THE  LAST  ALARM

FIREMAN GEORGE T. YATMAN

TRUCK CO. 2

DECEMBER 25, 1878

A fire had originated in the boiler room of a three-story extension at the rear of a four-story brick commercial building, occupied by the Thomas Paint & Oil store, and by the Wheeler & Alling Shirt Co. at Market and Beaver Streets. At 02:20 hours, Box 38 was struck for the fire.

On arrival, the members of Engines 1, 2 and 3, Trucks 1 and 2, and Supply 1, found heavy fire showing from the windows of the three-story building and extending to the cornice and lecture room of the adjacent First Reformed Church. Engine 2 quickly placed a line into operation on the church as the other companies went to work on the main fire building. When the line protecting the church ruptured, as a result of sub-freezing temperatures, Chief Engineer Benedict ordered Assistant Chief Engineer Meeker to strike a second-alarm at 02:30 when it appeared that the fire would destroy the church. Engines 4, 5, and 7 were put to work as they arrived and the fire soon appeared to be under control.

The red #1 indicates the fire building, while #2 indicates the church where Yatman was operating from.

As second-alarm units began to take up from the scene, a flicker of flame was seen on the fourth floor of the main building. As firefighters investigated, they were met with a sudden burst of flames out the windows and through the roof. Once again, the church was ignited and a line was quickly taken up a ladder to the roof, where the fire was extinguished. Frozen firefighters then played the stream into the fourth floor windows of the burning factory. The bitter-cold temperatures greatly hampered firefighting efforts and many men had their turnout coats split and fall from their bodies due to the weight of the ice that formed on them. As the fire dropped down to the third floor of the factory, a general-alarm was struck at 03:23 hours, when the building's highly flammable contents renewed the fury of the flames.

At about 04:00 hours, Fireman George T. Yatman, of Truck 2, was standing near the edge of the church roof and was assisting Engine 4 in the operation of their line onto the main fire. In an effort to warm his frozen feet, he began to stamp them up and down. Suddenly, his feet went out from under him and he turned a complete somersault before slamming into the wall of the burning factory. He then fell into the alleyway between the church and the factory. His broken body was carried to a nearby doctor's office, where it was found that his skull had been crushed and his neck and an arm was broken. He was pronounced dead by the doctor. Yatman, 26, was unmarried and resided at 71 Sussex Avenue.

 Another fireman was injured while responding to the blaze, when he fell, gashing his head badly. Many of the men suffered severe exposure while operating at the fire, one of whom was said to be serious. The blaze was finally brought under control by 05:00 hours, but two more hours passed before the last fire apparatus left the scene. The three-story extension was totally destroyed in the blaze, as was the third and fourth floors of the main factory. Total losses were set at $30,000 ($667,951) including $2,500 ($55,663) damages to the church.

Article that appeared in the New York Times, of December 26, 1878.