Introduction
CLARENCE PURSGLOVE was born in Camden, New Jersey on May 23, 1884 to Charles Watson Pursglove and his wife, the former Mary Elizabeth Hamilton. He was the youngest of eight known Pursglove children, coming after Mary, Elizabeth, William, Charles, Emma, George, and Harry Pursglove. From 1887 through 1890 the Pursglove family lived at 138 Walnut Street in South Camden. The 1900 Census shows the family at 1243 Liberty Street. Clarence Pursglove was then working as a laborer. By 1910 Charles Pursglove had passed. Clarence Pursglove lived with his mother and brothers Charles, William, and Harry at 911 St. John Street.
In the early 1910s Clarence Pursglove married Evelyn Patten, of 757 Mount Vernon Street. The marriage produced one child, a daughter also named Evelyn, around 1912.
George H. Pursglove became a member of the Camden Fire Department in the mid-1910s. He resigned from the department in March of 1918 to take a higher-paying job in one of Camden’s shipyards. Clarence Pursglove was appointed to replace him. George Pursglove later returned to the Fire Department.
When Clarence Pursglove registered for the draft in September of 1918, he was living at 757 Mount Vernon Street with his wife Evelyn and daughter. They were still at that address when the census was taken in April of 1930.
By the end of 1939 Clarence and Evelyn Pursglove had moved to 3080 South Constitution Road in Camden’s Fairview section. He was still working as a Camden firefighter and living at that address when the 1947 City Directory was compiled. Mandatory retirement from the Fire Department was instituted in 1948.
A lifelong Camden resident, Clarence Pursglove died in December of 1970.
Shipyard Wages Lure to Firemen
Camden Post-Telegram —
Chief Presents Six Resignations at Meeting of Council Commission.
MERTZ IS CAPTAIN IN WHITSELL’S PLACE
Camden’s Fire Department has been hard hit by the call of the shipyards and death. The report of Fire Chief Peter B. Carter presented last night at the meeting of the Fire Committee of City Council showed six resignations, two deaths and one vacancy from the draft.
The resignations follows [sic]: Louis Neuman, No. 3 Truck Company; George H. Pursglove, No. 7 Engine Company; Roy De Haven, Julius Hubert and Harry W. Stone, No. 3 Truck Company, and Lieutenant Joseph Sparks, No. 7 Engine Company.
Deaths reported were Captain Samuel Whitzell, of No. 1 Engine Company, and William Elberson, of Headquarters. William Schucher, of No. 4, was drafted into the Army.
To take the place of Captain Whitzell, Lieutenant Walter Mertz, of the same company, was appointed captain, and Horace Kerns was made lieutenant. The following appointments were made by the Fire Committee: Robert L. Knox, 822 Division street, to fill place of Julius Hunbert [sic]; Allen Palmer, 120 North Eleventh street, for vacancy of Louis Neuman; Clarence Pursglove, 751 Mt. Vernon street, taking place of his brother George; Anthony Paradise, 658 South Second street, filling place of Roy De Haven; Harry B. Maxwell, 422 North Sixth street, for vacancy of Harry W. Stone; Robert Welsh, 512 Borton street, vacancy of William Schucher, and William Vile, 570 Carman street, to fill place of Captain Whitzell.
The American La France Company was awarder [sic] the contract to furnish a new two-in-one motor apparatus for $10,000.
A petition from members of the Firemen’s Pension Fund asked that the rule of ten years’ apprenticeship be abolished in view of the wages paid men employed in other industries. The petition requests that all men in the department be placed on full salary at once. The petition will be presented to City Council.
Six Camden Firemen Quit for Better Jobs
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Higher Wages Lure Members of the Force to the Local Shipyard
High wages paid at shipyards is proving a big lure to the members of the Camden Fire Department, resignations of six laddies being presented to the Fire Committee of City Council yesterday by Chief Carter. The men quitting to become shipbuilders are Louis Neuman, George H. Pursglove, Roy De Haven, Julius Hubert, Harry W. Stone and Joseph Sparks. Their places were filled by the appointment of Robert Knox, Allen Palmer, Clarence Pursglove, Anthony Paradise, Harry B. Maxwell and Robert Welsh. Lieutenant Walter Mertz was made a captain to succeed Samuel Whitzell, deceased, and Horace Kerns was made a lieutenant. A contract was awarded to the American-La France Engine Company for a new motor engine. The price is $10,000.
Man and Wife Saved by Passing Firemen
Camden Courier-Post —
Watchman Meets Engines Returning From Another Blaze; 4 Sunday Fires
Trapped in their home over a blazing butcher shop on Kaighn avenue, a man and wife were carried down a ladder by firemen who were returning from one of four serious fires which called out every piece of apparatus in Camden yesterday.
Total damage in the four fires was estimated at $23,000.
Furniture and stationery were ruined, and several automobiles were damaged by flames which gutted the warehouse of Bleakly Brothers, stationers, at 405 Mickle street.
Five trucks were destroyed in a blaze in the rear of the Terminal Garage, Ferry and Atlantic avenues.
The butcher shop of Samuel Yentis, and the building owned by M. D. Cornish at 741 Kaighn avenue were wrecked by fire.
Fire burned through the roof of the home of Dominic Sgariglio, 1271 Kaighn avenue; flames and water destroyed the entire contents of the house.
At 3.25 a. m. firemen who had extinguished the garage blaze were returning to their station at Twenty-seventh and Federal streets. Driving east on Kaighn avenue, near Seventh street, they were attracted by a man who suddenly ran into the middle of the street, shouting “Fire, Fire!” He pointed to the blazing butcher shop at 741 Kaighn avenue.
The man was George Whitehead, 55 years old, a watchman for the Congoleum Nairn Inc., Seventh street and Kaighn avenue. He had discovered the fire as he sat in his watchman’s shack across the street. He ran to the store, pounded on the door until Yentis came to the window of his bedroom.
Telling Yentis, who is 35 years old, and his wife, Anna, 33 years old, to dress, Whitehead said he would call firemen. He was on his way to the Sixth street and Kaighn avenue fire station when he met the apparatus returning from the garage fire.
Allen Palmer and Clarence Pursglove, both of Engine Company No. 9, carried Yentis and his wife down the ladder. The fire had burned through a wall to the stairway leading to the living quarters of the Yentis family, cutting off escape. Neighbors cared for the butcher and his wife as the firemen extinguished the blaze.
Damage was estimated at $1,500 by Cornish, who owns the building, and who lives at 739 Kaighn avenue.
The first of the series of Sunday fires sent six engine companies dashing to the Bleakly Brothers warehouse after three alarms had been sounded. Spontaneous combustion was blamed for this, the most serious of the day’s fires.
Flames shooting from second-floor windows attracted a passerby who turned in the first alarm at 1.30 a. m. Firemen found that the blaze had spread beyond their control and another crew was summoned. Twelve minutes later, a third alarm brought additional men and apparatus.
Lack of space, caused by furniture and stationery being piled high on warehouse floors, hampered firemen who fought the flames more than two hours before they were under control.
Fred Hutchinson, secretary of the firm, whose store is at 532 Federal street, said today that the company would not be able to estimate the damage until after a check-up of the storehouse inventory had been made.
Water Damages Autos.
The first floor of the warehouse is occupied by the Plaza Garage, operated by H. R. Dixon, 733 Spruce street. Several automobiles parked there were damaged by water. The two story building is owned by Louis Tarter, Camden real estate man.
The Terminal Garage fire was discovered at 2.45 a. m. by Nathan Benson, manager. Three engine companies answered two alarms.
Firemen said that an explosion preceded the fire which destroyed five trucks at a loss estimated by Benson at approximately $8,000. J. L. Weiner of 6000 Carpenter street, Philadelphia, owner of the building, estimated his loss at $3,500.
Despite the efforts of two men who fought the flames with extinguishers until firemen arrived, the two-story summer home of Charles A. Dilliam, Philadelphia real estate broker, located on White Horse pike, Laurel Springs, was gutted yesterday afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. Dilliam had gone to the house for the weekend and had built a fire in the fireplace. Smoke was noticed creeping through the clapboards by C. R. Miller, an attendant at a gas filling station across the street. Calling firemen, Miller, assisted by Edward C. Vanderbilt, 1137 Lawrence street, Camden, who was driving by, held the flames in check until Laurel Springs Fire Companies No. 1 and 2, under Chief Edward L. Condon, arrived.
Firemen said the blaze caught in the rear of the fireplace.
Silver Lake Home Burns
A frame home at Silver Lake, near the Casino Inn, was destroyed by fire Saturday. The house formerly was occupied by John B. Weber, proprietor of Silver Lake Inn.
Slight damage was done by a chimney fire in the home of Frank Dalton, Gloucester, last night. Firemen put out the flames soon after they arrived. Smoke from the Dalton dwelling seeped into the adjoining home of Mrs. John McGonigle. Mrs. McGonigle carried her cat to safety and waited until firemen extinguished the flames before re-entering her house.
Fred Bushall, of Woodbury, barely had time to hurry his two small children from his automobile when it burst into flames on Delaware street near Starr Ditch.
Faulty ignition was blamed as the cause of the fire. Firemen arrived too late to save it from the flames.
World War I Draft Card
World War I Draft Registration Card — Clarence Pursglove
World War II Draft Card
World War II Draft Registration Card — Clarence Pursglove