On April 18, 1924, at Engine Company #107 a fire department in Chicago it began like any other day. Except on firefighter, Francis Leavy was acting strange that day. He had an air of gloominess around him. He didn't greet his coworkers, smile, or even talk. He just busied himself with cleaning and maintenance around the firehouse. He then admitted to his fellow firefighters that he felt like he was going to die. At the time some of them possibly poked fun at it, because they never thought it could be true.
After 7 p.m. while Leavy was cleaning the windows a call had come in there was a fire at the Curran Hall. Like many of the other firefighters, Leavy left to the fire that was only a few blocks away. Engine #5 and Engine #103 were fighting the fire inside. While firefighters from truck #12 were working the ladders outside.
The four-story building showed some weird anomalies. Some witnesses said that the fires went downstairs like liquid flowing and when it had gotten to the boxes on the stairwell they exploded. Those fighting inside had to take turns running to the windows to breathe fresh air because at the time they had no breathing apparatuses.
Unfortunately for all those who fought the fire inside. Thirty minutes in the fire had damaged the structure of the building too far. First, the roof collapsed and then pushed out the outer walls of the structure causing the whole building to collapse. Those within the building had been hurt or lost their life.
Within thirty minutes all recuse agencies in Chicago were called in. It was difficult to rescue those trapped beneath the building because when the building collapsed it knocked out power lines leaving the search in rescue in the dark.
20 firefighters were injured and 8 firefighters died that night 1 firefighter died 8 days later. One civilian, William Behr, died while trying to help rescue trapped firefighters. Funerals for the fallen occurred on the 21, 22, and 23 where 125 firefighters were officially detailed to honorary escorts for the services. For the first time in history a civilian, William Behr, had 6 firefighters serve as honorary pallbearers.
Truck 12 lost 6 of their firefighters, Engine #5 lost 2, and Engine #107 lost only one and that was Francis Leavy.
The fire itself was found out to be the cause of arson. The reason that the fire spread like liquid flowing was because wood alcohol was spread around the building and lit on fire. The one who started the fire was the owner of the sporting goods and novelties shop that resided on the second floor. They were convicted of arson and murder. It's sad to think all these people were injured, killed, lost their coworkers and friends just because the owners wanted to get $32,000 from the insurance company.
The next day the other firefighters noticed the half-cleaned window that Leavy was working on had a strange stain on it. In the middle of it was a handprint and when they tried cleaning it the handprint would not leave. They scrubbed, scraped with razors, and used different cleaning chemicals, but nothing would work on the window. They even hired people to clean it, but no one could remove the handprint.
It had been suggested to replace the window, but some of them working there didn't want to. They believed that they shouldn't mess with the unknown. It was also left as a reminder or in memory of Leavy and those who lost their lives that night.
On April 18, 1944, exactly 20 years after Leavy and his fellow firefighters lost their life something happened. A paperboy carelessly threw a newspaper and it shattered the window. Thus destroying the mysterious handprint that couldn't be removed.
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