February 11, 1941
Life in the ante bellium South.
South Philly that is and the bellium being WWII. The men working at their crafts, the women keeping house- life pulsated by holidays, births, deaths, weddings, and feast days. The young enjoying American culture. Jimmy Dorsey was the top band man of 1941 and had the big hits including Green Eyes, Maria Lena and Amapola (vocals by Bob Eberly and Helen O’Connor), The Maltese Falcon was the big hit at the movies that month- playing perhaps at the Straford at 7th and Dickinson or the Broadway at Broad and Snyder.
South Philly must have been a busy place then. The population was nearly double what it is now and each neighborhood was it’s own little village complete with church and businesses. Streets were fill of familes and many children.
Of course the world was not at peace in 1941, but most in South Philly went albout their lives with little concern of war in Asia and Europe. I would imagine however Mussolini’s antics gave some Italo Americans something to think about, especially the resident aliens.
But in the ante bellium south life went on. The Cumare looked forward to their diet of wakes and weddings so as to eat and discuss the qualities of corpses and brides. Men hung out at the corner discussing baseball or the old country. The kids went to James Wilson Elementary or South Philly High (one side for boys and an annex for girls). The 23 trolley slid along 11th and 12th street like a long rattling pendulum
This uniformity of existence was interrupted on February 11, 1941.
Greenwich Street , or Green Witch as they say in South Philly ( just for the record in the Anglo Saxon language known as English Greenwich is pronounced gren-itch so remember that when ordering a Cheese steak at Geno’s). Greenwich is a small side street that runs east
-west between Dickinson and Tasker. The 1100 block is chinked to accommodate the effect of Passyunk Avenue which vanquishes 11 street between Tasker/ Dickinson and throws the symmetry of the street into disarray.
Along this serpentine stretch of Greenwich on the evening of February 10, 1941 the main gas line beneath started to leak. By early morning the escaped gas ignited and caused a terrific explosion. Tearing through the basements of 8 row homes and resulting in a ferocious fire. Gas explosions were common enough at the time and often happened in the early morning when people were asleep and could not smell the gas. The fire soon engulfed the homes and leaped into the cold morning air- reaching above the squat row homes. Calling the neighbors to witness.
A police officer, 54 year old James J. Clarke was walking his beat ( yes in old South Philly Policemen walked a beat , evening at night) and was among the first to respond. He heroically rescued people but was crushed by a falling wall as he tried to free a women and her two daughters, all 4 died (+Requiescat in Pace). The fire and explosion leveled the houses but fortunately only Officer Clarke and the women and her two daughters died. South Philly had it own little Blitz that morning which left a ruin on Greenwich street. The homes were never rebuilt and the land was cleared and left as 8 empty lots. The lots bought by neighbors to store cars or grow vegetables.
I heard this story from my dad when ever we walked along that street devoid of houses (it still may be but with the property boom I would think homes have since been built there?). My dad lost a school mate in the fire, one of the two youths that officer Clarke tried to save, and I think it left an impression on him, for he never ceased to remind me of the story when we passed the street.
My dad is gone but Nick from 12th street sent me a great remembrance email of the event. I quote:
I recall them (my Parents) waking me to see the flames leaping high into
the early morning dark sky, which we could see from our back window!
.. I was a quite excited kid who could not wait to get on the
scene to get a first hand look! I got my chance later that evening after
supper, as no one was allowed near the street any earlier… the fire was
out, except for some sparking embers, which would reignite now and then. ….
For us kids Greenwich Street became an adventure! We'd play, climbing
among the ruins and at times exploring a couple of the partially exposed
cellars, pretending the playful, imaginative adventures which kids did then…
Thanks Nick.
The Greenwich explosion of 1941 brought the neighborhood death and destruction . I always felt a shudder walking along that street and those empty lots, but that was most likely my Southern Italian superstition taking hold….
A few months later on December 7 South Philly awoke to an even greater explosion.
posted by Tantris | 8:52 AM
7 Comments:
I live on that block and have heard the story and seen the pictures. Love hearing you tell a story, though! And never heard as many details.
The lots on one side were absorbed by Dickinson street houses as larger back yards. The lot on the other side has been bought and will be developed when legal issues with old property lines and easements are resolved. That has already taken a while and could takeeven longer, unfortunately. When it is resolved there should be three large homes where four once stood.
Thanks, as always, for the great telling of South Philly history!
Thanks Melanie,
Were I in Philly I could do some research , interview some people and put a better story together.. The old neighborhood has many stories to tell...
Vincent,
I realize this is pretty old, but I just came across your blog and find it fantastic to hear the story.
My wife and I bought the house on cross street that backs directly up to the empty lot. Whoever bought it with the intention of developing has faced significant issue with neighbors and the civic association. Unfortunately, it's been chained off and has become a neglected home to stray cats and god knows what else. It does however provide us with an amazing amount of natural light from the back of our house - something not many homeowners in South Philly can brag about.
At any rate, thank you for the story. I've always been fascinated by what happened back there.
My grandparent's home was the first one not damaged by that explosion. They raised 6 kids in that small house and if this incident were any bigger, I wouldn't be here typing this. My father was in the house with my aunts and uncle. They lived on the So. side of the st. where the space remains to the house's left.
My grandparent's home was the first one not damaged by that explosion. They raised 6 kids in that small house and if this incident were any bigger, I wouldn't be here typing this. My father was in the house with my aunts and uncle. They lived on the So. side of the st. where the space remains to the house's left.
awesome blog
I was 3 years and 4 months old when my mom woke me about 5am on 2/11/1941. She had heard a large boom behind our house on Cross Street. We all went into the back yard and saw flames high in the sky over Greenwich Street. I remember hearing 3 faint calls for help and then there was another explosion. I remember pieces of lumber flew into our yard. My father took us back inside and then outside into Cross Street. The entire neighborhood was out on Cross Street. I believe Joe Mazza ran to the corner of 12th and Dickinson and pulled the fire alarm that was attached to the pole. This sent a signal to the firehouse on 12th Street next to Wilson School. I remember seeing the incredibly long ladder truck making an incredibly sharp turn onto Dickenson Street. The fireman steering the back wheels independently of the driver steering the front wheels made the sharp turn possible. He sat high up on the rear end of the ladder truck, I guess for a better view. I can still hear the fire bell on the truck clanging loudly. There were no sirens then. They came after the war started and were used to alert everyone that an air raid drill was beginning. The next day we learned that 3 or 4 people were killed. My mother said a rosary for them.
Post a Comment
<< Home