William was the eldest son of Mary Ann Ashton and Dudley B. Fisk. His brother was Charles D. B. Fisk

Extracted from The Providence Newspaper dated November 13, 1876

• EXPLOSION OF A LOCOMOTIVE.

  The Matt Morgan of the Stonington Line Explodes Her Boiler, near the Depot.- The Engineer and Two Firemen Seriously Injured.- The Locomotive E. Garfield of the Hartford Road Also damaged and Its Engineer Badly Hurt.-

• November 30 1876

  Funeral of Engineer Fiske.

  The Funeral of the late William F. Fiske, engineer of the locomotive "Matt Morgan", at the time of the explosion, took place at his late residence No 182 Atwells Avenue at 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon....

• Extracted from the Boston Herald
  Locomotive Explosion.
  The Shore/Line Engine 'Matt Morgan' Bursts Its Boiler at Providence.
  [Special Dispatch to the Boston Herald.]
  PROVIDENCE, R.I.,Nov. 12. Great excitement was caused at 8 o'clock this evening by the explosion of the locomotive 'Matt Morgan', attached to the evening Shore Line freight train, while standing just outside the general passenger depot. The loud report of the explosion at once attracted the attention of thousands of people, and in a few minutes the streets around the scene of the accident were thronged. The locomotive was completely wrecked. It was occupied by William Fiske, engineer, and James Thomas and John Knowles, firemen, who were badly scalded and otherwise injured, but it is thought not seriously. Locomotive 'K. Garfield' of the Hartford road was standing near the exploded engine and received some damage, and Henry Lewis, its engineer, was somewhat scalded. The 'Matt Morgan' was an old machine, having been in service, it is stated, fifteen years, and is reported as having been unfit for its work for some time. The loss to the Stonington road is estimated at $6000; the Hartford road much less.