Firefighter Record
Firefighter Details
| Name | George Rau |
| Agency | Chicago Fire Department |
| Rank | Captain |
| Type of Firefighter | Career |
| Age Range | [Unknown] |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 0/0/0 |
| Date of Death | 8/8/1878 |
| Cause of Death | Vehicle collision |
| Nature of Death | Trauma |
| Attribute of Death | [not applicable] |
| Type of Duty | Responding to/returning from incident |
Incident Details
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Chicago |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 8/8/1878 3:24 |
| Incident Location | Street/Road |
| Incident Attribute | Traffic accidents |
Incident Summary
On August 8, 1878, Chicago Fire Department Captain George H. Rau of Engine 1 died in the line of duty while responding to a fire alarm near the intersection of Randolph and Market Streets. Rau and three other firefighters were traveling north on Franklin Street in the Engine 1 hose cart when they were struck by a Chicago Fire Patrol wagon traveling west on Monroe Street. The hose cart overturned and Rau was crushed under the cart’s right wheel. Two other firefighters were injured in the collision, but the hose cart driver and the fourteen men in the patrol wagon were uninjured.
Citations:
“Fatal Accident,” Chicago Daily Tribune, Aug. 9, 1878.
“The Collision,” Chicago Daily Tribune, Aug. 10, 1878.
Firefighter and Incident Images
