I had to bring this one to the top. It seems there may have been some question about this fires location and the engine in the picture. After a second look my self I had to admit that the engine in the photo was not E-8 as I first stated, and maybe this was not a Salisbury fire after all. Still, something was nagging at me because the person that sent these to me would not have really been that interested in a fire that Salisbury was not part of, and I still had a personal memory of this event.
Soooooo, I did a little legwork, looked at some photographs, talked to several people and I feel now I have a very reliable desciption of the engine in question and the fire. First of all the fire did occur on Pemeberton Dr in the mid 70's. That part was correct. The engine in the photo is really somewhat unique. Originally it was a 700 series, 1950 American LaFrance Foamite 750 gpm pumper. In 1970 Saunders Carey and Donald Records removed the hosebed and much of the equipment and converted the pumper to a tanker holding 1200 gallons of water. Now again my memory is a bit misty, but this truck was taken out of service in January 1979 when it was replaced with a 2000 gal GMC chassis tanker with a front mount 750 gal. Hale pump. That Tanker was wrecked on it's maiden run going to the airport. The tanker above was put back in service and was used for nearly a year until the wrecked truck was rebuilt. The truck in the picture was bought by a local insurance agent with plans to restore it as a pumper. That never happened and it's whereabouts now is unknown.
Thanks again BC for the photo.
12 comments:
Old? LOL
I'll have to send the ones of me with Chief Taylor to make you feel "old"
A few more here too,
http://chargetheline.blogspot.com/2008/01/old-photographs-2.html
Pictures of you and Chief Taylor?
What was he doing---changing your diaper? LOL
O.K.---so your not as old as me but I have known you a long time.
WOW Soap,
Looks like the annual DPI chicken barbie got a little out of hand!
Joe,
You made no mention that you knew where this took place. I think I may know. If memory serves me correctly it was on the Kerley farm on Parsonsburg Rd right behind Melson's Church. The open cab Mack is Engine 74-2 and at the time the picture was snapped it was stuck up to the axles where the driver stopped. They had to dedicate a hose line to the engine to keep it cool. This same picture in on the wall in the lounge in Delmar.
DP
DP
You may be right. The photo is old and it took a little effort on my part to get some details from it. Although the enhancement I have at hand is far from good, I think now that engine is NOT one of Salisbury's.
This intrigues me to investigate further. Thanks for the heads up.
Actually it is a open cab American LaFrance of Salisbury's, and I believe the fire was out by Benedict's, Pemberton Drive.
Addition: At least that is what was told to me.
Joe - I believe this is in fact Pemberton Drive and I think that either Bill Finck or Gilbert Pusey was the DO. Guys like Phil Tull or maybe Tom Lewis might remember more about this.
BEA
I stand corrected. Thanks. Tho it looks like one hell of a chicken bar-b-q.
easternshorenative
There have been a lot of fires and a lot of photos in the past 40 years. And a lot of chicken houses have burned on both ends of this county. It's real easy to be mistaken. I still appriciater your input as well as so many others.
Soapbox I believe that Phil was driving the first due engine on this fire and he or someone got to close to the fire, but he would be the one to ask and you know how he is with computers. ha ha Homer
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