John R. Groff, May 1st, 1856
In the early morning of Tuesday, May 1, 1856, at about 12:00 a.m. fire was discovered in the paper and rag warehouse of Jessup and Moore. This large building was located at 24-26 North St. which is below Arch Street between 5th & 6th Streets. The fire was undetected for some time and made great headway inside before being discovered. The choking smoke was so great that the fireman could not get into the best position to battle the blaze. The combination of the delay in detecting the fire and the choking smoke which hampered the fireman caused the fire to grow to such a proportion that the flames easily jumped to nearby buildings.
At about 1:00 a.m., while John Groff, and other members of the Perseverance Hose Co., were playing a stream from the stable yard in the rear of the warehouse, the east wall came crashing down, crushing the stables. John Groff was killed instantly; others were severely injured.
By 5:00 a.m. in the morning the fire was contained to an area from Arch Street on the north, Market Street on the south, 5th Street on the east and 6th Street on the west. In total 44 buildings and houses were destroyed.
John Groff was 32 years unmarried and was a printer by trade.
John R. Groff, May 1st, 1856
In the early morning of Tuesday, May 1, 1856, at about 12:00 a.m. fire was discovered in the paper and rag warehouse of Jessup and Moore. This large building was located at 24-26 North St. which is below Arch Street between 5th & 6th Streets. The fire was undetected for some time and made great headway inside before being discovered. The choking smoke was so great that the fireman could not get into the best position to battle the blaze. The combination of the delay in detecting the fire and the choking smoke which hampered the fireman caused the fire to grow to such a proportion that the flames easily jumped to nearby buildings.
At about 1:00 a.m., while John Groff, and other members of the Perseverance Hose Co., were playing a stream from the stable yard in the rear of the warehouse, the east wall came crashing down, crushing the stables. John Groff was killed instantly; others were severely injured.
By 5:00 a.m. in the morning the fire was contained to an area from Arch Street on the north, Market Street on the south, 5th Street on the east and 6th Street on the west. In total 44 buildings and houses were destroyed.
John Groff was 32 years unmarried and was a printer by trade.
Career History
Volunteer with the Perseverance Hose Company