i don't think it was a case of fire doors being propped open, i'm pretty sure there were just no fire doors. please don't criticize anyone's bad decision, because that fire wasn't a time for thinking clearly. although a lot of exceptions were made for older buildings, a lot of good did come of the OLA fire such as sprinkler systems and no more overcrowding, as were both such deadly factors. i can't speak from experience, as this is research for a project. feel free to correct anything above.
Read any of the books on the fire and the website. Every one of them mentions that the firedoors being closed is what saved the first floor. Please don't accuse me of criticism until you have done more research.
i guess i wasn't clear in my 1st comment (i only get 500 characters) but i meant i believe there was no fire door period on the 2nd floor. i never said anything about the 1st floor, and yes i do agree a fire door saved the 1st floor. i accused no 1 individually and i was remarking on the people criticizing the nuns 4 what they did. i have actually done a tremendous amount of research. srry u took offense 2 my comment.
I watched a documentary video earlier which stated that a nun had discovered the fire and when she found no one in their office went to another class and she and that nun removed their classes from the school before they went back in and pulled the fire alarm. 12 minutes the fire had been burning at this time. So tragic that more lives were not saved due to this very bad decision.
I went to St. Brendan in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood. The setup was the exact same way as this school. I think most of the old Catholic schools were made that way. During the middle to late 70's, then St. Brendan in 1985, the Chicago archdiocese closed all of the Catholic schools and churches in Englewood except St. Sabina and St. Bernard. Vertically all of these schools were made the same way.
...Was in the next parish school over, that day, St. Mel, 2nd grade. Listened to many CFD sirens on the streets. Shortly after this fire, all the stairwells in our 3 story school had doors installed on each floor and alarms installed. Prior to that, all 3 stairwells were open and the building was a 1910 sturcture with high ceilings. The third floor was probably 40+ ft from the ground as the first floor was half a story up. St Mel church suffered a mysterious fire in 1962--major damage.
I know that folks always say how this fire changed fire safety in all the schools but I must tell you; the one I went to was of the same vintage as OLA and things did NOT change.
By 1973, things were just as they had been in the 50's; fire doors left propped open, roof tarred every year, lead paint on the walls inches thick. The place was a fire trap same as all the others.
They do know that the fire starter was matches used on papers in a pressed cardboard trashcan at the bottom of a stairwell. This was arson, have no doubt.
Had it been discovered early, had not the window burst from the heat, the fire may have only damaged just that part of the basement.
@trocaria atleast they knew the cause of this fire, unlike with the Hartford Circus fire of 1944 when so many, men women and children lost their lives on July 6th 1944
I was in 2nd Grade in a Catholic School in Joliet, IL when this happened. It was devistating news to our nuns, we were upset as well. Our school did install fire doors and fire system very soon afterwards. Excellent video of a tragic event I still remember.
I just want to add that I totally honor the nuns that chose to stay behind and perish with the children who were trapped and couldn't get out instead of saving their own lives. I don't remember which one it was, but one nun in particular, they found her body stooped over a pile of dead children as if she was trying to shield their body from the flames. True Catholics are very loyal and honorable people.
I've read "To Sleep with Angels" and "The Fire That Will Not Die." Such horrific first-person accounts from those who survived the fire. Some of the scenes they described are so heartbreaking; for example, one student who'd been taken to the hospital saw fathers in the corridors looking for their children and breaking into uncontrollable sobs. She said "I never knew that Daddies could cry." The sight of grown men breaking down frightened her more than her own burns.
I know. I've thought about that too. Here it was right before Christmas, parents already thinking ahead to what "Santa" might bring and then BOOM.
Some of the parents had a bad feeling about that day and even tried to keep the kid home sick. There was one child who awoke from a dream in which she heard people screaming and it was dark.
Mom kept her home that morning but relented to her pestering about wanting to go to school that afternoon. The girl died.
Amazing. I am so honored to have one of the survivors of that day to have seen this tribute.
I've read, "To Sleep With the Angels".
I still get choked up over the many tales of heroism that day especially the little boy who was the last one pulled from the building, little Billy. He didn't jump out when he had the chance because he was too busy fighting off the bigger kids from the windows so that the "little kids" could get a chance to breath the fresh air.
Hi sonnorra. i am a fire inspector in central, Ohio. I just did an inspection on a school and found several code violations. The teachers have been very nasty about fixing the violations. I am using your terrible experience to educate these people about school fire safety. God bless all those who died, and those who survived.
It has been reported that the child who is generally believed to have set the fire was himself a victim of serious child abuse. As a poison would flow up the food chain to claim more victims, so that may have struck the match, that struck the match, that claimed so many that day and in the following days. Rage begetting rage begetting tragedy.
This event sent a shiver throughout the whole country in 1958, as I well recall. The school I attended at the time was an old, brick-joisted, three story, wide open central wooden staircase, and basement i.e., a chimney, as it were. The rest of the year came fire drills, formerly never done. That summer the building was razed. Pretty old building. It had character, but a death trap, as was OLA. Poignant video. Respectful.
Two nuns did indeed do nothing but pray and the death toll from their rooms reflect that poor judgement. The rest moved heaven and earth to get their kids out of the room one even going so far as to run back into the building when she realized that her headcount was off by half. She raced in and rescued the rest of her class. So please don't paint all of the sisters with the same brush.
For most of the rooms on that 2nd floor, all means of escape were cut off in seconds. Common sense would say that of course the fire dept. was on the way, right? So let's pray for the firemen to come quickly! Only, they weren't enroute right away. That fire bell was internal only, it did not ring to the fire station. Only after the cook called was the fire dept. alerted.
Well done. My family lived in Chicago when this occurred, The place went up like a Roman Candle because of. Also, the floors had that slippery shellac substance used on basketball courts & such, which is HIGHLY flammable. Then the Archdiocese played "cover up" with the investigation, still don't know exactly WHO started the fire. Typical! Then the idiot Nuns who told the kids to stay at their desks & PRAY!?!? A greater, more heartbreaking tragedy, I can't imagine. RIP, all you little souls.
Ok, I gotta take issue with the comment on the nuns: yes, two of the nuns told the students to stay seated and to pray. In one case, in a room called "the cheesebox", that nun did this after discovering that they were blocked from all means of escape. For them, the rosary would be their last rites. However, she soon recovered herself and started to throw things at the windows of the rectory next door thus rousing the Mnsgr. who came with the key to the locked back door and got them ALL out.
Fair 'nuf, Troc. But don't you agree, during a fast moving fire, SECONDS count. They'd have been better off having her break the windows IMMEDIATELY & TRY to drop some of the kids to safety. There is no arguing; many of those poor souls were found SITTING AT THEIR DESKS! Fat lot of good their 'rosary & last rites' did them. I'm sorry if you are a Catholic & I offended you but that is my opinion and FACTS! Common sense people! Get off your knees & bust out the windows!!
Oh, P.S., noticed the comment on top about "Snoop Dog" music. I'd have wrung your neck personally if you had used that hoodlum's music to honor these children.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
Please visit my channel to listen to Jonathan Cain of Journey. He composed a new song "The Day They Became Angels" in honor of OLA. Jonathan Cain is a survivor of OLA. I suggest that you post your video response to it.
i don't think it was a case of fire doors being propped open, i'm pretty sure there were just no fire doors. please don't criticize anyone's bad decision, because that fire wasn't a time for thinking clearly. although a lot of exceptions were made for older buildings, a lot of good did come of the OLA fire such as sprinkler systems and no more overcrowding, as were both such deadly factors. i can't speak from experience, as this is research for a project. feel free to correct anything above.
happyquesadilla 3 weeks ago
@happyquesadilla
Read any of the books on the fire and the website. Every one of them mentions that the firedoors being closed is what saved the first floor. Please don't accuse me of criticism until you have done more research.
trocaria 10 hours ago
@trocariat the fire
i guess i wasn't clear in my 1st comment (i only get 500 characters) but i meant i believe there was no fire door period on the 2nd floor. i never said anything about the 1st floor, and yes i do agree a fire door saved the 1st floor. i accused no 1 individually and i was remarking on the people criticizing the nuns 4 what they did. i have actually done a tremendous amount of research. srry u took offense 2 my comment.
happyquesadilla 4 hours ago
53rd anniversary today
nikonguy102 3 months ago
I watched a documentary video earlier which stated that a nun had discovered the fire and when she found no one in their office went to another class and she and that nun removed their classes from the school before they went back in and pulled the fire alarm. 12 minutes the fire had been burning at this time. So tragic that more lives were not saved due to this very bad decision.
Renfurrer 6 months ago
Why do you make these viseos?
Is it to honor those who die in terrible ways?
reidrules45 8 months ago
@reidrules45
Yes, to honor those lives. Tribute videos they are called.
trocaria 6 months ago
I went to St. Brendan in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood. The setup was the exact same way as this school. I think most of the old Catholic schools were made that way. During the middle to late 70's, then St. Brendan in 1985, the Chicago archdiocese closed all of the Catholic schools and churches in Englewood except St. Sabina and St. Bernard. Vertically all of these schools were made the same way.
scorpiogirl39 8 months ago
...Was in the next parish school over, that day, St. Mel, 2nd grade. Listened to many CFD sirens on the streets. Shortly after this fire, all the stairwells in our 3 story school had doors installed on each floor and alarms installed. Prior to that, all 3 stairwells were open and the building was a 1910 sturcture with high ceilings. The third floor was probably 40+ ft from the ground as the first floor was half a story up. St Mel church suffered a mysterious fire in 1962--major damage.
DOLRED 1 year ago
@DOLRED
I know that folks always say how this fire changed fire safety in all the schools but I must tell you; the one I went to was of the same vintage as OLA and things did NOT change.
By 1973, things were just as they had been in the 50's; fire doors left propped open, roof tarred every year, lead paint on the walls inches thick. The place was a fire trap same as all the others.
trocaria 1 year ago
Beautifully done!
luvjrny4ever 1 year ago
sad thing to see great memorial video
bigkevcxza 1 year ago
what started the fire? do they know or no
bigkevcxza 1 year ago
They do know that the fire starter was matches used on papers in a pressed cardboard trashcan at the bottom of a stairwell. This was arson, have no doubt.
Had it been discovered early, had not the window burst from the heat, the fire may have only damaged just that part of the basement.
trocaria 1 year ago
@trocaria atleast they knew the cause of this fire, unlike with the Hartford Circus fire of 1944 when so many, men women and children lost their lives on July 6th 1944
bigkevcxza 1 year ago
I was in 2nd Grade in a Catholic School in Joliet, IL when this happened. It was devistating news to our nuns, we were upset as well. Our school did install fire doors and fire system very soon afterwards. Excellent video of a tragic event I still remember.
Loco4Locomotives 2 years ago
I just want to add that I totally honor the nuns that chose to stay behind and perish with the children who were trapped and couldn't get out instead of saving their own lives. I don't remember which one it was, but one nun in particular, they found her body stooped over a pile of dead children as if she was trying to shield their body from the flames. True Catholics are very loyal and honorable people.
sachicoon 2 years ago
I've read "To Sleep with Angels" and "The Fire That Will Not Die." Such horrific first-person accounts from those who survived the fire. Some of the scenes they described are so heartbreaking; for example, one student who'd been taken to the hospital saw fathers in the corridors looking for their children and breaking into uncontrollable sobs. She said "I never knew that Daddies could cry." The sight of grown men breaking down frightened her more than her own burns.
MarnieReeves 2 years ago
very sobering video... I can not even imagine what those parents felts as their children were trapped in that burning building...
dolcevitausa 2 years ago
I know. I've thought about that too. Here it was right before Christmas, parents already thinking ahead to what "Santa" might bring and then BOOM.
Some of the parents had a bad feeling about that day and even tried to keep the kid home sick. There was one child who awoke from a dream in which she heard people screaming and it was dark.
Mom kept her home that morning but relented to her pestering about wanting to go to school that afternoon. The girl died.
Listen to your inner voice!
trocaria 2 years ago
I think you honor us. You did a good thing. Keep doing good things in your corner of the world and you'll leave it just a little better than it was.
sonorra 2 years ago
Thank you so much. Your words mean more to me than any award or recomandation ever could.
God bless you.
trocaria 2 years ago
Really well done .. I'm just one of the kids in one of those class photos.
sonorra 2 years ago
Holy cats! Which one?
Where you there that day?
trocaria 2 years ago
Yes and you can see me in the first class photo at :34
sonorra 2 years ago
Amazing. I am so honored to have one of the survivors of that day to have seen this tribute.
I've read, "To Sleep With the Angels".
I still get choked up over the many tales of heroism that day especially the little boy who was the last one pulled from the building, little Billy. He didn't jump out when he had the chance because he was too busy fighting off the bigger kids from the windows so that the "little kids" could get a chance to breath the fresh air.
trocaria 2 years ago
Hi sonnorra. i am a fire inspector in central, Ohio. I just did an inspection on a school and found several code violations. The teachers have been very nasty about fixing the violations. I am using your terrible experience to educate these people about school fire safety. God bless all those who died, and those who survived.
ptfd121 2 years ago
@ptfd121 im thinking a lot of the older Schools and even the older houses that had a balloon structure type house with no fire blocks
they are fire traps and the sad thing is many houses dont have working smoke alarms
bigkevcxza 1 year ago
RIP Fireman Richard Scheidt who was photographed carrying a little boy out. He passed away last April.
Frach438 2 years ago
It has been reported that the child who is generally believed to have set the fire was himself a victim of serious child abuse. As a poison would flow up the food chain to claim more victims, so that may have struck the match, that struck the match, that claimed so many that day and in the following days. Rage begetting rage begetting tragedy.
capr1c1ous 2 years ago
This event sent a shiver throughout the whole country in 1958, as I well recall. The school I attended at the time was an old, brick-joisted, three story, wide open central wooden staircase, and basement i.e., a chimney, as it were. The rest of the year came fire drills, formerly never done. That summer the building was razed. Pretty old building. It had character, but a death trap, as was OLA. Poignant video. Respectful.
capr1c1ous 2 years ago
How beautiful and haunting, the Agnus Dei set to Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings." An appropriate tribute to the victims.
bxr782 2 years ago
Two nuns did indeed do nothing but pray and the death toll from their rooms reflect that poor judgement. The rest moved heaven and earth to get their kids out of the room one even going so far as to run back into the building when she realized that her headcount was off by half. She raced in and rescued the rest of her class. So please don't paint all of the sisters with the same brush.
Thank you.
trocaria 2 years ago
For most of the rooms on that 2nd floor, all means of escape were cut off in seconds. Common sense would say that of course the fire dept. was on the way, right? So let's pray for the firemen to come quickly! Only, they weren't enroute right away. That fire bell was internal only, it did not ring to the fire station. Only after the cook called was the fire dept. alerted.
trocaria 2 years ago
Well done. My family lived in Chicago when this occurred, The place went up like a Roman Candle because of. Also, the floors had that slippery shellac substance used on basketball courts & such, which is HIGHLY flammable. Then the Archdiocese played "cover up" with the investigation, still don't know exactly WHO started the fire. Typical! Then the idiot Nuns who told the kids to stay at their desks & PRAY!?!? A greater, more heartbreaking tragedy, I can't imagine. RIP, all you little souls.
SKMick60 2 years ago
Ok, I gotta take issue with the comment on the nuns: yes, two of the nuns told the students to stay seated and to pray. In one case, in a room called "the cheesebox", that nun did this after discovering that they were blocked from all means of escape. For them, the rosary would be their last rites. However, she soon recovered herself and started to throw things at the windows of the rectory next door thus rousing the Mnsgr. who came with the key to the locked back door and got them ALL out.
trocaria 2 years ago
Fair 'nuf, Troc. But don't you agree, during a fast moving fire, SECONDS count. They'd have been better off having her break the windows IMMEDIATELY & TRY to drop some of the kids to safety. There is no arguing; many of those poor souls were found SITTING AT THEIR DESKS! Fat lot of good their 'rosary & last rites' did them. I'm sorry if you are a Catholic & I offended you but that is my opinion and FACTS! Common sense people! Get off your knees & bust out the windows!!
SKMick60 2 years ago
Oh, P.S., noticed the comment on top about "Snoop Dog" music. I'd have wrung your neck personally if you had used that hoodlum's music to honor these children.
;)
SKMick60 2 years ago
Beautifully done.
harwetopa 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Please visit my channel to listen to Jonathan Cain of Journey. He composed a new song "The Day They Became Angels" in honor of OLA. Jonathan Cain is a survivor of OLA. I suggest that you post your video response to it.
probono88 3 years ago
How tragic.
DekarsMom 3 years ago
That's a lovely, and haunting, tribute. May God give peace to their souls, and comfort to the survivors.
rebel28va 3 years ago