| Name | John Patterson |
| Agency | Chicago Fire Insurance Patrol |
| Rank | Firefighter |
| Type of Firefighter | Fire Patrol |
| Age Range | 21 to 25 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 0/0/1852 |
| Date of Death | 6/22/1872 |
| Cause of Death | Contact/Exposure |
| Nature of Death | Asphyxiation , Burns |
| Attribute of Death | Smoke inhalation |
| Type of Duty | Firefighting operations |
On June 22, 1872, Assistant Captain David F. Donnelly and Firefighter John Patterson of the Chicago Fire Insurance Patrol died in the line of duty while fighting a fire in a four-story, brick building at 12 South Water Street. Donnelly and Patterson asphyxiated and suffered severe burns when a gas meter inside the building exploded.
Members of the Chicago Fire Insurance Patrol were the first firefighters on scene, and Donnelly led three other firefighters, including Patterson, into the building with fire extinguishers. The gas meter exploded shortly thereafter, killing Donnelly and Patterson, and injuring three other firefighters.
Funeral services for the firefighters were held on June 24. Donnelly’s body was sent by train to Philadelphia for burial, and Patterson’s remains were sent to Manitowoc, Wisconsin where he was buried next to his mother.
Citations:
“The Water Street Calamity,” Chicago Tribune, June 23, 1872.
“Funeral Obsequies,” Chicago Tribune, June 25, 1872.
“The Fireman's Funeral,” The Inter Ocean, June 25, 1872.