This from Steve Redick:
I found the news clippings to go with my dad’s spectacular photos of this little known or remembered fire.Lots of cool details if you really look at the color images.Steve
click to download a larger file
click to download a larger file
click to download a larger file
Warren Redick photo
Warren Redick photo
Warren Redick photo
#1 by JKeys on September 6, 2019 - 10:11 PM
Regarding the Autocar, it’s a 1954. You can tell by the black/red paint margin. The 54’s said paint margin was a straight line fore to aft ending at the bed bulkhead. The 52’s paint margin was an “S” curve that rose up and tapered to the top of the bed bulkhead. The 49’s margin was a ski jump that ended at the top of the bed bulkhead.
Also the third picture shows the split angle nature of the ’54 front end. The body rises to the windshield at one angle, then the angle shifts aft from there to the roof. Chris is right, the 52’s and 49’s were one single angle bumper to roof.
And another also, the 4 volume bible (Little & McNalis) have both Squads 11 & 4 running 1954 Autocars in March of 1963. Squad 11 had shop #C-52 (maybe the source of confusion), and 4 had shop #C-54.
Hope this helps.
#2 by Bill Post on September 6, 2019 - 10:44 AM
Steve I noticed that Snorkel Squad 1 was on the scene and they were using Snorkel. Was your father off duty that day or did he usually have his camera with him while on SS1?
#3 by Bill Post on September 6, 2019 - 3:08 AM
Chris regarding the truck in the third shot being a 1952 Autocar. I think the photo might be distorted because when I was checking a hand written rundown of companies dispatched and the time they returned to quarters, I find no evidence of any additional squads being dispatched on special calls. On the official record of dispatch the squad signatures are 5-1 units. Squad 11 is 521, Squad 4 is 514, and Squad 6 is 516. While it is conceivable that they could have put in a special call for additional squads, none are on the list. The next nearest squads would either have been Squad 10 which would have been either 520 or 510, or Squad 7 which would have been 517. Squads 2 and 7 had 1952 models. It mostly was Squad 7 however there is no record of them being dispatched in the notes from the previous post. I think it was probably Squad 11 but for some reason the photo was distorted.
#4 by Chris on September 5, 2019 - 8:27 PM
A minor puzzle dilemma here – What squad is pictured in photo 3 – an enlargment shows it to be a 1952 Autocar ( defined by the less angular front end than the 1954’s )
So… if Squad 11 and Squad 4 both responded to the fire with 1954 Autocar squads, AND Squad 6’s ’52 Autocar was totaled in ’55 what squad is pictured in the photo it certainly isn’t a ’49 Mack
( Only Sq 2, 6, & 7 had ’52’s )
#5 by Phil Stenholm on September 5, 2019 - 2:23 PM
MICHAEL M: That is one of the Autocar squads built especially for the CFD by General Body Co. of Chicago 1949-54. (General Body also fabricated bodies that were used to construct the Chicago Fire Insurance Patrol rigs, the Oscar Mayer “Wienermobile,” and bookmobiles used by public libraries).
The squad pictured here is either Squad 11 or Squad 4 (both responded to the fire and both had 1954 Autocar squads, although Squad 11 coming out of E108 was the first one on the scene). Squad 6 was the third squad there, but they were using a 1949 Mack squad at that time.
#6 by Michael m on September 5, 2019 - 1:23 PM
What vehicles are in the photos are those old squads? Or are they engine companies
#7 by BMurphy on September 3, 2019 - 8:30 PM
From the Dedication to Accuracy Department: the new Terminals started initial operations on 1/17/62, with the Official opening per previous post actually occurring 3/23/63.
Would’ve been an even more memorable dedication ceremony had this fire occurred 14 days later…
#8 by BMurphy on September 3, 2019 - 8:10 PM
Great stuff! Please keep posting- these should all be archived from an historical preservation standpoint.
This fire occurred a little more than 6 months before the current terminal complex area was dedicated by Richard The First and JFK. They operated out of a single terminal building which then became the first international terminal, which is now occupied by the United Terminal (T1).
USAF had a good-sized aircraft and structural fire-rescue presence at their base at ORD up until they relocated to Scott AFB awhile back.
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