Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

jose gaspar catches fire

permalink | categories: gasparilla, icon, otd, tampa
by TBHC @ 8:00 am

Exactly 50 years ago today…

January 27, 1956 – The rotting hulk of the old ship Jose Gaspar catches fire in the Hillsborough River near the Hillsborough Avenue Bridge, apparently from flames spread from the torch of a welder who had been cutting metal from the ship’s superstructure.

Courtesy of the Tampa Bay History Center

Tags: gasparilla, icon, on this day, tampa

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One Response to “jose gaspar catches fire”

David Dowling Says:
June 1st, 2006 at 10:25 pm
I walked up on Hillsborough Ave bridge and took B/W pixs of it.. Had piece of the old wood at one time but it’s gone by the way side now.. After the fire a steel hull vessel was purchased I believe.. The boat docked for a long time down at the foot of Platt St. bridge..

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