Fanned by brisk winds from the north,
a quarter mile of waterfront at East Boston was totally enveloped in flames
within 15 minutes on July 8, 1908. Total
destruction of the Cunard Pier, Boston & Albany Railroad Pier 3, Boston
& Albany grain elevator, and the Leyland Line pier resulted in a loss valued
over $1,000,000. The Massachusetts Wharf
Coal company plant and the Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn narrow gage terminal
were only just spared.
The cause of the fire was not clear. It may have started in bales of wool stored
at the end of the North shed of the Cunard pier, or, it was rumored, to have
erupted from a spark from a passing tug, which entered the shed through an open
window and ignited a crate of onions.
The pier and its buildings were constructed entirely of wood,
and due to the recent bout of hot weather, were extremely dry.
Watchman Sullivan saw the first flames at
4:12, and within 2 minutes the whole end of the pier was in flames.
The clerks from the Cunard office grabbed
their books, but, unable to outrun the fire, they dropped from the windows to
the ground.
Within 10 minutes the entire dock,
measuring 750 feet long by 220 feet wide was engulfed. Gale winds of 34 mph carried the inferno to
Pier 3, the Grand Junction Wharves of the Boston & Albany railroad.
The Dolphin, a
Cunard steam launch used to carry company executives from Boston to East Boston
was completely destroyed. The Ivernia, due to arrive the next day,
carrying hundreds of immigrants, was to be berthed in that very location, will
arrive as scheduled and be berthed at the Boston & Maine docks, White Star
Pier. A narrow escape for many.
Daniel Sullivan, 70
years old, for 40 years connected with the Cunard Line, and employed as a
watchman on the pier, lost his life through his devotion to duty. Sullivan was at the end of the north shed,
where the fire started, and discovering it gave the alarm. He then returned to try and check it and was
not seen again. He was once foreman of
the pier, but was injured, and had since been a watchman.
On July 10, a search was attempted
for the body of Daniel Sullivan. The
search had to be called off due to the intense heat still given off by the
ruins. His body was never recovered.
Daniel Sullivan, son of Timothy and Ellen Sullivan, was born
in County Cork, Ireland on May 23, 1843, one of 10 children. His naturalization papers show he arrived in Boston
on November 16, 1860. On June 23, 1868,
he was married to Honora Sullivan, daughter of William and Mary Sullivan, at
Holy Redeemer Church in East Boston by Father Joseph R. Cassin. Witnesses were Michael Dunphy and Ellen
Hurley. By 1870, Daniel, Honora, and
their infant son Timothy were living at 39 Haynes Street in East Boston.
On October 23, 1876 Daniel became an American citizen under
the provision of having arrived here before the age of 18. His application was witnessed by John H.
Duane and William McGrath. By 1880, still
at 39 Haynes St, the family had grown to include Nellie (1872), John (1874),
Daniel (1876), Mary (1878) and Honora (1879).
On April 8, 1883, Daniel was initiated as a charter member of
the Lyndon Court of the Massachusetts Catholic Order of Foresters. At this time, his medical examination shows
that he was 220 pounds and 6 foot 6 inches in height.
On May 3, 1886, Daniel purchased a lot of 4 graves on Path
17, North of Monument Avenue, at Holy Cross Cemetery in Malden. At the time of the purchase, the family was
living at 294 Summer Street, East Boston. His two youngest children, Honora and William
Patrick, who had died in 1885, were moved to this grave at that time. This would be the final resting place of
Hanora and 6 of her children.
By 1900, the family had moved to 91A Webster Street, and the only
surviving children were Timothy and Daniel. The family was living here at the time of his
death. Daniel’s occupation was variously
described as teamster, laborer, roustabout, foreman and watchman over his 40
years with the Cunard line.
In a letter to Major John J.
Leonard on August 8, 1908, Joseph A. Sheehan, Counsellor at Law, advised that
payment should be made to the family of Daniel Sullivan “who is supposed to
have lost his life at East Boston on July 8th, 1908, he having been
in conversation with Alfred Fishler, superintendent, of the Cunard Line Pier,
at East Boston, about fifteen minutes previous to the alarm of fire, and he
having been on duty near the end of the pier on the west side, according to the
signed statement of the said Alfred Fishler” and “that it is fair and
reasonable to suppose and assume that the said Daniel Sullivan was burned to
death at the time of said fire; and I would therefore advise the payment of the
death benefit to the beneficiaries named without further delay.”
When the census was recorded in
1910, Daniel’s widow, Hanora Sullivan, was living with her son Daniel and his
wife Grace (McCarthy) Sullivan at 264 Lexington Street in Boston. She spent the remaining few years of her life
here with her grandchildren, listed in the census as Honora, age 3, William,
age 2, John, age 1 and Grace age 0.
In August the Boston & Albany Railroad announced plans for rebuilding the East Boston waterfront. Work will start at once on 2 modern steel piers measuring 780 feet by 250 feet, in addition to a 1,000,000 bushel grain elevator. The slips for the ships will be dredged up to 35 feet and the sheds will be two story, constructed of steel, and fireproof. The waterfront should be ready to accept steamships by June 1909.
Daniel and Honora (Sullivan)
Sullivan had 7 children, all born in Boston:
- Timothy, born August 1869, died May
13, 1953; Timothy and his wife Bridget McQuillan left 3 children and a number
of grandchildren
- Nellie, born March 27, 1872, died
April 9, 1892
- John, born January 18, 1874, died
February 2, 1893
- Daniel, born July 25, 1876, died
July 29, 1957; Daniel and his wife Grace McCarthy left 6 children and a number
of grandchildren
- Mary, born May 19, 1878, died
January 3, 1894
- Honora, born June 14, 1879, died
July 11, 1885
- William Patrick, born November 14,
1881, died December 10, 1885
Sources:
1870 U S Census, Massachusetts, Suffolk, Boston, Ward 1
1880 U S Census, Massachusetts, Suffolk, Boston, ED588
1900 U S Census, Massachusetts, Suffolk, ED1177, Precinct 5,
Boston City, Ward 2
Boston Herald, July 9, 1908, page 1, GenealogyBank.com
Boston Herald, July 9, 1908, page 4, Map of Burned District,
GenealogyBank.com
Boston Herald, July 9, 1908, page 4, Pensioner Loses Life in Fire through His Devotion to Duty, GenealogyBank.com
Boston Herald, July 11, 1908, page 3, Heat Halts Search for Body in Ruins
Boston Herald, August 14, 1908, page 2, New Piers Here to Dock Biggest Ships
Boston Herald, October 14, 1908, page 7, Steel Pier for Cunard
Boston Herald, October 31, 1908, page 3, Cunard Pier Contract
Massachusetts, State and Federal Naturalization Records,
1798-1950
Massachusetts, U. S. Marriage Records, 1840-1915
MCOF Record Page Images for Daniel Sullivan, Claim #2948
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Most Holy Redeemer (East
Boston)) Marriages 1851-1908, p. 104
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