Cincinnati Fire Department History: Cincinnati's September 11th Tragedy

Cincinnati's September 11th Tragedy

Long before Americans witnessed the terrible losses of 9/11/2001, the Cincinnati Fire Department experienced a tragedy of its own on September 11th. The year was 1899. Fuel Wagon Driver Thomas Bland was going about his business at Engine 08's quarters when Officer Lowenstein came running down the street calling for help. The officer had heard screams just around the corner from the firehouse and he rushed to there to alert the firemen. Bland heard the plea and raced to the scene by himself.

Carl Dent was likely clinging to his mother's side. She was beside herself with fear for her other son Monroe. Carl the oldest at five years of age was playing with four year old Monroe in the back of the family home, a two story brick tenement at 727 Clinton Street. Behind the building was the privy house. Carl and Monroe were hanging on the swinging door of the outhouse. His arms draped over the door, Monroe got tired and tried to lower himself to the ground without falling. He lost his balance and fell into the privy vault some 30 feet below. Carl rushed to his mother's side and it was her call for help that alerted Officer Lowenstein to the trouble.

Sanborn Insurance Map - Engine 08 is shown at the corner of Laurel and Cutter. The scene of the accident, 725 & 727 Clinton Street , is

pictured at the top of the map. Thomas Bland's residence is just in view as well at 710 Clinton Street.

Bland would have been very familiar with the location. He lived just a few doors down the street at 710 Clinton with his wife and two children. He stepped into an intense scene. By now others in the neighborhood had heard the commotion and made their way to the backyard and alley to see what was happening. Bland took action immediately. He recognized the need for help and sent a boy rushing back to the firehouse to get another firefighter. The boy found firefighter Harry Heinsheimer, a regular at E08 for about two years now and a resident of the firehouse. Heinsheimer ran to the scene and found Bland lowering a cistern ladder into the vault.

Courtesy Cincinnati Fire Museum Collection

Engine 08 at the corner of Laurel and Cutter (See above map) as pictured in 1897.

Harry decided he would make the rescue attempt. He started down the ladder but it soon began to sink in the muck below. He rushed back up. Bland was wearing boots and said he would give it a go. When he reached the bottom of the ladder he found Monroe. He took the child in his hands and called for a rope. Harry lowered one. Moments later he started to pull the rope when it was jerked from his hands. A splash followed. Harry recognized immediately that his partner Thomas had likely been overcome by gasses and collapsed. He feared both Bland and the child may be lost.

By now Dr.Wiggers had made it to the scene. He saw Harry preparing to mount the ladder and warned him that he could easily be overcome as well. Harry decided to risk it and started down the ladder. He had nearly reached the bottom when he too was overcome. The large and growing crowd of onlookers gasped as another splash was heard.

By now the entire neighborhood was on hand. Notification had been made to the fire department and members of E08 and Hooks 06 along with Assistant Marshals Campbell and Donovan arrived. While waiting Officer Lowenstein recognized the need to allow the gasses to vent from the vault. He took an axe and knocked the privy house down. Members of Hooks 6 lowered a larger ladder into the vault and Captain Romer tied himself off with rope and brought down a second line. He descended and found the men floating in the filth below. After a rope was tied around Heinsheimer he was pulled out and immediately rushed to a nearby fuel house were several doctors started to work on him. Soon after Bland was pulled up and also taken to the fuel house. Both were alive but unconscious. Sadly the child, four year old Monroe Dent, was brought from the privy lifeless. Soon after both Heinsheimer and Bland were lost.

Cincinnati Enquirer 12 Sept 1899

Word spread rapidly through the department and city. Bland and Heinsheimer were hailed as heroes the next day in the papers. Harry Heinsheimer was buried at the Walnut Hills Jewish Cemetery several days later with a large group of firemen attending the service. Harry, as a regular member of the department was entitled to benefits paid by the Firemen's Protective Association. These were rapidly paid to his mother who arrived in town for the service.

Cincinnati Enquirer 12 Sept 1899

Headline that appeared in the Enquirer the day following the tragic loss of Bland and Heinsheimer

Thomas Bland was also buried on the same day in St Joseph's Cemetery following services at St Xavier Church. His situation was more complicated than Harry's. Though a long time member of the department, he was not a regular firemen and therefore not technically entitled to benefits. The Protective Association recognized immediately he had died while serving in the capacity of a firefighter and voted to pay his widow the firemen's death benefit despite his official status.

Chris & Robert Klein Collection

The headstone of Thomas Bland located in St Joseph's Cemetery, Price Hill

Cincinnati Enquirer 28 May 1900

This is the inscription of the memorial placed in honor of Harry Heinsheimer at the Walnut Hills Jewish Cemetery

A community activist raised money via private subscription to erect the tribute.

Photo: JPeter Collection

Harry Heinsheimer Monument & Headstone

United Jewish Cemetery, Walnut Hills

Mary Bland suffered through the incident. She was left alone to raise her two children. The year had already been tragic for she and Thomas. Several of their young children had recently died. Mary herself was also confronted with her crushing past. Mary's father was William Kelly, was one of the five Cincinnati Firefighter killed at the Gay Fire while working with Engine 04 on December 11, 1880. This was the single deadliest event in the history of the department. Mary found herself directly connected to two major losses sustained by the CFD. She also had to fight for a pension that was needed to help her cover expenses without her husband's income. Since he was not technically a regular firefighter the state legislature had to pass a resolution directing Cincinnati to add his name to the pension roll. The bill was widely supported by members of the department and found champions in both chambers of the legislature. A few voiced opposition fearing it would establish a precedent that could drain the system but their view was not widely held. After months of fighting, Mary finally won her claim to a widows pension.