Firefighter Record
Firefighter Details
| Name | John Sample |
| Agency | Carthage Fire Department |
| Rank | Firefighter |
| Type of Firefighter | Volunteer |
| Age Range | 41 to 45 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 12/9/1898 |
| Date of Death | 1/16/1940 |
| Cause of Death | Contact/Exposure |
| Nature of Death | Asphyxiation |
| Attribute of Death | [not applicable] |
| Type of Duty | Firefighting operations |
Incident Details
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Carthage |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 1/16/1940 |
| Incident Location | Residential |
| Incident Attribute | Fires |
Incident Summary
On January 16, 1940, Firefighter John Hawthorne Sample of the Carthage Fire Department died in the line of duty while fighting a residential fire.
During the morning of January 16, Sample responded to a fire at the Carthage Public Library in a city building that also housed the fire station. Sample was overcome by smoke during firefighting operations when he entered the smoke-filled fire station to retrieve a chemical chart. After a brief recovery, he continued to fight the library fire until it was extinguished.
That afternoon, Sample responded to a residential fire on Miller Street, but did not participate in active firefighting operations due to his smoke exposure earlier in the day. After the fire was extinguished, Sample was loading equipment back onto a fire truck when he collapsed. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful, and the coroner determined that he died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Funeral services for Sample were held on January 19, and he was interred at Moss Ridge Cemetery. He was survived by his widow and two siblings.
A volunteer firefighter for twenty-two years, Sample worked full-time as a plumber and tinner.
Firefighter and Incident Images
