| Name | Edward Jones |
| Agency | Chicago Fire Insurance Patrol |
| Rank | Firefighter |
| Type of Firefighter | Fire Patrol |
| Age Range | 26 to 30 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 0/0/0 |
| Date of Death | 3/21/1885 |
| Cause of Death | Contact/Exposure , Struck by object |
| Nature of Death | Trauma , Burns |
| Attribute of Death | [not applicable] |
| Type of Duty | Firefighting operations |
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Chicago |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 3/21/1885 18:45 |
| Incident Location | Public assembly |
| Incident Attribute | Structural collapses , Fires |
On March 21, 1885, Edward Jones and John Walsh of the Chicago Fire Insurance Patrol died in the line of duty following a structural collapse during a fire at the Hotel Langham, located at the corner of Adams Street and Wabash Avenue.
The fire started in the hotel basement and was discovered at around 6:45PM. Less than thirty minutes later, the five-story hotel was completely engulfed in flames and the roof collapsed. Around 8PM, the hotel’s south wall collapsed outward onto a pair of two-story commercial buildings that adjoined the hotel. Six members of the Chicago Fire Insurance Patrol were on the second floor of one of these buildings, and when the hotel’s wall tore through the building’s roof, they fell with the debris down to the first floor. Four of the patrol members were rescued from the wreckage, but Jones and Walsh were killed in the collapse.
Citations:
“A Hotel in Ruins,” Chicago Daily Tribune, March 22, 1885.
“Falling Walls,” Chicago Daily Tribune, March 22, 1885.
“The Origin,” Chicago Daily Tribune, March 22, 1885.