Firefighter Record
Firefighter Details
| Name | Bernard Manning |
| Agency | Peoria Fire Department |
| Rank | Captain |
| Type of Firefighter | Career |
| Age Range | 41 to 45 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 0/0/1857 |
| Date of Death | 8/20/1900 |
| Cause of Death | Fall , Struck by object |
| Nature of Death | Trauma |
| Attribute of Death | [not applicable] |
| Type of Duty | Firefighting operations , Hose operations |
Incident Details
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Peoria |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 8/20/1900 1:45 |
| Incident Location | Vacant property |
| Incident Attribute | Structural collapses , Fires |
Incident Summary
Captain Bernard J. “Barney” Manning, 42, was the second Peoria fireman killed in the line of duty. He died August 20, 1900, from injuries sustained while fighting a fire at the F.C. Carroll Ice House at 166 North Fayette Street. Captain Manning resided at 314 Greenleaf Street. A widower, he was survived by two daughters, Ellen Marie, 10, and Mary Francis, 6. Manning was appointed to the Peoria Fire Department January 8, 1886, by Mayor Kinsey. Through diligence and dedication, he quickly rose through the ranks to become captain of Hose Co. 1 and senior house captain of the Central Fire House on Jackson Street. He acted as an assistant chief on several occasions and was respected by his men, as well as his superior officers.
At 1:45 a.m., Monday, August 20, 1900, Box Alarm 7 sounded a fire at the Peoria Lounge and Mattress Company, located at 301-303 Walter Street between Fayette and Eaton Streets. Captain Manning and his crew of Hose Co. 1 were the first to arrive. In spite of the firemen’s efforts, the two-story, wood frame structure sustained $11,961 worth of damage and was virtually destroyed.
At 3:53 a.m., Box Alarm 95 transmitted another alarm. Flying embers from the fire at the mattress company had ignited a fire at the vacant F.C. Carroll Ice House, just one block up the street. Leaving some of his crew to continue fighting the fire at the mattress company, Manning started dragging another line of hose to the ice house. He was assisted by Ben Butler of Central House, and John Warner and Ed Meinders of Truck Co. 1. At the scene the men began hosing down the southwest corner of the ice house but were greatly hampered by bursting hose lines. Finally, firefighters secured more hose and began pouring a dozen streams of water on the building. At this point, the men took up a position with the captain standing on the sill and the others just behind him. At the sound of cracking timber, the men instantly dropped the hoseline and made a break to escape. There was a deafening crash, and Manning was buried in the debris.
Manning’s comrades gathered around his body at daybreak. Dirty and tired from the fire, several stood bareheaded and shed tears for the man they dearly admired. To know him was to be his friend. Funeral services for Captain Bernard J. “Barney” Manning were held at 9 a.m., Thursday, August 23, 1900, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Members of the New Peoria Volunteer Fire Company and the South Peoria Fire Department served as honor guard.
Summary by Marty Baker and Doug Brignall, Peoria Fire Department
Firefighter and Incident Images
