Harrison MacNeir

HARRISON MACNEIR was born in Camden May 1, 1921 to Charles and Lillian MacNeir. The MacNeir family had been in Camden as far back as the 1880s. His parents were living at 816 Pine Street when the Census was taken in 1920 with older brothers Belford, Frederick, and Charles. When the Census was taken in 1930, the MacNeir family lived at 714 Mount Vernon Street. Another brother, Edgar had also joined the family. By February of 1938 the MacNeirs had moved to 822 Birch Street. When the 1940 City Directory was compiled the family was living at 723 Fern Street in North Camden. His brother Charles was still at home as well, Belford and Frederick were not listed in the Directory.

Harrison W. MacNeir married and had joined the Camden Fire Department prior to the compilation of the 1943 Camden City Directory. He then lived with his wife, the former Thelma Bray, at 29 South 35th Street in East Camden. The MacNeir family stayed there into the 1960s, but had left Camden by 1969.

Harrison W. MacNeir was last a resident of Cape May, New Jersey. He died on May 13, 1991, survived by his wife, who passed in September of 2007.

Their Rowboat Stuck in Mud Flat, Brothers Frantically Cry for ‘Help’ Three Hours; Rope Pulls Craft Ashore

Two small boys, brothers, were rescued after being marooned three hours in a rowboat on a mud flat in the Delaware east of Cooper river.

The rescue was effected by Camden police and firemen after the boys had frantically yelled for aid. Despite their long exposure, the boys were discovered to be in good physical condition when police took them to Cooper Hospital at sundown Saturday.

John Castor, Jr., 11, of 511 North Eighth street, and Thomas Castor, 8, of 1228 North Nineteenth street, ventured out into the Delaware river in a boat they found moored off Ninth street. The mother of the boys is dead and John lives with his father at the North Eighth street address and the other boy with his grandmother, Mrs. Teresa Mather, at the North Nineteenth street address.

The boys said they started to return to shore about 2.30 p.m. and did not notice the tide had gone out while they were in the boat. The boat stuck on a mud flat north of State street on the shore of the old airport. The boys were unable to budge the craft and called continuously for “help!”

About 5 p.m., they attracted the attention of Harrison McNeir, 14, of 822 Birch, who happened to be walking along an embankment. Young McNeir ran to State street and told Patrolman Thomas Carroll and Clarence Barnes, who were in a radio car, about the plight of the boys.

They sent an alarm to police headquarters. Police were unable to reach the boys and summoned the emergency crew of the Camden Fire Department. The firemen, using a rowboat, also were unable to reach the flat.

Finally, a long rope was tied to the waist of Fireman William Deitz and he waded out in hip boots to the marooned boat. He tied one end of the rope to the rowboat containing the boys and waded ashore. About 20 firemen and police grabbed the other end of the line and pulled the rowboat off the flat to shore.

Three hosemen were promoted to the rank of fire department captain today by Public Safety Commissioner E. George Aaron.

Aaron also announced the appointment of six new firemen and two new policemen.

Thomas E. McParland, 1617 Euclid Avenue, of No. 6 Engine Co.; Leonard F. Garbrecht, 5 Court G, Canterbury Apartments, of No. 10 Engine Co.; and Louis J. Martelli, 569 Line Street, of No. 8 Engine Co., were promoted to captaincies in the Fire Department.

The new firemen are Henry J. Keating, 3316 Lemuel Avenue, transferred from the Police Department; Thomas J. McCabe, 385 Garden Avenue; Orville Goldsboro, 293 Liberty Street; Carmen Ianelli, 310 Berkley Street; Michael Panelli, 802 South 6th Street, and Harrison W. MacNeir. 29 South 35th Street.

The new policemen are Michael A. R. Gimino, 925 North 22nd Street, and Vincent J. Wall, 12 Court H. Canterbury Apartments.

More than 40 members of the Camden Fire Department have completed the Red Cross course in advanced first aid according to announcement today by Howard F. Keller, Collingswood, chairman of the Camden County Chapter’s first aid committee.

Instruction sessions were under the direction of Fire Chief William V. Pfefferle, Drillmaster Anthony Dzinski, a member of the local chapter first aid group, assisted by Nicholas E. George, were instructors. Dzinski is a member of the Red Cross faculty at the National Aquatic School held in this area each year for instruction in advance safety techniques. Dick Harris, director of Red Cross safety services, supervised.

All members of the graduating class are personnel of several units housed at fire department headquarters here. These include the Headquarters Company, Engine Company 2, Rescue Squad 1 and truck company 1. these groups include:

Rescue Squad: Captains Arthur Batten, Philip A. Stinger and Albert Weller; Edward Brendlinger, Harrison MacNeir, Robert Olesiewicz and James W. Smith.

Headquarters Company: Raymond Banford, John K. Voll and John W. Yates.

Truck Company 1: Captains Daniel Jiannetto, Robert E. Dukes and Otto V. Kaiser; William Watkin, Chester Gedrich, George Baxter, John Mogck, George C. Hennessy, Charles Devlin, Ambrose W. Faust, Joseph McTaggart, Howard R. Taggart, William G. Winstanley and Elmer Johnson Jr.

Engine Company 2: Captains James R. Asher, Thomas Winstanley; Carl Wirtz, James McGrory, Edwin V. Decker, James Stewart, Francis X. McTaggart, Anthony T. Orme, Mario D. Fattore, James O. Jones, Francis P. Stibi, William Hopkins, Robert E. Briggs, John Guiliano, Casper Martelli, Harold H. Pike, John J. Vane, William Stibi, John DiMaggio and Harry Kleinfelder.