Introduction
Engine Company 5 was organized and entered service on July 1, 1905 at 1401 Federal Street, from where it could serve the upper reaches of Center City, North Camden, and lend assistance to East Camden and Cramer Hill. Edgar Boulton was selected in May of 1905 to be the new company’s first Captain. Charles Worthington, who would rise to the rank of Chief of Department, was also assigned there.
The Company was displaced from its headquarters in 1926 when the firehouse apron at grade (street) level was obstructed by the newly-built Fourteenth Street Viaduct, which crosses the Admiral Wilson Boulevard adjacent to the railroad line. Engine Company 5 at that point was relocated to the 27th Street and Federal Street headquarters of Engine Company 9 in East Camden. The unit was disbanded on January 1, 1933 for budgetary reasons, as the city like so many other New Jersey municipalities was in dire financial straits brought on by the Depression.
The former firehouse at 14th and Federal Street was used by the City of Camden until 1986, when it was torn down.
More Firemen for Camden
Philadelphia Inquirer —
MORE FIREMEN FOR CAMDEN
Made Necessary by the Erection of a New Engine House
The Fire Committee of Camden City Council have appointed the following firemen: Charles Cook, James White, Harry Anderson, Samuel Sheer, Edward Finley, Martin Carrigan, Joseph Daly, Joseph Ernest, Seth Morrell, William Buzine, Charles Sturgis, Samuel T. Whitezell, Ephraim T. Davis, J. Oscar Till, J. H. Vickers, Frederick Morse, Rollo Jones and William Miller. Jones and Miller will go on duty at once, and the others on January 1, by which time it is expected the new fire house at Twelfth and Federal streets, will be completed.
The new men will be distributed among the older companies. The new company will be made up of experienced men from the other companies.
Brave Fire-Fighter Heads New Company
Philadelphia Inquirer —
BRAVE FIRE-FIGHTER HEADS NEW COMPANY
The new fire house on Federal street above Twelfth, in the heart of the mill, factory, foundry, textile and lumber district of Camden, is rapidly nearing completion and will soon be ready for occupancy.
Edgar Bolton, of the Second ward, at present a member of the company at Fifth and Arch streets, who has been elected foreman of the new company, was chosen by the Foreign Commissioners because of his ability and bravery shown at some of Camden’s recent big fires.
One of the institutions of which Camden is proud is its paid fire department, made up of trained fire-fighters, among them Foreman Bolton, who doesn’t know the meaning of the word fear.
Apparatus
Engine Company 5 — 1905
Engine Company 5 — 1906
Engine Company 5 — 1912–1914 — 2nd Size Steamer
Engine Company 5 — 1920s
Fireman in a Mix-Up
Philadelphia Inquirer —
FIREMAN IN A MIX-UP
Charles Worthington Accuses Edgar Bolton of Assault
Fireman Edgar Bolton, former foreman of Engine Company No. 5, of Camden, was arrested by Captain of Police Albert yesterday, on a charge of atrocious assault and battery preferred by Charles Worthington, a member of the same company. Worthington, while returning to the fire house after supper, was so badly beaten at the hands of a man he says was Bolton, that he was taken to Cooper Hospital, where a number of stitches were found necessary to close the wounds.
The facts were immediately reported to Chief Elfreth and he suspended Bolton. A special meeting of the Fire Committee of City Council has been called for tomorrow night to take action on the charges preferred by Chief Elfreth against Bolton.
New Fireman in Bolton's Place
Philadelphia Inquirer —
New Fireman in Bolton’s Place
The Fire Committee of Camden City Council last night appointed Arthur Wingate, of the Ninth ward, a fireman to take the place of Edgar Bolton, who resigned.
Engine Company 5 with Electric Hose Wagon
Engine Company No. 5 at 14th and Federal Streets, with newly converted hose wagon. Originally a horse drawn rig, it was modified to electric power by the Commercial Truck Company of Philadelphia PA. A storage battery powered each wheel.
Pictured with apparatus are (l to r): Chief Peter Carter, Fireman Scott Franklin, Chauffeur Bert Coffman, Firemen Edward Kelley, William Buzine, John Prucella, Charles Schultz, Horace Cairns, Daniel Grimes and Chief’s Aide, Fireman Harry Hankins.
Engine Company 5 Personnel
- William E. Hibbert
- Edgar Bolton
- Charles Worthington
- Charles Watkin
Fire Department Promotions
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Camden Council’s Fire Committee yesterday granted the application of Captain Charles Todd to be placed on pension February 28. Lieutenant Charles Watkins, of No. 5 Company, was advanced to a captaincy, and Harry Chambers, of No. 2 Truck, was made a lieutenant. Alfred Lasby, of the Fourth ward, was made a fireman to fill the vacancy in the department.
Captain Todd has been in the department for twenty-two years and is head of No. 7 Engine Company.
$225,000 Fire Ruins 5 Uptown Plants
Camden Courier-Post —
$225,000 FIRE RUINS 5 UPTOWN PLANTS
HOW FLAMES GUTTED BIG INDUSTRIAL BUILDING
RESIDENTS FLEE AS FLAMES RAGE IN BIG BUILDING
Factory of Evans Leather Co. Saved by Valiant Work of Firemen
APPARATUS IS DISABLED; DEBRIS BURIED FIRE PLUG
Metal Stamping Firm, Textile Concern Heavy Losers; Pattern Shop Saved
Sweeping through the Varoma Building on Erie street and driving 80 persons from their homes, a spectacular fire early today wrecked the quarters of five industrial concerns and caused damage estimated at $225,000.
Responding to three alarms, every piece of fire apparatus in the city, with the exception of the “cover-up” companies, fought the blaze for hours.
Handicapped by the location of fire-plugs and the breakdown of several pieces of apparatus, the firemen prevented the flames from spreading to the huge building of the Evans Leather Company, which forms an “L” on two sides of the burned structure.
Twenty dwellings on the east side of Segal street, separated from the Varoma building only by a narrow alley, were also saved after their occupants had fled to the street.
Fire Chief Thomas Nicholas announced later today, after the flames had been brought under control, that he would begin a rigid investigation into the blocking of Segal street by a high board fence and the piling of refuse around a fireplug at the head of the street.
The structure, at 105–107 Erie street, extends back almost to Segal street and has a frontage covering most of the block on Erie street between Second and Burns streets.
Arriving in response to the watchman’s alarm, Chief Nicholas visioned the danger of repetition of the fire nine years ago when buildings at the same location were wiped out by flames. He immediately sounded the second and third alarms, bringing almost every piece of apparatus in the city to the scene.
The fire was discovered at 5.35 o’clock by a watchman who sounded the first alarm. The flames had started, from causes as yet undetermined, in that portion of the building occupied by the Blue & Gray Textile Company. The building, which housed nine separate industries, covered an area 100 by 300 feet.
Carr, president of the textile company, estimated the loss there at $30,000, stating that a large shipment of intricate machinery from Germany had arrived only a few days ago.
Moving northward, the flames next struck the MacMillan plant, where chemicals are manufactured for paints and drug companies. Here the flames reached a number of containers of chemicals and, for a time, the blaze was punctuated by a series of explosions. Here, firemen risked imminent peril to their lives by carrying other containers of chemicals out of reach of the flames.
Still continuing northward; the fire next reached the MacIntosh lithographing plant and spread through the cutting and shipping rooms, causing damage estimated at $10,000 before firemen succeeded in dragging two lines of hose into this section of the building and driving back the flames.
A fireplug at Segal street was blocked by a pile of chemical containers. Declaring that he could have attached at least four more hose lines had this plug not been blocked, Chief Nicholas announced that he would conduct an investigation.
Hose lines were taken to the flat roof of the Evans Company, high above the burning building, and water poured onto the flames from this altitude. Hundreds of persons were attracted to the scene by the spectacular nature of the fire, which was visible from the Camden bridge and for miles around. A police detail and Chief James E. Tatem and Inspector Lewis Etehr kept the crowd in check.
Eight firemen narrowly escaped serious injury when a section of the east wall fell. Three of these firemen were from Engine Company No. 1 at Fifth and Arch streets; three from No. 4, Fourth and Vine streets, and two from No. 2 Company, Front and Hadden streets.
Families whose homes were menaced and who were driven from the dwellings were those of Paul Warner, 1002 Segal street; Frank Bosco, 1004; Giles Beebe, 1006; Howard Pratt, 1008; Mrs. Mary Sweeten, 1010; Charles Randall, 1012; Harry Burr, 1014; John Sweeten, 1016; Leona Moore, 1018; Dora Annastasio, 1020; John Hamilton, 1024; Abe Granis, 1026; George Stewart, 1028; Arthur Wilkins, 1032; Charles Stutzenburg, 1034; George Wilson, 1036; George Bowers, 1040, and A. W. Dickinson, 1042 Segal street.
The fire today was the fourth big blaze that has occurred on the site. The first was in 1867, when a roller mill and nail factory were destroyed. In 1908, flames destroyed the morocco plant of R. H. Evans Company. In 1919, with the temperature at the zero point, firemen were again called out to fight another disastrous blaze in the Evans plant that had been rebuilt.
Thomas Nicholas — James Tatem — Manuel Kane — Harry M. Leigh — David Ellis — Engine Company 2 — Engine Company 4 — Engine Company 6
Credits
Many of the Fire Department photographs on this website are from the limited edition book “Fire Department Camden NJ 125 Anniversary 1869–1994.” Others are courtesy of Joel Bain of the Camden Fire Department.