discovered. All escaped unharmed by way of a fire escape along Moss street.
Dwellings across the street from the blaze, addressed 1111-1131 Moss street, incurred more than $482 in heat damage. The Reading Confectionery Company, 1138 Moss street, along with a dwelling at 1140 Moss, suffered mostly water damage. Several firefighters sustained first degree burns on their faces, caused by the radiant heat given off from the inferno.
On July 11, 1906, after two weeks of criticism about the performance of the volunteer fire department, Chief Miller gave a statement that appeared in the Reading Times defending the actions of the volunteers that were at the Prospect Dye fire. Several neighbors complained that it took a long time for the firemen to begin throwing water on the fire. Chief Miller explained that he and the Hampden's steamer arrived on the scene only a few minutes after the first bell was sounded. After sizing up the situation, Chief Miller ran on foot to the original box pulled and sounded a second alarm. When he returned, the firemen had several hose lines in service. Miller further explained that the fire had a tremendous head start before the alarm of fire was sounded.
Major S. E. Ancona, who was one of the top delegates in the Firemen's Union, looked into the allegations made by the public. He issued his own statement on July 17, 1906, which defended the actions of Chief Miller and his volunteers. Apparently, the charges against the Reading Fire Department made by those living in the area, sparked City Council into looking at the possibility of, once again, disbanding the volunteer system and going to a paid department.
The talk of having a paid department had arose on several occasions and could be traced back as far as thirty years. Major Ancona, who was the Hampden's first president, stated that he became involved in firefighting back in 1861 and mentioned that the department now, under the leadership of Chief Miller, is far better trained and more responsible than the department of forty-five years ago. He went on to say that of all the volunteer fire departments he had visited throughout the country, Reading's system was one of the best.
Secretary and Treasurer Hugo Schahmann of the Prospect Dye works wrote a letter to the Firemen's Union, which was read by Union president W. W. Wunder on August 20, 1906. Schahmann defended the volunteers and said that they were very efficient, and considering the weather conditions of that night, were very prompt in arriving on the scene. He then shifted the blame to the Water Department because, after going out on their own and testing close to twelve hydrants in the area, they found the majority of them unfit for service.
This building was the scene of several multiple alarm fires. The first was on February 27, 1897 when a two-alarm fire was battled here. The next came on May 6, 1901, another two-alarm fire. A general alarm was transmitted when the Prospect Dye Works went up in flames and extended to the Reading Confectionery Company. The grand finale came on May 25, 1996 as the structure, then vacant and known as the Great Factory Outlet Store, burned in a memorable and spectacular blaze.
Thanks to Historian Tony Miccicke for sending us these stories.
