16 lives saved : the Pirsch Smoke Ejector

Creator

Pirsch Company

Date

• ca. April 1931

Summary

• A broadsheet advertising the new Pirsch Smoke Ejector Machine and celebrating its involvement in rescuing sixteen men trapped in a sewage system tunnel during a Chicago, Illinois fire April 13, 1931. A copy of the letter sent from the City of Chicago to Pirsch in appreciation, dated April 21st, 1931, is shown on this document. Patents for the machine were pending at the time of printing. Circa April 1931.
• Starting in 1857, Nicholas Pirsch began producing fire engines and ladders. By 1970, the Pirsch Company became the largest United States manufacturer that focused exclusively on the production of fire equipment. Feeling competitive pressure from foreign companies, Pirsch stopped operations in 1986 and declared bankruptcy in 1987.