City of Benton Harbor issued the following announcement on Sept 6.
On this day, September 6 1896, The fire alarm sounded, on a bleak September night, it called our gallant firemen from their home a fire to fight; How nobly they responded to their duty well known, and their courage at that fatal fire, was very clearly shown, The Opera House was burning; the flames illumed the sky, to save it our firemen were there to do or die. Poor fellows, what an awful fate, Caught in that heavy fall; of brick and motar, fire and smoke, beneath the fallen wall.
On this day we remember the Fallen hero's of the St. Joseph and Benton Harbor Fire Departments who sacrificed their lives while fighting the fire at The Yore Opera House in Benton Harbor.
From St. Joseph: Arthur C. Hill, Robert L. Rolf, Frank Siever, Edward H. Gange and Silas F. Watson.
From Benton Harbor: John Hoffman, Louis Hoffman, Thomas Kidd, Frank Woodley, William Meteo, William McCormick and Scott Rice.
God Rest Your Souls.
Below are photos of the Monuments that were erected in St. Joseph and in Benton Harbor in memory of the eleven Firefighters lost in the fire.
Also a photo of the burned out Opera House the following morning.
Original source can be found here.
Source: City of Benton Harbor
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