The Philadelphia Record
July 28, 1931
JACKETS' STADIUM DESTROYED BY FIRE
Incendiary Suspected as Marshals Find Oil After Wissinoming Blaze.
A fire, believed to be of incendiary origin, destroyed the Yellow Jackets' stadium at Wissinoming late yesterday.
Swept by a southwest breeze, embers and sparks fell on the roofs of several nearby homes, setting fire to several and driving their occupants to the street.
Heavy clouds of smoke, visible for miles, attracted hundreds of motorists and residents.
The training house of the Yellow Jackets football team, a mansion erected in Revolutionary days, was saved from destruction by prompt action of firemen who stood guard on the roof.
The fire was discovered by William Kucker, 6210 Erdrick st., who saw flames and smoke shooting up from the stands on the Frankford ave, side of the stadium.
Traffic along Charles, Devereaux, Erdrick and Higbee sts. was detoured by policemen.
The police experienced difficulty in keeping the crowd out of the danger zone.
Finding the gates locked, firemen used battering rams and axes to cut away a section large enough to permit an engine to drive through.
The fire raged for an hour. Investigation by fire marshals disclosed that inflammable oil had been spilled over the stands in what the authorities called a deliberate plot to burn down the structure.
Fire yesterday afternoon destroyed a portion of the grandstand of the Frankford Yellowjackets Stadium, Devereaux street and Frankford avenue, as well as about three-quarters of the fence surrounding the football field.
The flames, discovered by a passerby who turned in the alarm, quickly spread through the dry timber, and firemen worked nearly three hours before the last ember was extinguished.
Sparks from the fire threatened new houses under construction along Robins avenue near the field. The fire is believed to have started in rubbish under the grandstand.
Public Ledger, Philadelphia
July 28, 1931
FLAMES DESTROY STADIUM AT YELLOWJACKETS' FIELD
Fence Surrounding Frankford Football Grounds Also Burned
Fire yesterday afternoon destroyed a portion of the grandstand of the Frankford Yellowjackets Stadium, Devereaux street and Frankford avenue, as well as about three-quarters of the fence surrounding the football field.
The flames, discovered by a passerby who turned in the alarm, quickly spread through the dry timber, and firemen worked nearly three hours before the last ember was extinguished.
Sparks from the fire threatened new houses under construction along Robins avenue near the field. The fire is believed to have started in rubbish under the grandstand.
The Frankford Gazette,
Philadelphia
July 31, 1931
FLAMES DAMAGE YELLOW JACKET STADIUM
Fire on Monday afternoon about 4:30 o'clock destroyed a portion of the Yellow Jackets' stadium grandstands, at Frankford avenue and Devereaux sts. The north stand and about three fourths of the fence along Devereaux street were destroyed. The fire was discovered by William Kucker, of 6210 Erdrick street, who saw flames and smoke shooting up from the stands on the Frankford avenue side. Finding the gates locked the firemen used a battering ram and axes to cut away a section of the fence to permit their apparatus to enter. The fire raged for an hour.
