Fighting fires since 1901
Department has been offering protection for more than a century
October is Fire Prevention month so remember to change your smoke detector batteries.
Every school child has been taught to “stop, drop, and roll” if you ever catch on fire. And of course, we have 911.
Think of all the services we have in town that we take for granted.
One very necessary service that needed consideration when Glace Bay incorporated as a town on January 30, 1901, was a fire service. There was no running water then so although coal companies had their brigade, private fire protection hadn’t even been considered.
By July 24, 1901, a fire threatened the whole town. “Bucket Brigades” acted quickly, but $7,000 worth of damage still occurred even with the help of the colliery brigades. By August, pipes, hydrants, hoses and a chemical fire engine were ordered. Remembering that most everyone heated with coal or wood in those days, the risk of fire was so much higher. There were also no fire building codes, so one fire could quickly spread through a whole town.
By September 24, John Leaman, an experienced fireman from the Dominion Coal Company organized a fire committee meeting for October 4. As chairman and later fire chief, he organized a volunteer Glace Bay Fire Department.
They had “two hose reel companies, one ‘hook and ladder’ company, and a Salvage Corps with 32 members. Their first practice was with the only two hydrants (Farrels Corner and Senators Corner) and as many as 25 more members joined.
With no official fire alarm, the signal was the machine shop whistle blowing, and St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church and St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church bells ringing.
Before their first practice on October 19, Sydney’s Mayor Crowe needed the help of the Glace Bay and North Sydney fire departments due to the great Charlotte Street fire. A special train rushed 50 men, with hoses and reels, to the scene. But with the water shut off as infrastructure was built, the fire raged out of control. Ingraham’s Wharf stream couldn’t provide enough water to prevent the destruction of 78 buildings, 64 of those being businesses. By 6:30 pm that night, the loss was $1,000,000. This was quite the “baptism by fire” for Glace Bay Fire Department.
By December, 1901, Hugh Cameron built a 30 ft. long by 15 ft. wide building with two horse stables, near the school, as the community’s first fire station. The year 1902 saw the first horse-drawn fire engine with a 35-gallon chemical tank, 100 feet of hose, four hand extinguishers, two short ladders, a pike, and two lanterns. For the town’s first anniversary on January 20, 1902, they demonstrated their equipment in the parade, complete with “rubber boots and sou’westers, and torches.”
By 1903, a big fire on Commercial Street started at G.B. Warren’s warehouse and spread to the Chinese Laundry, causing $5,000 damage. As a result, 11 volunteer firefighters were dismissed and 12 put on warning from this ‘formerly prestigious job.’ This was a life and death situation. With the future of our town at stake, they didn’t need ‘slackers.’
By 1904, a $4,700 “singlehorse Seagrave Ladder Wagon” (affectionately named “John Leaman” after their first chief) was purchased. Ladders and a ‘steam pumping engine’ were added by September.
On January 9, 1905, an alarm sounded only to find there were no horses available to respond. The horses used to be hired from stables. Things had to change. Horses were purchased and while they worked for the town, their main and most exciting job was as “fire horses.” When an alarm rang, chomping at the bit, they were released from their work and ridden bareback to the station, or on occasion, they ran to their posts on their own, ready for action.
By 1908, a two-horse hose wagon built in Truro for $365 including 1,000 feet of hose was added. A horse barn was added at the back of town hall.
With time and technology moving on, Glace Bay saw its first motorized firetruck in 1918. It was a 1917 American La France type 75 triple combination with chain-drive and solid tires. In that year, they also got a Ford open-body with solid rear tires towed by a ladder wagon donated by the Merchant’s Association.
In 1922, two more ‘hose and ladders’ were brought on board and 1931 brought a “LaFrance Foamite type 14-75 quadruple combination, with a 12-cylinder engine, 1 625 gal/min pump and 261 feet of ladders” named after Chief J.W. MacKenzie. The year 1933 saw the retirement of old hose and ladder trucks with a “GMC 2-ton chassis” truck replacement. The new fire station on Main St. opened in 1938.
This is just the beginning of the history of our fire department that we all take for granted. It will be there in our hour of need. Even with volunteer firefighters, it’s an expensive proposition to keep this valuable service ready to go at a moment’s notice.
Recently The Cape Breton Post ran a story about new equipment and the fundraisers required to keep these stations afloat. Everyone should help out when they can. Let’s keep our firefighters safe with the best equipment.
Lila Carson used to be an elementary teacher who returned home to Cape Breton. She took a course on the history of Cape Breton at Cape Breton University and developed an interest in learning about where she lived. She now wants to share this knowledge with others. If you have any comments or ideas you would like to see in future columns, email her at lilacarson@hotmail.com.