Agreed. the fire moved very fast through crowded buildings, families were separated and for a while there were more than a hundred children who had been separated housed at a local church, and somehow everyone came out a alive, with only a few injuries.
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel I'd wager that many of the residents, especially on a hot, muggy Boston day were at (or as close to) the game as they could get!
being off Tremont St. and the huge railyard saved more lives than anything else as they had a major fire break on both sides and could concentrate where to get water
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel it was a learned tactic to fight these, it was common on the region to fight these fast moving, hard fighting fires. the same men fighting it also fought the infamous Fire of 1872 and the Great Chelsea Fire of 1908
The lack of reasoning in penny-pinching is often stranger as fact than fiction. MLB did a recent video about the variance in their stadiums that mentioned this fire as the incident that changed the stadiums from wood to brick and steel. (insert stadia as you wish). Great video, again.
As a Bostonian and Sox fan this is indeed forgotten history. I never even heard of the Boston Bean eaters and was waiting for the Boston Braves got that at the end. The Hallmark of time Fenway park built in 1912 is the beginning of most people's baseball history around here.
The brief mention of the person who searched for modern clues of the South End Grounds makes me think of the Theater of Pompey. The Theater, itself, is below ground level today, but, after the collapse of Rome, and even before, people were living in the stands of the Theater, and, as such, over the millenia, buildings have been built, torn/fallen down, and rebuilt on the same structures, and the actual shape of the Theater of Pompey can be seen in the weird way the buildings, which lie on top of it, curve. I'm pretty sure there is one building, which almost does an "S", all due to being built on the curved, stadium seats of the Theater of Pompey.....I love history...
Great tale. Love that history of the Boston/Baltimore rivalry. The hydrant activation fee capper is simply amazing. Click & Clack, the Tappet Brothers of NPR Car Talk game used to say something like, "it's the stingy person who pays the most!" Good vid. Keep at it!
Great story. Thank you for posting this. While the Beaneaters later became the Braves and are still active today after moving to Milwaukee and later Atlanta, the NL Baltimore Orioles were contracted in 1899 when the NL dropped to 8 teams. The Baltimore Orioles were re-formed a couple years later for the new American League. They only played a season or 2 in Baltimore before moving to New York as the Highlanders, later renamed the Yankees.
This story calls to mind a far more tragic fire at a sports stadium, the Bradford City football [soccer] stadium fire in 1985, in England. 56 spectators died when a stand caught fire during a game. There was live TV coverage and it can be seen on TH-cam. It was frightening how fast the fire spread and burned down the old wooden stand.
So far 405 likes and ... 0 dislikes.... one of the best channels on the web as far as I'm concerned. Thanks for the video... I bet the grand stands were beautiful, it reminds me of the ones used at Churchill Downs here in my hometown, Louisville Ky.
7.8 K likes two years later. I grew up in Louisville, home of the slugger. Went to the derby 12 years in a row. The last time was when Secretarity won.
Great video, even without pirates! It reminds me of the Russwood Park Fire here in Memphis, on Easter Sunday, April 17th 1960. An exhibition game between the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Indians was played in the afternoon, and smoke was spotted from Baptist Hospital across the street around 7:30 PM. The huge ensuing blaze threatened Baptist Hospital, forcing evacuation of some patients and complete evacuation of the maternity ward of John Gaston Hospital, just across a narrow alley. Fortunately the flames didn't spread like the South End Grounds Fire and were largely confined to the ballpark itself. Don't know if it's a suitable subject for a THG episode, but I'd love to see it! Thanks again, History Guy!
If you really want to learn about fire & safety codes, regulations and inspections, look up the Triangle Shirt factory in NYC as well as a circus fire somewhere in the US.
As a fireman/firefighter, Chief Officer & ultimately Chief of Dept. I have participated in a number of multiple alarm fires. But it does seem that Boston, has had some of the most notable/infamous fires, in history. Very good video, as usual.
I think this was sites on what became a northeastern university parking lot, for years. It is also directly across the tracks from the field where the first world series was won by the Boston red Sox. Of possible interest, the coconut Grove fire was mentioned. My great aunt was there, on a date, but left to find something more entertaining. When they couldn't, they returned about 30 minutes later, to find the place on fire. Apparently left, and missed the start of the fire by 5 minutes, according to her. Was told the story when I was about 18.
My grandmother’s friends were going to take her out for her birthday to the Coconut Grove, but she decided to drink somewhere else that night. Small world
I love stories like this about lives and struggles in the late 1800's. Big changes were coming, a lot of them started because of disasters or other unforeseen disruptions. I also admired all the sketches and drawings, including one of a tripod guy taking pictures. I wondered who drew them and when.
While I was no great ball player in my youth I did love seeing the wooden stands at the baseball field that was directed in a direction away from the downtown of 4 blocks. There was a vacant block between the pool hall and the Church, Christian Congregational Church. I was not living in town when the baseball stadium was torn down and the baseball field turned into a green field. Seeing the little town without that edifice meant that it had lost its heart.
I think the site was obliterated by highway construction that never happened--too many protests--around 1970. It was known as the Inner Belt and now that great swath is a popular bike path/park through the South End. Also that park is on top of the Orange Line/subway line.
Thanks for the Baseball history. I stopped going to Baseball games when the Fort Wayne, Indiana Wizards changed their name to the Pot Heads (aka: Tin Caps)!
It's not just the content, but your delivery, your oratory skills and the writing! So good; so refreshing; your history video essays are supurb. Thank you.
I am 65 yo & have never been that interested in history. Had to take Amercan History twice cause failed the first time around. Only class I've ever failed. Regardless you make history so interesting that I look forward to your videos. TYSM
Really good episode. Boston history and fire history are two of my favorite subjects, you got them both in one story. OF course not that hard as sometimes Boston is defined by its fires.
Love the new introduction graphics, very stylish. It strikes me that baseball, at that time, was rather “unsportsmanlike” and not just on the field of play, I suppose that teams with a high proportion of emigres from traditionally rival origin would play a part in that “tinderbox” tension. Thanks for sharing another excellent snippet of obscure history. 😀👍🇬🇧🏴
Seems like fires have been defining events in most large cities. In Toronto there was a "Great Fire" in the early 20th century is what was then a warehouse district. It's now the King and Bay area of Toronto with some of the most expensive real estate in North America, outside of New York City.
My Uncle Jimmy Jay loved the Baltimore Os. Wish I could ask him if he knew this story. All to save $15.00, the poorest of the poor, suffered the most. At least no deaths occurred. This should be considered: YOU'RE OUT. Thank you for another amazing story. What about John Philip Sousa next?
That time period would’ve been fascinating to to visit due to all of the new inventions mixed with old time engineering/construction and slower pace of life. I’ll still take modern medicine, air conditioning and other conveniences though.
If you want to see how fast a wooden stadium can go up in flames, take a look at this English football stadium fire from the 1980s: th-cam.com/video/ctT8_LiD2cU/w-d-xo.html . It went from the first visible flames to fully engulfed in less than 5 minutes. Warning: the video gets graphic at points. The fire killed 59 fans and a few of them were on fire as they escaped to the field. The Bradford City team had been warned about fire safety in the their stadium for years and this was to be the last game before it was demolished and rebuilt.
Thank you Lance, what a great baseball history story! being a lover of baseball and it’s history (and from Baltimore) it was nice to hear some of the old Orioles names from their national league past, when Wee Willie Keeler famously said ”I hit it where they ain’t”! John McGraw would go on to greater renown with the New York Highlanders (Yankees).
Baltimore also suffered A devastating baseball related fire. On July 4, 1944 its beloved Oriole Park burned to the ground. It's wooden timbers had been covered with creosote to protect them from the weather! The team also lost all of its uniforms and equipment in the blaze.
As I recall, the Orioles, then of the International League, moved into what was then called Babe Ruth Stadium. It was later renamed Memorial Stadium and was the long time home of the Orioles (both IL and AL) and NFL Colts. It was also home to the CFL Stallions and NFL Ravens.
@@tygrkhat4087 You are correct. It was the city's overwheiming support for the team after the fire that convinced MLB Baltimore should have a Major League team, which they finally got in 1954.
@@richardklug822 This was also the beginning of the decline of AAA baseball. A couple of years earlier, the American Association lost Milwaukee and Kansas City to the Braves and Athletics, the IL lost Baltimore; and by the end of the decade, the PCL was devastated by the loss of Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Another excellent episode. Being a huge baseball fan and native of the Boston area, I'm surprised I hadn't heard of that fire. Thanks for enlightening me! Not to quibble, but Tremont is pronounced "TREH-mont," not "TREE-mont."
A video ahead of its time. My 2020 headphones can't help but separate your tenor tracks. Maybe the 3 voices I hear are a tribute to the trimvires. But I feel like I will appreciate this more in the future.
Boy, baseball was great back in those days! The Orioles of the 1890s make for entertaining reading, but I have the feeling that if I were to go back through a time warp and see them play, I'd think of them as the baseball version of the Broad Street Bullies of the 1970s. The American League in its early years promoted itself as playing a much cleaner style of baseball than that being played in the National League at the time.
@@tygrkhat4087 , Ty Cobb did ads for Coca-Cola back when it had cocaine in it ---- he said he could play 3 or 4 innings, drink a couple Cokes and go back to playing the game feeling much refreshed, as if he hadn't yet played at all!
@@goodun2974 Your comment sent me off to the Snopes website, as I have read many times that Coca-Cola contained cocaine in the early days. The facts are quite interesting. Just google Snopes coca-cola cocaine.
@@lizj5740 , I did Google it, and read some other related articles as well. One author of a book titled "For God, Country and Coca-Cola" says that in its early incarnations, Coca-Cola contained 4.3 milligrams of Coca-Cola per 6 ounce bottle. Not a lot, but doubtless in conjunction with other Coca-Cola alkaloids from the coca extract, the caffeine (and related compounds) from the Kola nut extract, and a big dollop of sugar syrup, drinking two or three 6 ounce bottles might indeed have had an uplifting effect! Just as the various cannabinoids in different strains of cannabis can have differing or symbiotic psychoactive effects, the various chemicals in the crude coca extract of the mid to late 1800s may well have had very different effects on the imbiber than later formulas that did seek to reduce and finally remove all traces of cocaine. I have long wished to try chewing coca leaves, which have been used by indigenous peoples of the Andes for centuries, to help them work and breathe in the thin mountain air.
The Bradford City football stadium fire was very similar. Over 50 people died in the fire that was caused by someone dropping a cigarette under the very old wooden stand. I remember seeing a firework fired into the crowd very near where the fire started. It was all caught on camera, absolutely terrible.
Great entry. Just one small quibble. I believe I heard you refer to McGraw as "Bugsy" as in Segal (the latter of whom BTW, died with what was probably a bad check from Chico Marx in his pocket). Assuming my old-man hearing--finely aged from years of riding the New York Subway system--wasn't too much off, his nickname was actually "Mugsy," the perfect moniker for someone with a temper who specialized as an innovator in the field of dirty baseball.
braintree John McGraw DESPISED the nickname MUGSY. According to the late Rube Bressler(I think), if he heard you calling him that, he would have nothing to do with anymore. As always THE HISTORY GUY, AN EXCELLENT VIDEO. BTW braintree, if you're interested in the early of baseball, check out THE GLORY OF THEIR TIMES by Lawrence Ritter. A LOT is mentioned about McGraw's playing days and ,later on, his managing the New York BASEBALL Giants. ✌✌✌✌
I love baseball in this era. If you like historical fiction, look up Troy Soos at your local library. He wrote a series of mysteries that revolve around a baseball player in the early 20th century. Tons of fun.
I love listening to your recount of history. Have you ever done one on the pony express? Also, I love the variety of openings you are now using! It is fun to see what shape it will take each time.
I was just wondering about the sound in the "Next Exit" video and had to check another one. Listen to 1:35 carefully. During the louder syllables there is a faint distortion sound. Sounds like an old radio with the station only halfway dialed in. It's very muffled, so probably an artifact from post processing the audio. I wonder if it's some sort of reverb reduction, because your office doesn't look 100% reverb free. It's not bothering me, but I can't unhear it now.
Taggart exits his tent, his nostrils fouled by the odor in the air as his gang eats their beans around the campfire: "How about some more beans, Mr Taggart?" "I'd say you've had enough!"
Poor Mrs. Donovan, and of course so many others, I’m sure had such an awful recovery from this tragic event. Would be interesting to find out what her legacy was, hopefully perseverance was hers. Thank you again, Sir. And a promising future for us all.
So what became of the dust up between Bugsy and Foghorn? Who won the fight, or did it eventually stop due to the fire? Was there any reckoning against the two men for their fisticuffs or was it all of that forgotten about due to the more pressing events?
This story reminds me of the Bradford City Stadium Fire. (thank you Ted for correcting me in my deleted post). Be Warned, it is a horrible, graphic disaster with causalities and film of the event.
As was the infamous Hartford Circus Fire. Another place of public entertainment that caught fire numerous times was Old Orchard Beach Amusement Park in Maine. I and my family were there in 1970, when I was 12; my 4 year-old sister rode the antique wooden carousel and then we all walked to a sea-quarium at the end of a long pier. When we came out of the sea-quarium a half hour later, the carousel was in fire, flames shooting 50 feet in the air, and scorching the edge of the adjacent pier. We got off of that pier in a hurry!
I know a guy with that nickname. He's a big man with a fog horn voice. You would have to see and hear him to believe it. And it fits. Another one of his nicknames is Tugboat.
May I suggest Forgotten history of Ultrasound. Began in 1940's, first used late 50's, computer advancements in 1990's. Then there's MRI, CT, Emergency Medicine, surgery ( even just the ability to connect2 ends of a vessel). I retired after 33 years, US has a fascinating story.
Heard a discussion about the disastrous public health state of the dairy industry in the late 19th and early 20th century. Should be a good episode there.
It is interesting how the top team in the league in the 1890's, something that likely seemed like a very big deal to them at the time, can be all but forgotten in the city today. That spot next to the railroad is now an interdisciplinary building for Northeastern University and a Parking Garage with no indication that there was every anything of any significance there. goo.gl/maps/u2rdvajjRuWjnnyr9
Similarly,Fenway park also opened to the Boston Red Sox. It’s Grand opening was unheralded. Th Boston Newspapers chose a better headline instead...TITANIC SINKS!
@@carywest9256 , ah, but, you've likely never experienced a traditional Canadian breakfast of slow-cooked beans that spent all night in the oven, served with fresh-baked bread or croissants, maybe some bacon or ham, and perhaps some cheese and fresh fruit. And then, us kids spent all day exploring the woods where we could "vent" as much as we liked ---- outside! (I am American, but with Canadian roots, and spent a lot of time in Quebec as a kid, visiting Canadian friends and family).
If you could find enough information to do a video about the west Asheville NC fire in the 1980's. A fire began in the art district near the RR tracks adjacent to the French Broad River. All fire stations in and near Asheville and all adjacent counties sent numerous engines and tankers. Due to high winds and dry conditions, the fire burned almost into downtown Asheville. A number of warehouses, businesses and homes were destroyed.
In my fire & emergency services experience, I've found that employers who place profits over fire-safety assets is never a good business model to follow. Thanks for posting and please be safe 🙏
The fact no one is known to have died in such a big blaze in a city is incredible.
Such a miracle that no one perished
Agreed. the fire moved very fast through crowded buildings, families were separated and for a while there were more than a hundred children who had been separated housed at a local church, and somehow everyone came out a alive, with only a few injuries.
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel I'd wager that many of the residents, especially on a hot, muggy Boston day were at (or as close to) the game as they could get!
being off Tremont St. and the huge railyard saved more lives than anything else as they had a major fire break on both sides and could concentrate where to get water
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel it was a learned tactic to fight these, it was common on the region to fight these fast moving, hard fighting fires. the same men fighting it also fought the infamous Fire of 1872 and the Great Chelsea Fire of 1908
The lack of reasoning in penny-pinching is often stranger as fact than fiction. MLB did a recent video about the variance in their stadiums that mentioned this fire as the incident that changed the stadiums from wood to brick and steel. (insert stadia as you wish). Great video, again.
It was, with some aficionados mourning the change in style.
As a Bostonian and Sox fan this is indeed forgotten history. I never even heard of the Boston Bean eaters and was waiting for the Boston Braves got that at the end. The Hallmark of time Fenway park built in 1912 is the beginning of most people's baseball history around here.
I shall write "The Ballad of Fire and Molassas" to bring the true spirit of the city to life.
Wait, the molasses disaster was also Boston? I was just about to look that one up to rewatch it!
@PIATPotatoPeon: Yup, it was Boston. It's why they sound funny when they say words like park and car these days.
Alot of infamous events happening in Boston
PIATPotatoPeon The Boston Molassacre
@@dmcgee3Brilliant!
Great finish: $80,000 stadium imperiled for a $15 fire hydrant hookup fee. Good work as always, thanks!
The brief mention of the person who searched for modern clues of the South End Grounds makes me think of the Theater of Pompey. The Theater, itself, is below ground level today, but, after the collapse of Rome, and even before, people were living in the stands of the Theater, and, as such, over the millenia, buildings have been built, torn/fallen down, and rebuilt on the same structures, and the actual shape of the Theater of Pompey can be seen in the weird way the buildings, which lie on top of it, curve. I'm pretty sure there is one building, which almost does an "S", all due to being built on the curved, stadium seats of the Theater of Pompey.....I love history...
Great tale. Love that history of the Boston/Baltimore rivalry. The hydrant activation fee capper is simply amazing. Click & Clack, the Tappet Brothers of NPR Car Talk game used to say something like, "it's the stingy person who pays the most!" Good vid. Keep at it!
Great story. Thank you for posting this. While the Beaneaters later became the Braves and are still active today after moving to Milwaukee and later Atlanta, the NL Baltimore Orioles were contracted in 1899 when the NL dropped to 8 teams. The Baltimore Orioles were re-formed a couple years later for the new American League. They only played a season or 2 in Baltimore before moving to New York as the Highlanders, later renamed the Yankees.
This story calls to mind a far more tragic fire at a sports stadium, the Bradford City football [soccer] stadium fire in 1985, in England. 56 spectators died when a stand caught fire during a game. There was live TV coverage and it can be seen on TH-cam. It was frightening how fast the fire spread and burned down the old wooden stand.
So far 405 likes and ... 0 dislikes.... one of the best channels on the web as far as I'm concerned. Thanks for the video... I bet the grand stands were beautiful, it reminds me of the ones used at Churchill Downs here in my hometown, Louisville Ky.
Has that ever happened in the history of like/dislike buttons? LOL!
7.8 K likes two years later. I grew up in Louisville, home of the slugger. Went to the derby 12 years in a row. The last time was when Secretarity won.
Great video, even without pirates! It reminds me of the Russwood Park Fire here in Memphis, on Easter Sunday, April 17th 1960. An exhibition game between the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Indians was played in the afternoon, and smoke was spotted from Baptist Hospital across the street around 7:30 PM. The huge ensuing blaze threatened Baptist Hospital, forcing evacuation of some patients and complete evacuation of the maternity ward of John Gaston Hospital, just across a narrow alley. Fortunately the flames didn't spread like the South End Grounds Fire and were largely confined to the ballpark itself. Don't know if it's a suitable subject for a THG episode, but I'd love to see it! Thanks again, History Guy!
Always incredible narratives and content. One of my favorite channels
Thank you for the lesson.
And people wonder why we have fire and safety code regulations and inspections
If you really want to learn about fire & safety codes, regulations and inspections, look up the Triangle Shirt factory in NYC as well as a circus fire somewhere in the US.
And government is soooooo bad! What would we do without the food inspectors and food regulations? Granted it's not a perfect system, but ...
Sometimes I think we should just take the safety labels off for a couple of weeks.
Of all my numerous and vast subscriptions on TH-cam this is the my favorite channel. Well worth subscribing to.
As a fireman/firefighter, Chief Officer & ultimately Chief of Dept. I have participated in a number of multiple alarm fires. But it does seem that Boston, has had some of the most notable/infamous fires, in history. Very good video, as usual.
the one in 1872 was even bigger...literally changed the face of the city. this was smaller and only remembered because of the stadium burning down.
I think this was sites on what became a northeastern university parking lot, for years. It is also directly across the tracks from the field where the first world series was won by the Boston red Sox. Of possible interest, the coconut Grove fire was mentioned. My great aunt was there, on a date, but left to find something more entertaining. When they couldn't, they returned about 30 minutes later, to find the place on fire. Apparently left, and missed the start of the fire by 5 minutes, according to her. Was told the story when I was about 18.
My grandmother’s friends were going to take her out for her birthday to the Coconut Grove, but she decided to drink somewhere else that night. Small world
Every Bostonian had a story!!
I loved the inflection when you said "Hockey".
Another outstanding piece of History that I had never heard before. Thank you
I love stories like this about lives and struggles in the late 1800's. Big changes were coming, a lot of them started because of disasters or other unforeseen disruptions.
I also admired all the sketches and drawings, including one of a tripod guy taking pictures. I wondered who drew them and when.
They were mostly from the Boston Globe
While I was no great ball player in my youth I did love seeing the wooden stands at the baseball field that was directed in a direction away from the downtown of 4 blocks. There was a vacant block between the pool hall and the Church, Christian Congregational Church. I was not living in town when the baseball stadium was torn down and the baseball field turned into a green field. Seeing the little town without that edifice meant that it had lost its heart.
I think the site was obliterated by highway construction that never happened--too many protests--around 1970. It was known as the Inner Belt and now that great swath is a popular bike path/park through the South End. Also that park is on top of the Orange Line/subway line.
I am from MA and I didn't know this! Thanks History Guy!
You're the Man, History Guy!!!👍👌😎
A new video of History that Deserves to be Remebered!! Good Friday Morning 🙂😊
Thanks for the Baseball history. I stopped going to Baseball games when the Fort Wayne, Indiana Wizards changed their name to the Pot Heads (aka: Tin Caps)!
It's not just the content, but your delivery, your oratory skills and the writing! So good; so refreshing; your history video essays are supurb. Thank you.
Wow. Great story, and great story telling. Thank you!
Baseball in the Dead Ball era (pre-1910) was extremely fascinating.
When even the fire house burns down it was surely a bad fire. Wow. Cool story.
Your intro graphics are truly magnificent.
You are amazing!
(I enjoy your history stories.)
I am 65 yo & have never been that interested in history. Had to take Amercan History twice cause failed the first time around. Only class I've ever failed. Regardless you make history so interesting that I look forward to your videos. TYSM
I wish The History Guy could have been my history teacher.
A great story that deserves to be remembered.
That was quite the interesting story,thanks History Guy.!!
SOOO glad no one was lost! What a true yarn! I hope some of the survivors went on to be movers and shakers of Boston! That would be a cool follow-up!
Really good episode. Boston history and fire history are two of my favorite subjects, you got them both in one story. OF course not that hard as sometimes Boston is defined by its fires.
“Dry tinder for an unavoidable conflagration” is an amazing turn of phrase!
How about "...they lost their little all."
Bangers
Love the new introduction graphics, very stylish. It strikes me that baseball, at that time, was rather “unsportsmanlike” and not just on the field of play, I suppose that teams with a high proportion of emigres from traditionally rival origin would play a part in that “tinderbox” tension. Thanks for sharing another excellent snippet of obscure history. 😀👍🇬🇧🏴
History Guy. You continue to be the greatest !
Highly enjoyable video. Thank you sir.
Seems like fires have been defining events in most large cities. In Toronto there was a "Great Fire" in the early 20th century is what was then a warehouse district. It's now the King and Bay area of Toronto with some of the most expensive real estate in North America, outside of New York City.
not to mention the great Chicago fire of 1871
Another great one, HG!
My Uncle Jimmy Jay loved the Baltimore Os. Wish I could ask him if he knew this story.
All to save $15.00, the poorest of the poor, suffered the most. At least no deaths occurred.
This should be considered: YOU'RE OUT.
Thank you for another amazing story.
What about John Philip Sousa next?
Feeding the algorithm! But mainly just saying thank you for your amazing videos.
It's actually pretty frightening how many wooden ballparks went up in flames. It must have been something to catch a game in one though.
That time period would’ve been fascinating to to visit due to all of the new inventions mixed with old time engineering/construction and slower pace of life. I’ll still take modern medicine, air conditioning and other conveniences though.
If you want to see how fast a wooden stadium can go up in flames, take a look at this English football stadium fire from the 1980s: th-cam.com/video/ctT8_LiD2cU/w-d-xo.html . It went from the first visible flames to fully engulfed in less than 5 minutes. Warning: the video gets graphic at points. The fire killed 59 fans and a few of them were on fire as they escaped to the field. The Bradford City team had been warned about fire safety in the their stadium for years and this was to be the last game before it was demolished and rebuilt.
Thank you Lance, what a great baseball history story!
being a lover of baseball and it’s history (and from Baltimore) it was nice to hear some of the old Orioles names from their national league past, when Wee Willie Keeler famously said ”I hit it where they ain’t”! John McGraw would go on to greater renown with the New York Highlanders (Yankees).
Actually, McGraw was a player and manager for the New York Giants from 1902-1932, not the Highlanders/Yankees
Baltimore also suffered A devastating baseball related fire. On July 4, 1944 its beloved Oriole Park burned to the ground. It's wooden timbers had been covered with creosote to protect them from the weather! The team also lost all of its uniforms and equipment in the blaze.
As I recall, the Orioles, then of the International League, moved into what was then called Babe Ruth Stadium. It was later renamed Memorial Stadium and was the long time home of the Orioles (both IL and AL) and NFL Colts. It was also home to the CFL Stallions and NFL Ravens.
@@tygrkhat4087 You are correct. It was the city's overwheiming support for the team after the fire that convinced MLB Baltimore should have a Major League team, which they finally got in 1954.
@@richardklug822 This was also the beginning of the decline of AAA baseball. A couple of years earlier, the American Association lost Milwaukee and Kansas City to the Braves and Athletics, the IL lost Baltimore; and by the end of the decade, the PCL was devastated by the loss of Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Another excellent episode. Being a huge baseball fan and native of the Boston area, I'm surprised I hadn't heard of that fire. Thanks for enlightening me!
Not to quibble, but Tremont is pronounced "TREH-mont," not "TREE-mont."
Thanks THG! 💜
thank you !!!
Lots of continued citation. Well done.
I’m glad that fellow Americans sought to help those affected by but not responsible for the fire.
It was also the day Cal Ripken played his first game.
LOL
Lmao
I hope Cal reads that.
wrong Orioles...
@@bostonrailfan2427 thanks, Buzz Killington
Awesome story, thank you!!!!!
Always like a good story, and The History Guy is full of them. 👌
Along with Boston beans (sorry Lance I can't resist).
A video ahead of its time. My 2020 headphones can't help but separate your tenor tracks. Maybe the 3 voices I hear are a tribute to the trimvires. But I feel like I will appreciate this more in the future.
Boy, baseball was great back in those days! The Orioles of the 1890s make for entertaining reading, but I have the feeling that if I were to go back through a time warp and see them play, I'd think of them as the baseball version of the Broad Street Bullies of the 1970s. The American League in its early years promoted itself as playing a much cleaner style of baseball than that being played in the National League at the time.
And yet, Ty Cobb played in the AL.
@@tygrkhat4087 , Ty Cobb did ads for Coca-Cola back when it had cocaine in it ---- he said he could play 3 or 4 innings, drink a couple Cokes and go back to playing the game feeling much refreshed, as if he hadn't yet played at all!
@@goodun2974 Your comment sent me off to the Snopes website, as I have read many times that Coca-Cola contained cocaine in the early days. The facts are quite interesting. Just google Snopes coca-cola cocaine.
@@lizj5740 , I did Google it, and read some other related articles as well. One author of a book titled "For God, Country and Coca-Cola" says that in its early incarnations, Coca-Cola contained 4.3 milligrams of Coca-Cola per 6 ounce bottle. Not a lot, but doubtless in conjunction with other Coca-Cola alkaloids from the coca extract, the caffeine (and related compounds) from the Kola nut extract, and a big dollop of sugar syrup, drinking two or three 6 ounce bottles might indeed have had an uplifting effect! Just as the various cannabinoids in different strains of cannabis can have differing or symbiotic psychoactive effects, the various chemicals in the crude coca extract of the mid to late 1800s may well have had very different effects on the imbiber than later formulas that did seek to reduce and finally remove all traces of cocaine.
I have long wished to try chewing coca leaves, which have been used by indigenous peoples of the Andes for centuries, to help them work and breathe in the thin mountain air.
The Bradford City football stadium fire was very similar. Over 50 people died in the fire that was caused by someone dropping a cigarette under the very old wooden stand. I remember seeing a firework fired into the crowd very near where the fire started. It was all caught on camera, absolutely terrible.
Install a hydrant and then don’t pay to connect with the water services? Talk about striking out!
Definitely an unforced error.
This little spot is a bunt in the park 🏞️.
I live in Cooperstown NY and I have a lifetime pass for the Baseball HOF. This is my favorite era of baseball.
Lucky you!
Little known fact. If you donate an item to their museum collection and they accept it you get a free lifetime pass.
Great entry. Just one small quibble. I believe I heard you refer to McGraw as "Bugsy" as in Segal (the latter of whom BTW, died with what was probably a bad check from Chico Marx in his pocket). Assuming my old-man hearing--finely aged from years of riding the New York Subway system--wasn't too much off, his nickname was actually "Mugsy," the perfect moniker for someone with a temper who specialized as an innovator in the field of dirty baseball.
IIRC, McGraw hated the nickname Mugsy.
braintree John McGraw DESPISED the nickname MUGSY. According to the late Rube Bressler(I think), if he heard you calling him that, he would have nothing to do with anymore.
As always THE HISTORY GUY, AN EXCELLENT VIDEO.
BTW braintree, if you're interested in the early of baseball, check out THE GLORY OF THEIR TIMES by Lawrence Ritter. A LOT is mentioned about McGraw's playing days and ,later on, his managing the New York BASEBALL Giants. ✌✌✌✌
I love baseball in this era. If you like historical fiction, look up Troy Soos at your local library. He wrote a series of mysteries that revolve around a baseball player in the early 20th century. Tons of fun.
I love listening to your recount of history. Have you ever done one on the pony express? Also, I love the variety of openings you are now using! It is fun to see what shape it will take each time.
Miss O’Leary’s cow! I nearly spit out my drink!! That poor cow!! The great Chicago Fire was not her fault! She was acquitted!! Poor heifer... 😂
There's always a fall cow that gets blamed for everything...
@@christineparis5607 , " Let the cow chips fall where they may!"
@@goodun2974 Reminds of the old Cow Pattie song. 😄
That martyr cow popularized the modern bbq
I was just wondering about the sound in the "Next Exit" video and had to check another one.
Listen to 1:35 carefully. During the louder syllables there is a faint distortion sound. Sounds like an old radio with the station only halfway dialed in. It's very muffled, so probably an artifact from post processing the audio. I wonder if it's some sort of reverb reduction, because your office doesn't look 100% reverb free.
It's not bothering me, but I can't unhear it now.
thanks.
Hey, a new outro and the green bow tie is gone.
Gotta love it!!!!
Must have been an interesting smell in the Bean Eaters’ clubhouse...
That smell would have permeated the entire city that is still commonly called "Bean Town."
Taggart exits his tent, his nostrils fouled by the odor in the air as his gang eats their beans around the campfire:
"How about some more beans, Mr Taggart?"
"I'd say you've had enough!"
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel Could that have assisted in the number of fires Boston had?
Perhaps that was inspiration for the campfire supper scene in Blazing Saddles....🤫🤭
@@goodun2974 and the campfire scene with Christopher Lloyd in Dennis the Menace
Poor Mrs. Donovan, and of course so many others, I’m sure had such an awful recovery from this tragic event. Would be interesting to find out what her legacy was, hopefully perseverance was hers. Thank you again, Sir. And a promising future for us all.
Peace and love, peace and love.
What a great way to start the morning! :)
Very well done. The Bradford City Stadium fire would be another interesting episode.
So what became of the dust up between Bugsy and Foghorn? Who won the fight, or did it eventually stop due to the fire? Was there any reckoning against the two men for their fisticuffs or was it all of that forgotten about due to the more pressing events?
The game was stopped, and the fire apparently stopped the fight. There did not seem to be any consequences, it was a rowdy time in the league.
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel Much obliged! Your bits of history are a great way to start my day.
The rabbit won.
As always that was very interesting
This story reminds me of the Bradford City Stadium Fire. (thank you Ted for correcting me in my deleted post). Be Warned, it is a horrible, graphic disaster with causalities and film of the event.
As was the infamous Hartford Circus Fire. Another place of public entertainment that caught fire numerous times was Old Orchard Beach Amusement Park in Maine. I and my family were there in 1970, when I was 12; my 4 year-old sister rode the antique wooden carousel and then we all walked to a sea-quarium at the end of a long pier. When we came out of the sea-quarium a half hour later, the carousel was in fire, flames shooting 50 feet in the air, and scorching the edge of the adjacent pier. We got off of that pier in a hurry!
as sad as that was, it was contained just to the stadium...this had the potential for a lot worse in multiple ways.
Imagine having the nickname “Foghorn” because you run your mouth so damn loud, lol!
Now I feel attacked. ;)
I know a guy with that nickname. He's a big man with a fog horn voice. You would have to see and hear him to believe it. And it fits. Another one of his nicknames is Tugboat.
I have a really good friend whose nick name is doo, do. Imagine that and he’s an acclaimed Aerospace (rocket) engineer. 😂
Remember foghorn leghorn?
@@paulburkholder9690
HOW did he get that nickname??
I'm at least relieved that this event didn't have the same consequences as the Valley Parade disaster 90 years later
Valley Parade?
@@jamesfracasse8178 a terrible day - 56 dead in just a few minutes
@@TimMiddleton did it also take place in Boston too?
@@jamesfracasse8178 , no, it happened in England.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradford_City_stadium_fire
May I suggest Forgotten history of Ultrasound. Began in 1940's, first used late 50's, computer advancements in 1990's. Then there's MRI, CT, Emergency Medicine, surgery ( even just the ability to connect2 ends of a vessel). I retired after 33 years, US has a fascinating story.
I used to live in Roxbury and I'd never heard of this before today.
love your work
I can’t even imagine that only one person, out of 15k, tried to stop the fire.
SUGGESTION: Philadelphia's Baker Bowl (original Home of the Phillies) and Connie Mack Stadium (Shibe Park - original home of the A's [Athletics])
Exceptionally cool intro today.
Another great episode as per your norm!
Heard a discussion about the disastrous public health state of the dairy industry in the late 19th and early 20th century. Should be a good episode there.
It is interesting how the top team in the league in the 1890's, something that likely seemed like a very big deal to them at the time, can be all but forgotten in the city today. That spot next to the railroad is now an interdisciplinary building for Northeastern University and a Parking Garage with no indication that there was every anything of any significance there.
goo.gl/maps/u2rdvajjRuWjnnyr9
I wonder if the picture at 13:52 is the one that was being taken in the drawing at 12:19
Incredible!
Love the history lessons 🍀⚽️🍀Celtic 4 Life
Great video 👍
Similarly,Fenway park also opened to the Boston Red Sox. It’s Grand opening was unheralded. Th Boston Newspapers chose a better headline instead...TITANIC SINKS!
...and it too burned down!
The last time I made chili I thought my south end was on fire!
Canadians aren't known for making or eating chili!
Leave that to us Texicans, and we don't put beans into the pot...
@@carywest9256 , ah, but, you've likely never experienced a traditional Canadian breakfast of slow-cooked beans that spent all night in the oven, served with fresh-baked bread or croissants, maybe some bacon or ham, and perhaps some cheese and fresh fruit. And then, us kids spent all day exploring the woods where we could "vent" as much as we liked ---- outside! (I am American, but with Canadian roots, and spent a lot of time in Quebec as a kid, visiting Canadian friends and family).
@@carywest9256
Canuck could be from Maritime Canada (Acadie), that’s where “Cajuns” originally came from. Cajuns like spice, a lot!
Great story
Would like to see you do a segment on the Beverly Hills fire in Southgate, Ky.
If you could find enough information to do a video about the west Asheville NC fire in the 1980's. A fire began in the art district near the RR tracks adjacent to the French Broad River. All fire stations in and near Asheville and all adjacent counties sent numerous engines and tankers. Due to high winds and dry conditions, the fire burned almost into downtown Asheville. A number of warehouses, businesses and homes were destroyed.
I'm not paying that!!! 15 dollars!! Indeed!!Think I am made of money?? Oh, the irony...Thanks HG. Great telling as always
Too bad the Pirates weren't playing at that time.
All good stories involve pirates
My dad was born in Pittsburgh
What have you got against the Pirates???
P.S. I’m a Giants fan
8:55 ooh ooh I get that reference !
Great video
In my fire & emergency services experience, I've found that employers who place profits over fire-safety assets is never a good business model to follow. Thanks for posting and please be safe 🙏
More baseball history please.