Fire on the Waterfront

Bromley & Co. Map, 1912

In 1912 at 365 Atlantic a large fire broke out. Authorities were alerted from the local fire box, number forty-seven. The fire was battled by firemen who perched themselves upon a deactivated portion of the elevated railway. Because of the elevated railway occupying a large part of the street, fires that took place on streets where the railway traveled were at risk for a larger spread because the railway inhibited the firemen from being as efficient as possible in accessing the buildings. Fire-boats also joined the effort, managing to quell the fire from nearby Foster's Wharf. The fire spread to three floors of the building according to the article, and went off at the early hour of 4 in the morning. The owners of the plot are E.O Seccomb & William B. Kehew, a company that existed at the address according to this billhead. In addition, the image above from Atlascope indicates an ownership by the same person.