St. Louis Fire (1849)
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The St. Louis Fire of 1849 was the first fire in United States history in which a firefighter was killed in the line of duty. Captain Thomas B. Targee was killed while a fire break was being made. The fire occurred on May 17, 1849.
While Captain Targee was heroic, he was NOT the first fireman killed in the line of duty in the United States. Many had perished before the St. Louis White Cloud fire of 1849 . Peter Roome, Foreman of Hudson Engine Company No. 1 in New York City was beaten by British soldiers as he attempted to direct his men in battling a fire during the British occupation of New York in 1776 during the Revolutionary War. He died of injuries suffered in the line of duty. Numerous other New York firemen were killed years prior to Captain Targee. In 1811 Foreman William Peterson of Engine 15 died from "over exertion and exposure to heat." Charles Abrams, Engine 18, was killed at a fire on Broadway in 1820. Firemen David Raymer, Engine 40, and Assistant Foreman Francis Joseph, of Engine 1, were killed in 1827. John Knapp of Engine 32, was killed by a falling wall in 1834. Four months later Eugene Underhill and Francis Ward, of Engine 13 were killed in a wall collapse. In 1845 an explosion of salt peter during a general alarm fire devestated the New York Volunteer Fire Department, killing several firemen and destroying numerous pieces of apparatus. See thevolunteers1830-1865.com
Timeline of the fire
The fire began onboard a steamboat, the White Cloud. The steamboat broke loose from its moorings and began to float down the Mississippi River, setting other steamboats on fire as it went. It finally came to rest at the foot of Locust Street and the heat coming from the boat ignited nearby buildings. The resulting fire began to spread and threatened to burn down the entire city. The fire department, then all volunteer, decided to create a fire break by blowing up six warehouses. This was accomplished by launching kegs of gunpowder into the buildings. The last one blew up before launch, killing Captain Targee. The death toll for the fire, including Targee, was three.
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