Three Firemen Hurt at $50,000 Jamaica Plain Fire

Three firemen were hurt at the fire that destroyed the residence of Rudolph F. Haffenreffer on Mt. Walley Ave., Jamaica Plain, near Pond St., at the Brookline line, at 4 am yesterday. Because the residence, one of the landmarks of the district, stood on the top of a hill slightly higher than the wa-ter level in the Brookline Reservoir, from which the water supply had to be taken, the firemen were unable to get any water. But for the chemical streams the fire would have had its own way. When the pressure failed, Engine 45 was called upon by the members of Engine 28 to act as a relay pumping station, but even this extra work was without avail.

Laddermen Gillespie of 10 and Griffon of 30 were overcome, but revived. Ladderman Scheidel of 10 sprained an ankle and was taken away in an automobile.

The fire started in the rear of the second story near the chimney flue and quickly worked into the attic and through the roof. The cause is unknown.

Mr. Haffenreffer, who discovered the fire, after summoning the aid of the other six occupants, at-tempted to extinguish the flames with a hand extinguisher, but seeing the fire spreading, sent a still alarm, which was followed by a box alarm from box 2492. The damage was set by police at $50,000.

After the fire at the Rudolph Haffenreffer home in Jamaica Plain yesterday morning had been ex-tinguished, the only article of value found intact was a Liberty Bond of the third loan, bought by Mr. Haffenreffer a few days ago. While the bond was soaked in bicarbonate solution, the markings on it were plainly recognizable.

Firemen said that the bond must have had a charmed existence to withstand the tremendous heat, and are at a loss to explain how it escaped.

This article originally appeared in the April 29, 1918 edition of the Boston Daily Globe. Production assistance provided by Kate Markopoulos.