Austin M. Williams was the first to die in the line of duty [with the Amarillo Fire Department] at almost the same time on the same day of the week back in 1936.
Williams was killed when he was crushed beneath a wall of collapsed brick at 2:30 a.m. Friday, May 7, 1936.
Williams and two other firemen, Frank Taggert and Tom Spencer, were pouring water on flames at a loading dock of Bishop's Warehouse in the 500 block of S. Grant.
Williams was 33 years old at the time and had been with the force 10 years.
He and the two other firemen had been on the loading dock trying to extinguish the blaze before it spread to surrounding buildings. They heard the main wall beginning to collapse on top of them.
While they were scrambling away from the building, the wall of the warehouse collapsed.
Williams was almost directly under the plunging two-story wall.
Spencer recalled later, "Those bricks were terribly hot. I know they must have burned their hands (when trying to save Williams), but they didn't stop for anything until they had recovered the body."
Firemen never determined the cause of the blaze that killed Williams, who left a wife and two small children.
The newspapers of the day recorded it, "Flames Take One Life and Toll of $500,000."
Obituary provided by Edith.
Austin M. Williams was the first to die in the line of duty [with the Amarillo Fire Department] at almost the same time on the same day of the week back in 1936.
Williams was killed when he was crushed beneath a wall of collapsed brick at 2:30 a.m. Friday, May 7, 1936.
Williams and two other firemen, Frank Taggert and Tom Spencer, were pouring water on flames at a loading dock of Bishop's Warehouse in the 500 block of S. Grant.
Williams was 33 years old at the time and had been with the force 10 years.
He and the two other firemen had been on the loading dock trying to extinguish the blaze before it spread to surrounding buildings. They heard the main wall beginning to collapse on top of them.
While they were scrambling away from the building, the wall of the warehouse collapsed.
Williams was almost directly under the plunging two-story wall.
Spencer recalled later, "Those bricks were terribly hot. I know they must have burned their hands (when trying to save Williams), but they didn't stop for anything until they had recovered the body."
Firemen never determined the cause of the blaze that killed Williams, who left a wife and two small children.
The newspapers of the day recorded it, "Flames Take One Life and Toll of $500,000."
Obituary provided by Edith.
Family Members
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George Mitchell Williams Jr
1879–1879
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Elizabeth Bettie Williams Hulen
1881–1920
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James Thomas Williams Sr
1882–1959
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Benjamen Stevens Williams
1885–1966
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Jennie A Williams
1886–1901
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John Wesley Williams Sr
1888–1954
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Nannie Lillian Williams Hill
1892–1960
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Carl L Williams
1892–1892
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Josephine Williams Thomas
1895–1953
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Earl Mitchell Williams
1900–1955
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