Another Chapter in the History of the Evanston Fire Department
By the summer of 1903, Evanston's population had reached 21,621 people — and that didn’t even include the turkeys Captain Carl Harrison was raising in the basement of Fire Station #3. Despite this quirky detail, the city’s fire department was working hard to keep up with the growing community. However, the next few years would bring both challenges and progress.
In March 1904, two fires in just four days tested the courage of Evanston firefighters. On the morning of March 10, Captain Jack Sweeting was overcome by smoke while fighting a fire at the Blanchard flats on Grove and Oak streets. He was rescued by Captain Carl Harms and firefighter William Pruter. Just minutes later, Harms suffered broken ribs after falling through a weakened floor into the basement. Four days later, Mary Kelly and her daughter narrowly escaped a fire at their residence on Chicago Avenue by jumping from a second-floor window into the arms of a passing citizen. Rookie firefighter William Ludwig was found unconscious inside the building and was pulled to safety by his colleagues. All injured men recovered and returned to duty, showing the resilience of the department.
Two months later, a late-night fire broke out at the B.B. Noyes coal and feed store on Church Street. Due to the risk of explosive dust from coal and grain, firefighters had to approach the blaze from the outside using multiple hose lines, including three lines connected to the new Eastman Deluger. Although they managed to contain the fire to the original structure, the increased water pressure caused damage to plumbing in several homes across the city. This led to complaints from prominent residents, who criticized the use of direct plug pressure. Chief Ed Mersch explained that until more steam fire engines were available, such tactics were necessary.
In May 1905, Chicago Fire Department Captain Norman Holmes replaced Mersch as chief of the Evanston Fire Department. However, Holmes only served for seven months before leaving for a position as Fire Marshal at Sears, Roebuck & Company. His tenure was marked by controversy, largely due to the political tensions surrounding his appointment. Many South Evanston residents viewed the previous chief, Ed Mersch, as one of their own and believed he had been unfairly dismissed. They took their frustrations out on Holmes, making his time in Evanston difficult.
Soon after arriving, a group of South Evanstonians launched legal action to challenge his appointment, arguing that he hadn’t met the residency requirement. The court eventually ruled that the one-year residency rule applied only to those running for office, not to appointed officials. But even with this ruling, Holmes decided it was time to move on. Meanwhile, veteran firefighter Edwin Whitcomb, who had served as the chief’s buggy driver and secretary, was appointed chief of the Kewanee Fire Department in October 1905.
Before leaving, Holmes introduced some important improvements, including the use of 1-1/2 inch hose lines and smaller nozzles, which were already in use by the Chicago Fire Department. These tools were easier to handle and helped reduce water damage during smaller interior fires. He also advocated for the creation of a new civil service rank: Assistant Chief Fire Marshal. Captain Jack Sweeting was promoted to this position in July 1905, taking on additional responsibilities.
Tragedy struck again in December 1905 when two Evanston firefighters lost their lives battling a fire at the Mark Manufacturing Company on Dempster Street. A year later, on December 23, 1906, a worker named Isaac Terry died in an explosion at the Northwestern Gas Light & Coke Company. He had mistakenly dumped burning ashes into a tar and coal pit, triggering a deadly explosion. The resulting fire took eight hours and nearly a million gallons of water to extinguish, with help from the Wilmette Fire Department and two Chicago engine companies. This event highlighted the dangers faced by firefighters and the importance of continued training and safety measures.
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