04/03/2026
“Norwich’s Saddest Day”
On this date in 1962 four members of the Norwich CT Fire Department made the Supreme Sacrifice during a major explosion and fire at the Van Tassel Warehouse on Forest Street.
Killed were Captain William Sheridan, and Firefighters Carl Burke, Leonard Counihan, and Edward Romano.
A truck was being unloaded at the dock of the Van Tassel warehouse when an employee noticed smoke coming from the trailer. The trucks cargo contained 20 tons of organic peroxide, but was not marked. On arrival the crews of Engines 1 and 3 secured a hydrant, and several of them began applying a stream of water into the truck from behind a concrete wall at the loading dock. Suddenly, the trucks cargo had a massive explosion and fire. Three firefighters behind the wall were killed along with another caught in the resulting fire ball. This also set the wooden warehouse on fire, which was storing tons of charcoal briquettes.
The explosion was heard and felt throughout the city, and shattered many windows including the stained glass of Christ Episcopal Church on Washington Street just across the river. The explosion also injured several other firefighters and destroyed Engines 1 and 3.
This incident was one of several hazardous materials incidents that created awareness for properly identifying hazardous cargo being carried in all modes of commercial transportation.
The result was a placarding system placed on truck trailers, rail cars, and other modes of transportation, warning of explosives and hazardous materials.
Copied from another page, sad to say I never heard about this.
