New Britain herald., 1920-03-20
FIRE CHIEF DAME SUCCUzNBS
 sAT ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA
Veteran Fire Fighter Was 23 Years in Department and \ 13 Years As Its Head.
HERO OF Y. M. c. A. .5. FIRE IN NOV. 1906

Robert M. Dame, aged 52, for the past 27 years a member of the New x3ritain fire department and for the \ past B years chief engineer, died last knight in d hospital at St. Augustine, ! Florida, where he had gone to take
 treatment following an illness of Y several months duration. He was soperated upon earlier in the week and # failed to rally. Chief Dame was a X most efficient public servant and held .theA esteem of every member of the -Mepartment over which he had been $s9Iaced. Arrangements are being made to have the body leave Jackson
 Sille tomorrow morning and funeral services will probably be held upon it's
 arrival in this city, Tuesday after noon. ..,.. a9 Hero of \. M. C. \. Fire.
 N In his lengthy period of service . both as fireman and chief in the
 city department, numerous heroic
 acts were performed by the de
 ceased chief. Standing out, however,
 is his work in connection with the ? adisa strous blaze in the Y. M. c. A.
 building on the morning of November sS27, 1906, when he sealed the fire . escapes with flames bursting out at + every aperture and saved the families q of Fred Nave and Mrs. Josephine 1O'Leary. Mr. Nave was janiIor of 1.-the Ta ssociation building and occupied srooms on the top floor. Mrs. O'Leary Aand her daughter 4swssas, ,ssssezs tenants. After the fire had gained considerable z headway, the late Leroy M. Cowles. } then fire chief was told of the tfamilies on the uppermost floor. SAmid the plaudits of thousands. Fire man Dame was up the fire escapes in Ian instant and assisted the families to sireach the street in safety. He was 2 heartily commended for his heroic 2 work and was presented with a gold
 watch, suitably inscribed, as a tes- timonial. Three months afterward he was promoted in the ranks of the
 department to be chief engineer. N During the 13 years of his service in
 that important post, he has de
 Spatched the duties of his office with
 diligence.
 Brought Basketball Here
 R. M. Dame had the distinction of
 introducing for the first time, the game of basketball in this city His :. prowess as an athlete. particularly a E Eymnast. were recognized in Y. M. C. A. circles throughout New England. Not infrequently, he used his training to good advantage in the hazardous
 fires that visited the city in the past I two decades In his High school days he played football, baseball and
 participated in track events. In all branches of sport lie was regarded as
 a star. After leaving High school he took a course of training in the 1. Springfield '. M. c. A. college and returned to this city to coach the . High school football squad. It was
 while he was directing the affairs of
 the team that the first championship
 squad was turned out in this city.
 He was later superintendent of the New Britain Boys club. In Rutland, Vt. Louisville, Ky, and Boston, Mass, where, at different times he made his
 home, he was recognized as star athlete and competent coach of
 athletics.
 Wife and Daughter Survive. -t
 Chief Dame married July 1,
 1SSs, in New Haven to Miss Annie F.
 NorthinSton. His wife and one
 daughter, Mrs. George C. Booth of this city, survive. He also leaves d
 sister, Miss Harriet Dame, of Boston,
 Mass. He was born January 1, 1868,
 in Boston, Mass, but since 1897 had
 been a resident of New Britain
 Fraternally, he was connected with
 the Masons as a member of Harmony
 lodge. Giddings chapter, Doric coun-
 cil Washington Commandery and
 Sphinx Temple; F. r. o. F.: Senior
 and Junior o. U. A. NJ, and the l. O.
 O. F.. He was also a member of
 the International and State Fire
 Chiefs association.