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 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.
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.
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:
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
[1] Boston Herald, July 9, 1908, page 1, GenealogyBank.com
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