Early on a quiet Sunday evening, three 17-year-old boys were boating on the
Schuylkill River. As they approached Jackson's Lock, located at the foot of
South 6th Street, one of the boys threw a lit match into the river near the
Gas Works. Since the Schuylkill Canal was not in operation on Sundays,
there was a heavy concentration of oil refuse from the Gas Works lying on
top of the water in Jackson's Lock. The oil residue quickly flashed into a
wall of fire.
One of the three boys was Francis Cullen, 1025 Centre Avenue, the son of
ex-police chief Peter Cullen. He and his two friends, Michael Buckley Jr.
533 Buttonwood Street, and Burn Spiers, who lived near the three mile house
in Cumru Township, soon found much of the river surrounding them a wall of
fire. Believing their was no alternative, they jumped into the burning
river just as their boat quickly became engulfed in flames.
Within minutes, the entire lock was ablaze, sending a large plume of black
smoke skyward.
To many that were unable to see it was only the canal, the
fire gave an impression of something terribly wrong at the south end of
town.
At 18:45, Box 21, 7th and Chestnut, was pulled. Soon after, Box 16, 6th
and Willow, and this was following by a third bell from Station 15, 4th and
Bingaman Streets.
As Chief Engineer Howard F. Boyer arrived near 6th and Willow Streets, he
also was under the impression that the rear of the Reading Company was fully
involved and sounded a general alarm from Box 16. Once Boyer had actually
reached the scene and discovered what was really happening, he began to send
back most of the companies and let the fire burn itself out.
The three boys suffered from an assortment of injuries. Francis Cullen's
coat was burned off of his back as he swam through the fire. Both he and
Michael Buckley Jr. suffered hand, neck and facial burns. Burn Spiers not
only incurred the same type of injuries, he also ripped open a three inch
gash on top of his head and cut the skin just below his right eye when he
dove head first into a rock during the panic filled minutes. All three boys
were walked to 452 South 6th Street, where they were treated by Dr. D. Z.
Bowman.
Thanks to Historian Tony Miccicke for sending us these stories.
