The Collinwood Disaster: The worst school fire in United States history.

in 1908 the worst school fire in United States history occurred claiming the lives of 175 people and forever changing the the face of a community.

[stephcarlofc]

Do you know what's so sad? We didn't learn our lesson from Collinwood, because 50 Years later in 1958, the infamous fire that happened at Our Lady of the Angels school in Chicago that claimed 95 lives.

[pamyuhnke]

Never be ashamed of tears. It means you’ve managed to somehow keep your humanity

[nancyjones]

I got choked up myself when the narrator started to weep talking about the little girl who said "it's no use, Ma. I've got to die". Truly tragic.

[johnkelley]

In the 1960's I was a student at Memorial elementary which was a replacement for the school which burnt. Memorial was a beautiful replacement for the old school with a goldfish pond and children buried on site . Certain parts of the school had freezing cold areas even on 90 degree days. I can remember a girl in the third grade telling the teacher that someone was whispering in her ear . You brought back memories of my childhood in Cleveland and I'm trying not to get choked up . Thanks!

[julierobinson]

I can only imagine that many of those parents who had to watch helplessly as their trapped children burned, unable to pull them free, suffered terrible post traumatic stress for the rest of their lives.

[ItsJustLisa]

I appreciate that you didn’t edit out the time you needed to compose yourself as you told this story. It allows your viewers a chance to process the tragedy as well. And this was a horrible tragedy.

You mentioned how school buildings and even procedures were changed because of this fire. One of the things I remember from school in the late 60s was that one of our many fire drills in school each year was actually conducted by the fire department. (My school was built shortly after the assassination of JFK and was named for him. And despite being a new building, drills were taken very seriously.) The drill conducted by firefighters involved having some standing at random exits and telling our teachers “This exit is burning. Go another way.” This forced our teachers to have to redirect us on the fly to get out of the building.

By the time I got to middle school, in the mid seventies, I don’t think they did that anymore. When I moved in the middle of high school to another state, I told some of my new classmates about those fire drills. They looked at me like I was an idiot and wanted to know why my old school had done something so “dumb”. My retort was, “Do you think fires magically avoid doors and stairways?!” It was interesting to watch the logic penetrate their brains.

I think because of those fire drills where the firefighters told teachers to “find another way out”, I subconsciously paid attention to exits.

[BytomGirl]

I started crying uncontrollably when you were talking about Jenny, a girl who said "I have to die". God, she was so beautiful.
It's hard to imagine what these poor kids went through and the sacrifice of their teachers. RIP beautiful souls.

[nadaleenbrady]

My grandma was sick that day and all of her friends died. I think it was divine intervention that she didn’t do to school that day. I’m glad you did this story. Thank you!

[cherylschantz]

When I was in college, our professors made sure we heard this story to ensure we knew how important our jobs were to protect our students.

[AnastasiaCooper]

I seldomly comment, but this video was ... impressive. A very tragic event and I appreciate you for telling the story so respectfully. Hearing your voice grief stricken made it easier for me to listen. I'd find it rather unsettling if we were to hear of this event and remain untouched. Thank you sir! (Greetings from Germany)

[pheona]

Beautiful job at honoring these children and the heartache their families experienced. Thank you for the time you put into it.

[judithann]

I have read many accounts of the Collinwood fire. It is harrowing for all, the heroism of the people involved is greater than many recently. Many children were never identified.

[skg]

I appreciate the fact that you didn’t edit out your emotional reaction. It made the story more powerful and emphasized the horrible experience it must have been in a respectful and compassionate way. Thanks for this.

[disabldfirefiter]

As a retired/disabled firefighter, I appreciate this story, and I think you presented it well. I used to use the videos of the Our Lady of The Angels School fire as a school fire prevention presentation. I would have used this, too, if it had been available back then. I feel your emotions, as I have felt them too many times. Thank you!

[bethromanetto]

Your tribute to the children, parents and teachers of this disaster brought tears to my eyes. As a parent it really tore at my heart for the children and the parents who tried so hard to save their children

[Andrewwr]

That was a very sad and touching video. Obviously, it was hard for you to tell the tale, but I thank you for pushing through and telling us what happened. I was so moved by the end that I found myself just staring at the faces in the pictures, unable to take my eyes off them, and just feeling a sense of shock and sorrow. Once the video was over, I could only stare at my TV screen for several minutes, not wanting to move. As a father, and a grandfather, I can only imagine how difficult that was to tell. I wanted so badly to give you a hug when you began to struggle with the tale. Thank you, John!

[huchlvr]

173 people died. 170 children, 2 teachers and 1 rescuer.
.
As a Clevelander, this story is very well known and told down the generations. I appreciate your emotions, because it is a very sad moving story. Parents watching children die, fighting over bodies, several tried to commit suicide. Hirter was persecuted his whole life and he moved to the Cleveland Public Schools for the rest of his career. The Doors DID NOT open inward - a falacy that has been handed down through the years - an archeological dig proved that in the 1950s. The original Collinwood Memorial was torn down in the early 2000s and a new school sits upon the site with the same name.


Crash doors were also mandated after this fire.

There is video of the aftermath and the mass burial in the National Archives. You might be able to find it online.

[Liz-cmc]

Horrific. I can't imagine what those kids went through and parents watching their child die. Thank you for the great story telling. RIP to all those beautiful souls 💔

[montygates]

You are an excellent story teller. You also did the tragedy justice with your decorum. A heart crushing story.

[eightballcuet]

What a beautiful narration of this horrible tradgedy. Thank you.