Introduction
Harry McKee Leigh was born in Trenton, New Jersey on January 30, 1892 to Damon and Catherine Leigh. He was one of at least 5 children. When the Census was taken in 1900, the family, which had moved to 326 South 2nd Street in South Camden, included older brothers Edward, Benjamin and Charles, and a younger sister, Clara Leigh. Damon Leigh supported his family working as a brakeman for the Pennsylvania Railroad.
When the Census was taken in 1910, Harry Leigh, then 18, was living in Audubon, New Jersey at the home of produce merchant Aaron Hurff, on Berlin Avenue. Harry Leigh worked for Hurff as a gardener and all around hired man. Around this time he joined the New Jersey National Guard.
Harry McKee Leigh registered for the draft on June 5, 1917 in Camden. By this time he had served with the New Jersey National Guard for seven years, and had been promoted to the rank of sergeant. He had already been called to active duty, and was staying at the Third Regiment Armory, where he worked in the stables. Harry Leigh had married by this time, and had been working as a driver for the Victor Talking Machine Company. By January of 1920 Harry M. Leigh had been discharged from the Army and had been appointed to the Camden Fire Department. He was living with his wife, the former Catherine Wagner, and her parents, John and Catherine Wagner, at 525 Grant Street in North Camden. Harry Leigh and his family were living at 825 Pearl Street by 1924. The family had moved to 856 Lois Avenue in Cramer Hill by 1927 and to 850 Lois Avenue by 1929. Harry and Catherine Leigh and Mrs. Leigh’s parents were still at that address in April of 1930. Fire Department records from 1931 indicate that he had moved across the street to 855 Lois Avenue. Sadly, Catherine Leigh died on May 29, 1934 at the age of 40. She was buried at Arlington Cemetery on Cove Road in Pennsauken.
Harry M. Leigh was serving with Engine Company 9 in East Camden in 1936. When he registered for the draft in the spring of 1942, Harry M. Leigh was living at 29 North 26th Street in East Camden. He had remarried and had retired from the Fire Department by this time. By the time the 1947 Camden City Directory was compiled, Harry and Myrtle Leigh had left the city, and were residing at 224 Maple Terrace in Merchantville.
World War I Draft Card
Harry McKee Leigh — World War I Draft Card
Cops and Firemen in First Practice
Camden Post-Telegram —
Charles Younger, physical director of the Camden Y. M. C. A. and in charge of the candidates for the police and firemen teams which will compete in the first annual police and fire field day on September 19 at Forest Hill Park, sends his proteges through their stiffest workout of the season yesterday morning with several of the committee in attendance.
Plans were arranged between Younger and Captain Stehr, of the First district, to build a temporary track around the local high school’s gridiron. Meanwhile, both the police and fire candidates will do their stuff under the watchful eye of Professor Younger on the Forest Hill track, outside of the enclosed athletic field.
In a confab over the arrangement of the cinder track, Stehr suggested that a 100 and 220-yard straightaway be constructed on the west side of the field.
Joe Connell, of the Highway Department, also gave the field a once-over, as did Captains Golden and Humes. After the members of the committee had inspected the grounds, they witnessed the candidates going through the paces.
Archie Riess, who is in full charge of the “cops,” declared that but nineteen men would be candidates for his team while Walter A. Mertz, of Engine Company No. 1, acting as manager for the firemen, declared he had twenty-nine candidates on his list. These men will compete next Tuesday, but first they will have an opportunity for field day. The events will be run off separately, that is, the “cops” in division and the firemen in another. The bluecoats who will compete this Tuesday are as follows: Everett Joslin, Joseph McDonald, Vernon Jones, Frank Nelson, Bill Rogers, Harold Dunnit, John Bright, Edyard Callahan, Walter Larson, Gus Pfliderer, Clarence Phifer, Thomas Welch, Stanley Wirts, Charles Naylor, George Rothwell, Richard Donnelly, Lester Gleason and Joe Keefe.
The firemen who will also attempt qualification for field day include Fred Schacker, Harry Wagner, Chris Moll, Harry Huda, Arthur Laird, Herman Havercamp, Frank Huda, Harry Kleinfelder, William Poeble, Tom Shanley, Harrison Pike, William Hood, Lester Anderson, William Wood, George Townsend, Allen Palmer, William Mertz, Nelson Hubbs, James Mogan, John Strauss, Frank Oberman, Edward Mensales, John Mulligan, Frank Kates, William Hare, Joseph Andrews and Harry Leigh. From the present outlook, “Cops” appear strongest, coming out second best. The firemen are confident of finishing once more in front of the bluecoats. The leader will be Stehr’s cohorts at the last Armory meet.
The tug-of-team of eight men will also be selected by the firemen’s leader. Merts will choose his varsity from Layton, Smith, Lennox, Walker, Pike, Palmer, Moll, Greenan, Laird, Mulligan, Haver, Merigan and Camp.
The Camden Athletic Club may stage a free exhibition of a motorcycle polo game during the meet. Stehr favors this arrangement, as no extra minutes of actual time is taken up. The local club is willing to donate their services without charge. Nelson Hubbs, local manager, has dates at the Trenton, Long Harbor, Allentown and Bridgeton fairs, while his riders have already performed in many eastern states. The “Camden Blue Devils,” as they are known, will furnish more thrills in the forty minutes than sport lovers have ever seen in the east, declares Nelson Hubbs. If they are on the bill at the games, they will also give an exhibition of trick and exhibition stunt.
Blue Devils No. 1 — Joseph Bernurt, captain; Frank De Vivey, Carl Preisman and Edward Moll.
Blue Devils No. 2 — Charles Ellis, captain; George Gummel, Bennett Arnold, Clayton Alberson.
$225,000 Fire Ruins 5 Uptown Plants
Camden Courier-Post —
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
Taken shortly after daylight today, this photograph shows firemen still pouring water on the ruins of the Varoma building on Erie street from the roof of the Evans Leather Company building adjoining. Five industries were wiped out in the blaze which caused damage estimated at $225,000.
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 wrecked building is owned by the Varoma Corporation of which Thomas Van Osten, of Palmyra, is president; William MacIntosh, 237 Vine street, vice president; Alfred Van Osten, of Palmyra, secretary, and David B. Robinson, of West Collingswood.
Building Loss $50,000
MacIntosh today estimated the damage to the building alone at $50,000. He is also president of the MacIntosh Printing and Lithographing Company, of which James J. Stinson, of Merchantville is secretary. Damage estimated at $10,000 resulted from the fire in the quarters of that concern.
The other industries, all located in the big brick building, which suffered in the blaze, with official estimate of the damage to each, are as follows:
Blue and Gray Textile Company, of which T. A. Carr, of 302 Porter road, Fairview, is president, $30,000.
Allied Metal Stamping Company, of which Joseph A. Skublicki, of 115 State street, is president, and William Daugherty, vice president, $75,000.
James A. MacMillan & Co., manufacturing chemists, headed by James MacMillan, of 809 North Third street, $10,000.
Philadelphia Metal Stamping Company, of which firm Clement A. and Mrs. Florence Perrin, of Collingswood, and Edwin L. Seabrook, of 566 Benson street, are members, $50,000.
Other Concerns Escape
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. Part of it was one story in height and another part two stories. Four of the industries in the two-story section of the building escaped serious damage. They are Kruse & Slattery, tool-makers; the Camden Hardware Manufacturing Company, the Wolf Company, manufacturers of advertising novelties; the Thomas C. Van Osten pattern-makers, headed by the president of the concern who owned the building.
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 swept by flames. He immediately sounded the second and third alarms, bringing almost every piece of apparatus in the city to the scene.
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. The concern was anticipating removal, in a short time, to larger quarters at Ninth and State streets, Carr added.
From the two large rooms occupied by the Blue & Gray textile firm, the flames swung over to the quarters of the Allied Metal Stamping Company. Daugherty, the vice-president of this concern, said his company was filling a large order for electric switch-boxes and had been working at capacity for several weeks. Switch-boxes valued at $40,000 were destroyed by the fire, with machinery and other equipment valued by Daugherty at an additional $35,000.
Blasts Add to Perils
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.
The Philadelphia Metal Supply Company went next as the fire swept eastward. In this plant, metal cornices and valuable hand-made dies were destroyed at a loss estimated by Perrin, a member of the firm, at $50,000.
Arriving at the scene, apparatus from Engine Companies No. 1 and No. 7 developed boiler trouble and were unable to work. Firemen were further handicapped by the fact that the Evans Leather Company has blocked off Segal street at the north end by a high board fence. A fireplug at this point was also blocked by a pile of chemical containers, declared to have been placed there by the leather company.
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. He said also that the leather company had failed to place gates in the Segal street fence, as city officials had required them to do when permission was given for erection of the barrier.
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 Stehr kept the crowd in check.
Firemen escaped injury while fighting the flames at their height, but while they were still pouring streams of water onto the ruins shortly before noon today, the first casualty occurred. Emanuel Kane, of 703 North Third street, a fireman attached to Engine Company No. 6, was struck on the head and knocked down by a 12-foot length of steel bar, six inches thick, which pinned him under it as he fell. Companions ran to his aid, lifted the bar from him and revived him. Hospital treatment was not necessary.
Eight other firemen narrowly escaped serious injury a few minutes later when a section of the east wall fell. The eight men were standing under the wall when one of them saw it totter. They dashed from the spot just in time to avoid being buried by the falling debris. Three of these firemen were from Engine Company No. 4, at Fifth and Arch streets; three from No. 4, Fourth and Vine streets, and two from No. 2 Company, Front and Abden streets.
Jack Sperry, an Evening Courier photographer, was walking along the roof of a part of the burned building when he fell through a portion of it which had been burned from beneath. Pinned at his arm-pits, he was dragged out. He got his picture.
While carrying a hose line into the structure, Firemen Harry Leigh and David Ellis were knocked down when a coupling blew off the hose but were not hurt.
Threatened by the flames, rushed to the street, many of them clad only in night clothing. Carrying screaming children with them, occupants of the dwellings also dashed out with furniture and personal belongings which they piled in the street. Cellars of the score of houses on Segal street were flooded by water from the firehoses, which was knee-deep amid the ruins.
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 the second, 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.
Two Firemen Injured in East Camden While Fighting Grocery Blaze
Camden Courier-Post —
Two firemen were injured last night while combating a slight fire in a grocery store basement at 2401 River avenue.
Harry Leigh, 44, of 28 North Twenty-sixth street, suffered cuts over the right eye while descending stairs in a smoke-filled cellar to combat a fire in a defective oil burner, he said.
A. Dukes, 44, of 3803 Westfield avenue, received cuts of the hand and a sprained ankle when he fell 12 feet from the roof. Both are hosemen attached to Engine Company No. 9 and were treated at West Jersey Hospital.
Leigh said one of the steps was broken and he did not see it on account of the smoke. Dukes was examining the chimney on the roof when he made a misstep and fell to the sidewalk.
The store is operated by Mrs. Elizabeth Savitz.
World War II Draft Card
Harry McKee Leigh — World War II Draft Card