Firefighter Record
Firefighter Details
| Name | Hiram Ashman |
| Agency | Chicago Fire Department |
| Rank | Driver |
| Type of Firefighter | Career |
| Age Range | [Unknown] |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 0/0/0 |
| Date of Death | 4/9/1893 |
| Cause of Death | Thrown from vehicle |
| Nature of Death | Trauma |
| Attribute of Death | [not applicable] |
| Type of Duty | Emergency vehicle operations , Responding to/returning from incident |
Incident Details
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Chicago |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 4/8/1893 17:0 |
| Incident Location | Street/Road |
| Incident Attribute | Traffic accidents |
Incident Summary
On April 8, 1893, Chicago Fire Department Driver Hiram Ashman of Engine 12 was fatally injured in the line of duty while responding to a fire alarm at the intersection of Noble and Erie Streets.
Ashman was driving Engine 12 along North Ashland Avenue when a spooked horse attached to a grocery cart ran out of an alley and crossed the path of the fire engine. Ashland attempted to change direction, but the speed of the engine and abrupt change of direction caused him to lose his footing, whereupon he fell to the ground just in front of the back wheels of the engine. The wheels ran over both of his legs, breaking the right one just below the knee, and crushing the left one above the knee. Surgeons amputated both of his legs in an effort to save his life, but he died the following day, April 9.
Fellow firefighters held Ashman in high esteem for his driving skills, considering him “one of the best” within the department. He was a member of the fire department for seventeen years, and a member of the Firemen’s Benevolent Association and of the Ancient Order of United Workmen (A.O.U.W.).
Funeral services for Ashman were held on April 11, and were well-attended by firefighters and members of the A.O.U.W, and he was buried at Rosehill Cemetery.
Citations:
“Both Legs Crushed,” Daily Inter Ocean, April 9, 1893.
“Engine Driver Loses a Leg,” Chicago Daily Tribune, April 9, 1893.
“Miscellaneous,” Daily Inter Ocean, April 10, 1893.
Obituary of Hiram Ashman, Daily Inter Ocean, April 12, 1893.
Firefighter and Incident Images
