Guardians of The City SFFD Home Page - San Francisco Fire Department Museum
SFFD - Those Who Died in the Line of Duty:
 

Black RibbonJAMES O'NEILBlack RibbonJames O'Neil - April 18, 1906 (#48)
Truck Co. No. 1 - 22 O'Farrell Street

James O'Neil With Wife Mary
James O'Neil With Wife Mary

THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE & FIRE

James O’Neil, Truckman, Truck Co. No. 1, killed at the quarters of his company by falling walls, on April 18, 1906

On the morning of April 18th, Truckman O’Neil was standing the 2:00 A.M. to 6:00 A.M. night watch on the apparatus floor at the quarters of his company. Truck Company No. 1 was housed in a three story brick building which was built in 1866 located at 22 O’Farrell Street. The violent force of the Great Earthquake shook the firehouse, causing the brick walls to collapse killing Mr. O’Neil.

During the year (1906) the following named widow of a late member of the Fire Department was pensioned under the provision of Article IX, Chapter 7, Section 5, of the Charter, viz: Mrs. Mary A. O’Neil, widow of James O’Neil, Truckman of Truck Company No. 1. Pensioned May 11, 1906. Effective May 1, 1906.

Mrs. O’Neil was granted a quarterly pension of $135.

In 1906, Truckman were paid an annual salary of $1,200.

WIDOW OF FIREMAN O'NEIL WILL BE GIVEN $1,000
FRIENDS RAISE FUND TO AID RELICT OF
CITY EMPLOYE KILLED ON NIGHT OF APRIL 18, 1906

1907 May 2

Friends of Mrs. James O’Neil, widow of Fireman O’Neil, who was killed on the night of April 18, 1906,were notified yesterday that through the efforts of her husband's former associates a fund of $1,000 had been raised for, her benefit. O'Neil was a member of fire company No. 1 and was killed by the collapse of the fire station on the night of the great earthquake. He was in the act of leaving the building when it fell, burying him under the ruins. Thousands of people not acquainted with the dead man but familiar with the story of his death gladly contributed to the fund to aid the widow.
Source; San Francisco Call, Volume 101, Number 177, 26 May 1907 — WIDOW OF FIREMAN O'NEIL WILL BE GIVEN $1,000 [ARTICLE

Extracted from original sources with grammar and spelling as published.

Back to the Top

SFFD Home Page Guardians of The City Home Page