Pipeman Edward J. McCue
Survivors
His wife Irene, Daughter Dorothy 14 months
Incident
Fire broke out on the fourth floor of the Willard Hotel early in the morning of November 7, 1917. Firefighters used life nets and ladders to recue a number of the 200 registered guests. During a daring rescue attempt, firefighter Edward McCue was severly burned, after his coat ignited, as he charged through the flames on the fifth floor to reach a man that was trapped by fire. McCue died the next day. This was the fourth time McCue had been injuried in his three years on the Dept. Once, he had fallen into the basement of a warehouse when the second floor gave way. On another occasion he was struck by the Chief's car while laying hose in dense smoke. He also suffered injuries after being drug for a block by the three-horse team of Engine 2 he was driving, after a locomotive frightened them.
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Tributes
There are 2 tributes for Pipeman Edward J. McCue.
Husband of Irene Kelly McCue, daughters Dorothy & Margaret. Son of Capt. Martin McCue (Lou. Fire Dept.) & Mary Flaherty. Bro. of Martin, William (my father) and Anna.
His memory never left the family. I was born 30 yrs later. Uncle Eddie was special, he was a firemen.
He suffered burns over his entire body, "the newspaper reported "he became a human torch" at the Willard Hotel fire. He asked for a priest when he was rescued. The hotel was just yards from the monument at 5th and Jefferson.
Correction - his date of death is Nov 1917