Burning Baseball in Boston: The Great South End Grounds Fire of 1894
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 พ.ค. 2021
- In a game on May 15, 1894, a fight between Baltimore third baseman John McGraw and Boston first baseman Tommy Tucker became heated. As the fans watched the fight, everything else in the stadium became heated as well. The History Guy remembers the South End Grounds Fire of 1894.
This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.
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All events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. No images or content are primarily intended to shock and disgust. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Non censuram.
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Script by THG
#history #thehistoryguy #Baseball
![[ไฮไลต์] แบดมินตันชาย วิว กุลวุฒิ ไทย vs ฟินแลนด์ รอบแบ่งกลุ่ม | โอลิมปิก 2024](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/GIbeFO0tvnQ/mqdefault.jpg)
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
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!
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.
Great finish: $80,000 stadium imperiled for a $15 fire hydrant hookup fee. Good work as always, thanks!
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.
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 loved the inflection when you said "Hockey".
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.
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!
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
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!
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.
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.
I’m glad that fellow Americans sought to help those affected by but not responsible for the fire.
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!!
Of all my numerous and vast subscriptions on TH-cam this is the my favorite channel. Well worth subscribing to.
I am from MA and I didn't know this! Thanks History Guy!
Another outstanding piece of History that I had never heard before. 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
I wish The History Guy could have been my history teacher.
A new video of History that Deserves to be Remebered!! Good Friday Morning 🙂😊
Always incredible narratives and content. One of my favorite channels
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 🏞️.
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.
Wow. Great story, and great story telling. Thank you!
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.
A great story that deserves to be remembered.
History Guy. You continue to be the greatest !
You are amazing!
(I enjoy your history stories.)
Highly enjoyable video. Thank you sir.
Thanks THG! 💜
You're the Man, 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!
“Dry tinder for an unavoidable conflagration” is an amazing turn of phrase!
How about "...they lost their little all."
Bangers
Another great one, HG!
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 !!!
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
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.
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.
That was quite the interesting story,thanks History Guy.!!
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
Your intro graphics are truly magnificent.
Feeding the algorithm! But mainly just saying thank you for your amazing videos.
Awesome story, thank you!!!!!
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.
love your work
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.
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...
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. 😀👍🇬🇧🏴
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
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."
Great video 👍
Always like a good story, and The History Guy is full of them. 👌
Along with Boston beans (sorry Lance I can't resist).
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
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
Lots of continued citation. Well done.
Great video
Another great episode as per your norm!
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.
When even the fire house burns down it was surely a bad fire. Wow. Cool story.
thanks.
It was also the day Cal Ripken played his first game.
LOL
Lmao
I hope Cal reads that.
wrong Orioles...
@@bostonrailfan2427 thanks, Buzz Killington
Best kind of American history.
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.
Love the history lessons 🍀⚽️🍀Celtic 4 Life
As always that was very interesting
Baseball in the Dead Ball era (pre-1910) was extremely fascinating.
Incredible!
Very well done. The Bradford City Stadium fire would be another interesting episode.
Love baseball, much better than war history
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)!
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.
What a great way to start the morning! :)
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.
Exceptionally cool intro today.
I can’t even imagine that only one person, out of 15k, tried to stop the fire.
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 🙏
Hey, a new outro and the green bow tie is gone.
Gotta love it!!!!
How very sad. Boston baseball owners haven't changed much over the years, but I still love ❤♥💙💕 the teams in Beantown
More baseball history please.
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
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.
Very good
Great story
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!
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?
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??
We never learn - 'Bradford City Stadium fire May 11th 1985- a tragedy.
I used to live in Roxbury and I'd never heard of this before today.
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.
No idea what the title is all about. All I know is that I click play then like and will not be disappointed.
Early on, a hockey joke. Yep, I'm going to like this one.
anyone who mentioned a hockey anything is going to be calm lol
@@cornbreadfedkirkpatrick9647 😆
As promised, I just bought a nice velvet bow tie from the Tie Bar. Also, a skull and crossbones tie bar ... because all good purchases include pirates, after all.
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.
As soon as I read the word “fire” in the title you had me! ☺️
@Travis Johnson 😆😆😆
Baseball Hall of Famer's Wee Willie Keeler and John McGraw. McGraw later managed (I think) the New York Giants.
Correct
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel Willie was one of the best hitters in the dead ball era. His advice was, "Hit'em where they ain't."
8:55 ooh ooh I get that reference !
It was amazing that no lives were lost in the fire. What is just as equally as amazing - for only a $15.00 hook-up fee, the stadium would have had a functional hydrant that could have save a magnificent structure - as well as many people's homes. Not surprised, many tragedies could have been prevented if not the penny-pinching owners.
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.