Today in HFD History - October 15, 1889 125 years ago today, Charles Webster, Helena fireman, dies while fighting a fire at a Chinese wash house near the present day May Butler School. Insofar as is known, his is the only line-of-duty death in our departments history. On July 12, 1889, Joseph K. Toole, who would soon become the first governor of the State of Montana, and others, petitioned the Helena City Council for the removal of a Chinese laundry in the vicinity of Rodney, Wood and Davis Streets. The request was based on their belief that the waste and refuse in and around the structure was a threat to public health and safety. This was the last and most formal attempt to convince the Citys government that the wash house and adjoining sheds and barn were a menace and that action needed to be taken. The Council referred it to a special committee of five aldermen. They determined that the citys charter did not give them any authority to condemn the property and the hazard remained. In the early hours of October 15, 1889, the watchman in the Fire Tower sounded the alarm bell after having discovered the presence of fire somewhere near the intersection of Rodney and Wood Streets. Charles Webster, a special policeman and volunteer fireman, was dining at a Main Street saloon prior to retiring for the evening. He immediately responded to the alarm and joined a crew of two others manning a hose cart. Upon arriving in the area, the members of the Helena Fire Department found that the Old Rookery, as the property was called, was in flames. The wash house was a one story log building with a framed roof structure. Charles Webster and two others stretched a hoseline into a narrow alley between the wash house and nearby barns. As soon as the three had entered the alley, Charles exclaimed, Look out, boys!, and then collapsed. Assistance was summoned and he was dragged from the alley to the sidewalk across the street. Various means were attempted to resuscitate Charles, including fanning and dosing him with brandy. These efforts were of no effect and by the time a physician, Dr. Salvail, arrived, he had no choice but to pronounce him dead. His body was hauled to the engine house at the City Hall. A coroners inquest was held that morning at the local morgue. It consisted of six men who were to determine the cause of death. The firemen working with Mr. Webster testified that they did not encounter heavy smoke or fire in the area that they were working. Others corroborated this testimony. There were no visible signs of injury or trauma. Given this evidence, the jury found that the cause of death must have been some form of heart disease and no autopsy was ordered. The fire itself was easily extinguished without spreading to adjacent structures. The Helena Herald described the fire and subsequent property loss ; The destruction of the unsightly Chinese dive caused no regret among the neighbors and many would have expressed their joy had it not been for the unfortunate death of one of the firemen. The wash house was operated by Sing Fing and owned by T.H. Galen. Mr. Fing believed that the fire was deliberately set as all of his ironing had been completed and fires out by 10:00 p.m. He estimated his loss at $300. Charles Webster was from Guelph, Ontario. It was reported that his business in Helena was in making sewer connections. Stories in several newspapers had him as being both married and unmarried. A telegram was received from his mother in Ontario that requested that his remains be interred in Helena. The funeral procession began at the engine house and services were conducted at a local church. The City Hall was draped in mourning and the bell from the watch tower sounded throughout the afternoon to mark his death. The entire fire department and many members of the community attended the services. His body was then borne to what is now the Benton Avenue Cemetery where he was buried. According to the newspaper article from May 31, 1900, a committee of firemen erected a permanent marker for him in 1894. It still marks his gravesite to the present day and reads; Erected by the Helena Fire department In memory of Charles W. Webster Died October 15, 1889 Aged 30 Ys. 5 Ms. 6 Ds. Members of the Helena Fire Department visited his grave in remembrance during Memorial or Decoration Day ceremonies in the ensuing years. But the practice went by the wayside and Mr. Websters service and sacrifice was forgotten. To the extent that, in recent decades, it was believed by many that the Helena Fire Department had never experienced a line of duty death. bit.ly/Xlmazk
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 06:00:00 +0000
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