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Chattanooga: Downtown memorial recalls sacrifice by two local firemen

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Coylee

By Steven Cox

Chattanooga has many monuments that document and memorialize the city’s rich history. One monument is one that hundreds of citizens pass by every day. The Fireman’s Fountain occupies a triangular plot at the intersection of Georgia, Sixth and Lookout streets, in an area known as Fountain Square. It was dedicated on June 9, 1888, to honor the first two Chattanooga firemen to die in the line of duty, on the first anniversary of their deaths.

On June 9, 1887, Henry Iler and William “Mat” Peak were battling a large, out-of-control fire on the corner of Fourth and Market streets. Henry Iler, 29, was originally from Athens, Ga. A cigar maker by profession, he first moved to Chattanooga in 1877. He left Chattanooga in 1881 but returned in 1883 and was one of the founding members of the Lookout Fire Company.

William Peak, 35, was born in Macon County, N.C. He had come to Chattanooga in 1881 to work in the Roane Iron Works. He later worked at the Loomis & Hart Planing Mill, and joined the Alert Volunteer Company and later, the Lookout Fire Company.

The fire started in a building that was owned by the Standard Gas Machine and Economizer Co., next to the Bee Hive Store. Shortly before 4 p.m., two employees were filling machines from a can of gasoline. As they filled the cans, the fumes ignited with an explosion. Stunned, and with some burns, they managed to get out of the building, which now had a spreading fire within.

Shortly after the alarm had sounded, the Lookout Fire Company arrived. The Carlisle Fire Company arrived shortly after. Fire Chief Charles Whiteside sent a team of five men to the building on Fourth Street, and sent Iler and Peak through the burning Standard Gas building to direct water in the rear of the building.

Being in this location would prove to be a fatal mistake, as gases were building up in that part of the building. There was another explosion, and the back wall collapsed onto Iler and Peak. Chief Whiteside witnessed the accident and immediately called for assistance.

Iler was completely buried, but the top portion of Peak’s body was visible. He was conscious and desperately trying to dig himself out from the hot bricks and debris. According to the newspaper account, Peak was telling the would-be rescuers they were too late to save him. Nevertheless, he was pulled from the burning rubble, but he had severe burns over most of his body. He was taken to the Lookout Fire House and was attended to by several doctors.

As soon as Peak had been taken away, the rescuers resumed their search for Iler. After removing more debris, they found the body of Iler, with an injury to the head, and the upper part of his body horribly burned. It was believed he had died instantly.

As the afternoon became early evening, William Peak was still at the Lookout Fire House. He was resting comfortably, and it was beginning to look as if his strength and determination were going to keep him alive. But after a few hours, Peak began to express an increase of pain, and he died at 11:30 p.m. This tragedy would become known as the Bee Hive Fire due to its proximity to the Bee Hive Store.

The funeral was held June 11, at First Presbyterian Church. There were 30 policemen in the procession, 72 Odd Fellows in full regalia, 200 members of the Knights of Labor, and fire department carriages and wagons, shrouded in black. The Rev. J.W. Bachman began the service with a Scripture reading, followed by the choir singing “Rock of Ages.” After the funeral, the caskets were placed in the carriage hearses. Once the procession arrived at Forest Hills Cemetery, Henry Iler and William Peak were laid side by side in their plots.

In the days following the tragedy, The Chattanooga Times began a drive to raise money to erect a monument to Iler and Peak. The Times donated $100 to start it off, and within a few days the amount reached $1,400.

The Times formed a committee charged with deciding how the money would be spent. Julius Ochs, treasurer of the Times Printing Co. and father of Times President Adolph Ochs, was given the responsibility of managing the fund. He received permission from the city to erect a monument in honor of Iler and Peak. It was decided that it would be a fountain with a small fireman on top.

On June 9, 1888, a year to the day of the tragedy, the Fireman’s Fountain was dedicated. As the ceremony began, Chief Whiteside spoke first, paying tribute to Henry Iler and William Peak. City attorney C.R. Evans accepted the memorial for the city. Then the young daughter of Chief Whiteside turned on the water to the fountain.

For the next 73 years the fountain stood, reminding Chattanooga’s citizens of the ultimate sacrifice of Iler and Peak. In 1961 the fireman figure came loose, falling off the top of the monument, and was broken beyond repair. In early April 1962, a new fireman was put in place.

Since then the fountain has undergone numerous renovations and paintings. In the late ’80s, there was a service to mark the 100th anniversary of the fire. By then Fountain Square had been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Steven Cox has been the Special Collections librarian and university archivist at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga since 2001. He is an associate professor, and he is vice president of the Society of Tennessee Archivists. He and his wife, Dianne, live in the Brainerd area.

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