Firefighter William Davis

On December 9, 1891 at 6:20pm a fire started at the Boone Paper Company in the 600 block of West Jefferson Street and quickly spread to the upper floors and roof of the Bamberger Streng & Co, F. W. Johanboeke & Son and the Bliss-Woolford-Payne Company.

The fire was brought under control with great difficulty at 10:00pm. Several fire companies were left to overhaul the Boone Paper Company. Some of the gas accumulated in the basement of the Bamberger and Streng & Co. building located next door to the burned out ruins of the Boone Paper Company.

At approximately 2:34am, while firemen were raking away the ruins of the Boone Paper company, a large gas explosion occured at the Banberger, Strong & Co. building and flames broke from every floor and shot through the roof.

The explosion caused a wall from the Boone Paper Company to collapse onto Firefighters Samuel Baker, William Davis, Thomas Moore and Anthony Schlicht.

All 4 firefighters perished in the explosion.