Gustave Wittig, December 22nd, 1910
On Wednesday, December 21, 1910 at 9:16 PM, an alarm was sounded on Box 294, 3rd and Girard Avenue, for a fire in the Friedlander Leather Remnants Company located at 1114-16-18 N. Bodine Street.
Shortly after midnight on December 22, 1910, the building collapsed, killing 13 members of the Philadelphia Fire Department. All were trapped beneath the crumbling mass of bricks and timbers.
The 13 members killed in the line of duty at this fire were:
1. Hoseman Harry Bertolet of Chemical 2
2. Ladderman William Bihlmire of Truck 1
3. Ladderman John F. Carroll of Truck “G”
4. Ladderman John Collins of Truck 4
5. Hoseman Charles W. Edelman of Engine 6
6. Assistant Foreman Thomas Entwistle of Engine 21
7. Assistant Foreman John F. Kalberer of Engine 23
8. Hoseman William McConnell of Engine 23
9. Ladderman George Matchinsky of Truck 7
10. Ladderman Samuel W. Park of Truck “A”
11. Hoseman Thomas M. Pass of Chemical 2
12. Hoseman Robert Stewart of Engine 2
13. Foreman Gustave Wittig of Engine 15
Also killed in this fire was Philadelphia Police Officer Morris Gellis of the 8th Police District.
The fire loss amounted to $25,000. This fire is often referred to as the “Friedlander Fire” or “The Bodine Street Fire.”
Gustave Wittig, December 22nd, 1910
On Wednesday, December 21, 1910 at 9:16 PM, an alarm was sounded on Box 294, 3rd and Girard Avenue, for a fire in the Friedlander Leather Remnants Company located at 1114-16-18 N. Bodine Street.
Shortly after midnight on December 22, 1910, the building collapsed, killing 13 members of the Philadelphia Fire Department. All were trapped beneath the crumbling mass of bricks and timbers.
The 13 members killed in the line of duty at this fire were:
1. Hoseman Harry Bertolet of Chemical 2
2. Ladderman William Bihlmire of Truck 1
3. Ladderman John F. Carroll of Truck “G”
4. Ladderman John Collins of Truck 4
5. Hoseman Charles W. Edelman of Engine 6
6. Assistant Foreman Thomas Entwistle of Engine 21
7. Assistant Foreman John F. Kalberer of Engine 23
8. Hoseman William McConnell of Engine 23
9. Ladderman George Matchinsky of Truck 7
10. Ladderman Samuel W. Park of Truck “A”
11. Hoseman Thomas M. Pass of Chemical 2
12. Hoseman Robert Stewart of Engine 2
13. Foreman Gustave Wittig of Engine 15
Also killed in this fire was Philadelphia Police Officer Morris Gellis of the 8th Police District.
The fire loss amounted to $25,000. This fire is often referred to as the “Friedlander Fire” or “The Bodine Street Fire.”
Career History
Appointed Hoseman Engine 13 - March 24, 1892
Transferred Hoseman Engine 42 - July 23, 1896
Promoted Assistant Foreman Engine 15 -April 4, 1897
Promoted Foreman Engine 15 - June 6, 1904
Additonal Information
December 10, 2009
Dear Ms. Raab
Please excuse the delay in answering your request for information on your great-grandfather, Capt. Gustave Wittig. We have only a few volunteers to do the research and there is a sizable backlog. Our records have the following Information:
Name: Gustave Wittig
Date of appointment: March 24, 1892
Age at appointment: 34
Address at appointment: 1761 N. 3rd St.
Occupation at appointment: Driver
Position of appointment: Hoseman
Station assigned: Engine 13, located at 4131 Brown St.
Transferred to: Engine 42, July 23, 1896, located at 3320 Front St.
Promoted to: Assist. Foreman, (Lieutenant) April 4, 1897
Transferred to: Engine 15, April 4, 1897, located at Howard & Pitman Sts.
Promoted to: Forman, (Captain) June 6, 1904, stayed at Engine 15
Died on duty December 22, 1910
On Wednesday, December 21, 1910 at 9:16 pm companies responded to the Friedlander Leather Remnants Co. at 1116 N. Bodine St. The first arriving Engine Co. found heavy fire throughout the basement. Before long it had spread to the entire building. Shortly after midnight, while the men were fighting the fire, the front wall collapsed bringing the roof down with it. This trapped the men working on the interior. As rescue efforts were underway a secondary collapse occurred, burring the rescuers under tons of stone and brick. 13 Firefighters and 1 Police Officer were killed in these collapses. Foreman Gustave Witting was among those that perished. This fire has come to be known as the “Bodine Street Fire”
A point of interest is that, in the center of this picture, is a great monument. This monument is not dedicated to the Bodine Street fire. In fact, it is dedicated to the Volunteer Firefighters of Reading Pa. It is located in the City Park in Reading, Pa. and was dedicated on September 2, 1901.
The picture was made for the City of Philadelphia Annual Report of 1910. They probably used this monument to dramatize the picture.
As an added note, The Philadelphia Orchestra gave a benefit consort, on January 12, 1911, in support of the widows and families of those fallen men.
There is a hand-carved plaque hanging in the day room of the Museum which pictures the men killed on Bodine Street.
On the web sight www.phillyhistory.org has a photo of a monument with a Firefighter, Police Officer and Angle standing around the monument. The sight states the monument is to remember those killed on Bodine St. It says that it was placed at 3rd St and Girard Ave. There is no record of this monument. Perhaps this was proposed but never built.