Introduction
James W. Smith — Camden Division of Fire
JAMES W. SMITH was born on January 29, 1927, in Paris, Arkansas. He was appointed to the Camden Division of Fire on January 13, 1951, and reported for duty on January 16, 1951. He was assigned Badge No. 97 and served with Rescue Company 1.
Smith rose through the ranks, becoming Captain on January 17, 1964, and Battalion Chief on February 19, 1982. He was cited for public service in saving lives during a chlorine gas disaster. James W. Smith died on January 18, 1986.
Firemen Here Get Advanced First Aid Course
Camden Courier-Post —
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.
Camden Fire Department — July 31, 1961
Fireman James W. Smith (seated) & Albert A. Weller of Rescue Company 1 — body recovery along Delaware River bulkhead, July 31, 1961
Staff Office at Fire Headquarters — 1961
In the staff office at Fire Headquarters (kneeling from left) Fireman Ernest Tartaglia, Fireman Howard Lewis, Fireman Harrison MacNeir; (standing from left) Captain Allen Hess, Fireman Dominic Dalanni, Fireman Henry Keubler, Chief Harry Wagner, Fireman James Troutman, Chief Edward Michalak, Fireman James Smith, Chief Edward MacDowell, Fireman John Yates, and Fireman George Wade — 1961
Camden Boy Drowns Off Pyne Poynt
Camden Courier-Post —
—Courier-Post Photo by Bob Bartosz
DRAGGING OPERATIONS go on as Gary Auxer, 10, of 517 N. 9th st., directs Rescue Squad 1’s boat to the spot in Delaware River where he last saw Eugene Thornton, 9, of 539 Birch st. At the oars is Winfield Myers and handling the grappling hooks is John Kolessar, both of Engine Company 6.
Mystery shrouds the drowning Thursday of Eugene Thornton, 9. [sic] of 539 Birch st.
Shortly before 6 p.m., Eugene fell or was pushed into the Delaware River, according to eyewitness accounts, as he and an unidentified companion were playing on the pilings between N. 7th and N. 8th sts.
Det. Nicholas Pavlak of the juvenile bureau said police are looking for a companion who was with the drowned boy.
Boys Push Each Other
Pavlak said one account he received from eyewitnesses is that three boys were “horsing around” and pushing each other on the brink of the pilings. He said the water at this point is between 4 and 6 feet deep.
Pavlak said one boy, according to eyewitnesses, pushed Thornton and he fell into the water. He said it was “horseplay which resulted in tragedy.”
Pavlak said police will continue their efforts today to locate the boy who did the pushing.
Grappling hooks operated by the boat team of James Smith of Rescue Squad 1 and John Kolessar of Engine Company 6 hauled Eugene’s lifeless form to the surface at 7:20 p.m.
Men from both units, under the direction of Captain Albert Weller, had been dragging the river between Pyne Poynt and Petty’s Island for more than an hour before the body was recovered.
Identified By Mother
Young Thornton was pronounced dead on arrival at Cooper Hospital shortly after 7:30 p.m. by Dr. Gerald E. Vanston.
The victim’s identity remained undetermined until about 9 o’clock, when Thornton’s mother, Emma, accompanied by her 10-year-old son, Albert, tearfully identified her son’s body at the hospital.
Mrs. Thornton told Pavlak that Eugene, Albert and her eight-year-old daughter, Diane had gone to the playgrounds around Pyne Poynt Junior High School at about 5 o’clock.
Albert told the detective that he and his sister had remained on the swings, while Eugene and another boy had gone off to play at the river’s edge.
Worker Reports Incident
Shortly before 6 p.m., William Passwater of 3225 Mount Ephraim ave., a WCAM employe, reported the drowning, according to Ptl. Peter Yecco and James Anderson.
Passwater told police that a Negro boy had run screaming to the radio station’s Pyne Poynt transmitter station, yelling that someone was drowning.
Gary Auxer, 10, of 517 N. 9th st., told Yecco and Anderson that he and some friends had witnessed the incident.
Gary said he had gone to water’s edge to warn Eugene and his friend. When he reached the scene, Auxer said, he heard Eugene’s friend, a Negro boy about 12, challenging Eugene to go in the water.
“It ain’t deep. It’s low tide,” the older boy said, according to Gary.
Then, when it seemed Eugene was not going to jump in the river, the older boy pushed him in, Gary said.
Youth Frightened
After the older boy reached for Eugene in the water and failed, he became frightened and ran off, Auxer told police.
Gary, a fifth-grader at Sewell School, said he tried to grab Eugene several times unsuccessfully. A friend of Auxer’s, John Barry Kelley, 9. [sic] of 642 Erie st., a third grader at Holy Name School, said he grabbed Eugene’s hand but the drowning boy let go.
Some 200 spectators lined the Delaware’s banks to watch the dragging operations.
Besides his mother; his brother, Albert, and sister, Diane, Eugene, a student at Cooper School, is survived by his father, Albert, a Pennsylvania Railroad employe; two brothers, Jacob, 5, and Carl, 2; and two sisters, Geraldine, 5, and Cynthia, 1.
Girl Drowns In Cooper River
Camden Courier-Post —
(Another Photo on Page 2)
Donna Binder.
A 15-year-old North Camden girl, on her way to visit her grandmother Monday night, drowned in Cooper River when she and five friends decided to hunt for minnows instead.
The girl, Donna Binder of 1000 Segal st., was to have graduated from Pyne Poynt Junior High School next month.
Police said Donna and a friend, Georgia Hazel, 13, of 522 N. 3rd st., left home about 7 p.m. They intended to visit Donna’s grandmother in Ablett Village.
Instead, they joined Georgia’s brother, James, 14, James Luciano, 9, also of 522 N. 3rd st., William Spavlick, 11, of 616 Linwood st., and Curtis Platts, of 908 Elm st.
According to investigators, the youths headed for the east bank of Cooper River and began looking for minnows about 300 yards south of the State st. bridge.
Steps Into Hole
Donna’s companions said she wandered about 10 feet from shore in shallow water. Suddenly she stepped into a hole and disappeared. She came to the surface, thrashed about and called for help. James Hazel, Luciano and Spavlick tried to reach her as she fought to stay afloat in about 10 feet of water.
Their rescue attempts failed and Donna slipped below the water.
The youths then ran along the river’s edge to the bridge where they told attendant William Caffrey what had happened. Caffrey called police who dispatched Fire Rescue Squad 1, Engine Companies 6 and 11 and several police cars.
Rescuers reached the spot at 8:20 p.m. and, directed by Second District Fire Chief Godfrey Patterson, began dragging operations. Harrison McNair of Rescue Company 1 stripped and dove in a vain attempt to make a quick recovery.
Mother Collapses
Donna’s body was recovered about 9 p.m. by Acting Capt. James Smith. She was pronounced dead on arrival at Cooper Hospital at 9:21. Camden County Coroner Howard Creran said he will perform an autopsy at 1:30 p.m. today.
The girl was identified by her mother, Mary, 38, and stepfather, William Kunitz, at the hospital. Mrs. Kunitz became hysterical after seeing her daughter and collapsed. She was revived, given a sedative and sent home.
Donna is also survived by three sisters, Nancy, 19; Betty, 13; Rita, 10, and a brother, Richard, 17.
—Courier-Post Photos by Bob Bartosz
STRIPPED TO HIS SHORTS, Harrison McNair of Fire Rescue Company 1 helps rescuers in boat look for body of Donna Binder who was drowned in Cooper River Monday night.
Fire Watch Magazine — Spring 1977
IN RECOGNITION… ANNIVERSARY DATES — CONGRATULATIONS TO:
Fr. Howard G. Brickner #5 — 26 Years; Fr. Harvey J. Fisher #186 — 26 Years; Capt. James W. Smith — 26 Years; Dep. Chf. Anthony C. Saponare — 35 Years; Fr. Andrew H. Foreman #183 — 26 Years; Fr. William J. Stibi #120 — 26 Years; Batt. Chf. Robert E. Dukes — 30 Years; Fr. Henry S. Keubler #34 — 26 Years; Fr. William M. Stone #29 — 26 Years; Insp. Fr. George C. Hennessy #21 — 30 Years; Fr. Joseph J. Lesniewski #50 — 26 Years; Capt. William G. Winstanley — 26 Years; Dep. Chf. Daniel F. Jiannetto — 30 Years; Fr. Phillip MacDonald #71 — 26 Years; Fr. Adolph S. Zubrzycki #62 — 26 Years; Dep. Chf. Theodore L. Primas — 30 Years; Fr. Joseph J. McTaggart #26 — 26 Years; Batt. Chf. John J. Giuliano — 21 Years; Fr. Eugene F. Alston #7 — 29 Years; Batt. Chf. John J. Mogck — 26 Years; Insp. Fr. Alfred D. Nigro #76 — 21 Years; Batt. Chf. Biaggio P. Ardire — 29 Years; Capt. John E. Moore — 26 Years; Fr. Leon Puszczykowski #100 — 21 Years; Fr. William R. Harring #69 — 29 Years; Capt. Robert P. Olesiewicz — 26 Years; Fr. John L. Sterner #73 — 21 Years; Fr. William E. Hinch #151 — 29 Years; Capt. Anthony T. Orme — 26 Years; Fr. Francis P. Stibi #143 — 21 Years; Capt. Herbert J. Schott — 28 Years; Fr. Ralph H. Palmer #46 — 26 Years; Fr. Carl R. Szalkowski #95 — 21 Years; Batt. Chf. Charles A. Bates — 26 Years.
Members as listed above have anniversary dates which fall during the first quarter.
Fire Department Personnel Record
Camden Division of Fire Personnel Record — James W. Smith, Badge No. 97