Friday, March 6, 2009

Firemen Respond To Middle Spring

On March 6, 1889 at 7:30 a.m. an alarm of fire was sounded for the Shryock Brothers’ Paper Mill, Middle Spring. A blaze of incendiary origin began in a 200 foot long straw stack. Word spread to Shippensburg about the fire and the request for assistance. Mr. Shryock’s six-mule team just happened to be in town taking a load to the freight depot and was attached to the Vigilant engine (1860 Button). The engine and hose reel along with the men arrived at the scene in about 40 minutes. Firemen quickly had a stream of water on the fire assisting the bucket brigade that had been working for sometime. At about 10:30 a.m. it was decided to only way to extinguish the fire to cut the straw stack in half making a fire break, by noon the fire was under control. Approximately 75 tons of straw was destroyed. A damage estimate was not available.

The photograph of the Cumberland Valley's fleet was taken sometime between 1970 and early 1973. The Bean and ladder truck did not come in until 1970 and the 1969 Caddillac was replaced in May 1973 with new caddy's.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The good old days at the 53 house. This fleet brings back some good memories.

Anonymous said...

Looks like this was before all three bay doors had electric openers. The ambulance door had a secret button on the outside of the building. The secret was that almost everybody in town knew about it.

RB