Howell S. Needham
Howell S. Needham was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 8, 1895 to Fred and Emma Needham. The family, which included older brother James, was living at 114 Birch Street in North Camden when the 1898 City Directory was compiled and were there when the 1900 census was enumerated. Fred Needham worked as a plumber to support his family. By 1906 the family had moved to 132 Birch Street. The 1910 Census shows the family at 639 Grant Street. By 1914 the Needhams were living at 340 Federal Street, and Howell Needham was working as a plumber alongside his father. The family was still at 340 Federal Street when Howell Needham registered for the draft in June of 1917. He was called to service the following year.
Howell S. Needham joined the United States Army on May 27, 1918 and reached the rank of Private First Class. He returned home to Camden and was appointed to the Camden Fire Department on March 23, 1919. He reported for duty on May 1, 1919 and was assigned to Engine Company 4. Howell S. Needham was still living with his parents at 340 Federal Street when the 1924 Camden City Directory was compiled.
By 1927 Howell S. Needham had married. He and his wife Mary were living at 522 Cedar Street with newborn son Robert. The 1929 Camden City Directory shows the Needhams had moved to 319 Birch Street. By 1931 Howell Needham and family had moved across the street to 318 Birch Street.
Howell S. Needham was transferred to Engine Company 6 on July 1, 1933. By 1946 he had been promoted to Captain.
Just after 10 P.M. on February 20, 1946, a major fire occurred in the S.S. Kresge Department Store at 29-33 Broadway near Federal Street. First arriving units found heavy smoke billowing from the building as second and third alarms were transmitted in quick succession.
Shortly after midnight, a backdraft injured five members as flames raced through the building. Firemen William Reed, Thomas Winstanley, Theodore Guthrie, Thomas McParland and Captain Howell Needham were removed to Cooper Hospital for facial burns; whereupon each member insisted on returning to the fire following treatment. At 12:30 A.M. Deputy Chief Charles Erickson directed the Fire Dispatcher to recall a platoon of off duty members and summon them to the fire. By 2 A.M. the flames had broken through the roof and were visible ten blocks away. As the first floor began to collapse Engine Company 8 was forced into the street as a roaring column of tin vented outward some thirty-five feet over Hudson Street. While the Department was making a major effort on Broadway, another fire broke out at the Camden Foundry Company, Front and Elm Streets, North Camden. Engine Company 11 assisted by off duty members staffing reserve apparatus confined this fire to a section of the building.
Captain Needham retired from the Camden Fire Department on June 15, 1951 on pension.
Howell Needham’s wife Mary passed away on August 9, 1956. He was still living at 318 Birch Street as late as August of 1959. His son Robert was then living in Pennsauken, New Jersey. Howell S. Needham died on November 4, 1963 and was buried at Beverly National Cemetery on November 8, next to his wife.
World War I Draft Card
Name: Howell Needham Age: 21 Home address: 340 Federal, Camden, N.J. Date of birth: April 8th, 1896 Natural born citizen Born: Philadelphia, Penna. Occupation: Plumber Employed by: Fred J. Needham, Camden N.J. Dependents: none Single, Caucasian No prior military service Signature: Howell Needham
Injured as Fire Destroys Kresge Building
Camden Courier-Post —
BROADWAY STORE BUILDING WRECKED BY THREE-ALARM FIRE—Shown is the interior of the S. S. Kresge building, at 29-33 Broadway, which was destroyed by fire last night and early today. Five firemen were burned in the blaze, which threatened the central business district.
2nd Blaze Calls Out All Men
Camden’s entire fire-fighting facilities were called on during the night to battle two blazes, one a three-alarm in which five firemen were injured.
The three-alarm fire swept the S. S. Kresge building at 29-33 Broadway, threatening the central business district until brought under control.
Discovered at 10.17 p. m., the Kresge fire brought all except three of the city’s 12 companies to the scene. At 1.52 a. m. fire broke out at the Camden Foundry Co., Front and Elm streets, requiring the three remaining companies.
The North Camden blaze was confined to a small section of the building. Firemen said it was caused by an overheated stove which set moulding afire. Firemen returned from this blaze at 2.15 a. m.
With five firemen temporarily unavailable for service because of face and hand burns, Deputy Chief Erickson appealed to the city electrical bureau at 12.30 to summon all available off-duty firemen.
Firemen were forced to lie flat on the slush-covered pavements to play hoses into the Kresge building because of the dense smoke billowing from doorways and windows. After two hours, many were at the point of exhaustion.
Smoke Fills Building
The fire was believed to have started in the basement and the building was filled with smoke when firemen arrived. They were unable to enter the building.
At 2 a.m. the flames broke through the roof and were visible for 10 blocks. The first floor was sagging at the ends of the building after the fire broke through the center.
Forcing a corrugated iron receiving door in the rear, firemen of Engine Company No. 8 were forced to drop to the street as flames shot 35 feet into Hudson street.
Lines Through Terminal
Hose lines were run through the highspeed line terminal, which adjoins the fired building. A line was played into the building from the roof of the terminal.
Several times firemen were forced to crawl backward from the building as back-lashes of flames roared from the interior.
Taken to Cooper hospital with burns of the face were Firemen William Reed, Thomas Winstanley and Thomas McParland. All returned to the fire for duty.
Treated at the scene were Acting Captain Howell Needham and Fireman Theodore Guthrie. They were burned about the hands and face.
Water Bureau Helps
Shortly after arrival Acting Chief Walter Mertz announced the city water pressure was low and water barely trickled from a plug on Hudson street near the rear of the building.
Water Superintendent Edward Sheehan was notified and upon an inspection of the plug, found the control system had been broken as firemen attempted to open it. This reduced the ordinary flow by about two-thirds, Sheehan said.
Before he arrived at the fire, Sheehan ordered five extra pumps put into operation at various city pumping stations to increase pressure. When the fire broke out, the city pumps
Camden Fire Department Personnel Card
NAME: HOWELL S NEEDHAM Engine Co. 6 / Group No. 2-3 TITLE: FIREMAN TEL NO.: EMU-4247 ADDRESS: 318 BIRCH ST (Home) BADGE NO.: 73 BLOOD TYPE: O Positive BORN AT: Philadelphia, Pa. DATE: April 8, 1895 APPOINTED: Mar. 23, 1919 REPORTED FOR DUTY: May 1, 1919
Positions capable of filling: Acting Captain (✓), Driver (✓), Pump Operator (✓), Tillerman ( )
ASSIGNMENTS: Assigned to #4 Engine Co. May 1st 1919 Transferred and Assigned to #6 Engine Co. July 1st, 1933 Pensioned-June-15-1951 Member Died 11/4/63
Firefighters Fete ‘Shorty’ Prucella After 39 Years in Service of City
Camden Courier-Post —
A GOLD WATCH in recognition of his many years of service with the Camden fire department was presented Tuesday to John B. “Shorty” Prucella, 75, retiring member of Engine Co. 6, by his “buddies” of the station. Prucella, who will retire July 15 after 39 years, is given the watch by Hoseman Ernest Tartaglia. Standing, left to right, second row, are Capt. William H. Deitz, P. Farrow, E. Callahan, H. Pike, H. Needham and Capt. Harold Megee; back row, Capt. Thomas Winstanley, of No. 2 Engine Co.; M. Fattore, T. McParland and William Reed.
John B. “Shorty” Prucella on July 15 is going to stop fighting fires, rescuing cats up poles and trees, returning lost children to anxious parents and marching in parades.
On that date Prucella, oldest member of No. 6 Engine Co., will go on pension after 39 years service.
Shorty, as the other eight members an [sic] two captains of his company call him, is 75. He is one of the two remaining veteran fire fighters in the city who formerly drove horse-drawn apparatus.
The other horse driver is Battalion Chief Clarence Madden.
Prucella joined the city electrical bureau in April, 1910, and after 19 months service, transferred in November 1911 to the fire department. It was at Engine Co. No. 5, formerly at Twelfth and Federal streets, where he drove a horse-drawn fire truck.
Receives Watch as Gift
Later, Prucella served at No. 4 Engine Co., formerly at Fourth and Vine streets. He has been stationed at No. 6 company, Front and Linden streets, for the last 17 years.
Shorty’s comrades, in a surprise ceremony Tuesday, presented him with a gold watch. Attending the affair were Captains William H. Deitz and Harold Megee, of the same company; Firemen P. Farrow, E. Callahan, H. Pike, H. Needham, M. Fattore, T. McFarland, William Reed and Ernest Tartaglia, and Battalion Chiefs Edgar Ellender and Howard Gick.
Prucella lives at 919 Penn street with his wife, Hattie; a daughter, Elizabeth, and a son, Raymond. He has two grandchildren.
Will Take It Easy
The veteran smoke-eater announced his future plans call for “taking it easy” and reminiscing about old times.
“The ‘fire department’ is gone now,” Prucella commented. “What people called the fire department went out with the horses. Horses gave something to fire fighting, and when they left there just wasn’t any ‘fire department.’
“Of course, considering that out [sic] engines get out of the fire house in 20 seconds today, is enough to show that horses could never compare with anything we have today. But the horse drawn wagons got out of the firehouse in two minutes, and Heaven help the man who got in their way.
“It hurt when the old plugs were taken away. The keenest horse we owned was turned over to the street cleaning department.”
Biggest fire in Prucella’s experience was the Hollingshed fire in 1940, but he doesn’t like to think about it because 14 persons lost their lives.
Prucella is a member of the International Firefighters Association, Police and Fire Club, Firemen’s Mutual Benevolent Association and the Camden Lodge of Moose.