photo by Vanderbilt Photo Archives
“It’s the worst explosion I’ve seen in Chattanooga.” Those were the words from the late Fire Marshall Mike Quinn after a Thursday morning explosion 50 years ago killed one person and left millions of dollars damage on 9th Street (later re-named Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.)
In just a few hours over 250 firefighters and most of the city’s firefighting equipment was on the scene. Fire and Police Commissioner Gene Roberts asked for and got assistance from the National Guard.
Commissioner Roberts said the investigation pointed to arson as the cause of the explosion and fire that claimed the life of Frank Ratcliff, a janitor. Commissioner Roberts said the 57-year-old's body was discovered after firefighters began sifting through debris.
This writer’s telephone rang early on Aug. 29 with the news from Darrell Patterson who was working the WDOD news desk.
Mr. Patterson said extra firefighters were being called to help contain a large fire following an explosion that shook buildings several blocks away.
News Free Press Editor Lee S. Anderson said he was on his way to the newspaper office just a few blocks from the explosion. Mr. Anderson said the paper immediately sent a reporter and photographer to the scene after police feared massive causalities.
Mr. Anderson, who was always up very early driving from his Missionary Ridge home to the newspaper, also reached in the rear seat of his Corvette. He grabbed his camera and took a few pictures himself.
UPI was one of the first outlets to break the news.
“An explosion wiped out a city block in Chattanooga’s black night club district today, killing one man and injuring at least 13. Police said the blast was apparently caused by something other than a bomb but were unable to immediately pinpoint the cause. The explosion occurred at 3:05 a.m., after the nightclubs had closed and shook buildings like an earthquake six blocks away.”
Firefighter Joe Knowles (who later became the city’s fire chief) told the Associated Press the situation could have been a lot worse. He said if it had happened on the weekend the clubs might have been full of people.
The morning fire and explosion made national news. CBS TV’s Anchor Bob Schieffer introduced the story, “Explosion tears through business section and apartments in the black section of a Tennessee city. Our report from Bruce Hall.”
Police made several arrests including businessman man Sam Pettyjohn, who was later murdered in his Market Street liquor store.
The others were acquitted and never served any prison time.
Click here for raw footage from WSB TV.
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Earl Freudenberg can be reached at HeyEarl1971@epbfi.com
photo by Hugh Moore Jr.