December 30, 1903. Today is the 109th anniversary of an event which affects our everyday lives, and yet will pass without much fanfare, or will probably not be mentioned at all. It is the day that 602 people died in the "fireproof" Iroquois Theater in Chicago. Thebnewly opened theater was presenting a matinee preformance of the musical-comedy Mr Bluebeard starring Eddie Foy. The theater was celebrating its opening but was not quite finished, yet the show went on.
A full house of patrons settled in as the show started. At the beginning of act II the performers on the stage behind Foy began to look up with worried looks. A painted backdrop hung in the rafters above the stage had hung up on a floodlight and had caught fire. An in house fireman and a stagehand had emptied several fire extinguishers on the flaming canvas but it had not doused the flames. the fireman and worker fled as several more backdrops caught fire. Flaming bits of canvas began to rain down on the stage, and the preformers began to flee. Foy remained calm and asked the audience to remain seated, and he called for the asbestos curtain to be lowered. This would hold the fire on the stage and allow the audience to leave. Several people got up and left, followed by an increasing stream of patrons all heading for the lobby. The curtain, on wooden rollers, jammed half way down. Then a backdrop fell to the stage creating an inferno in front of the audience. The people who remained ran up the narrow aisles only to find that the lobby doors opened inward. They were quickly jammed shut by a press of panicked people As the theater filled with toxic smoke, the screaming mass struggled to get out. In the overcrowded balcony, there was one exit. Most of the people jammed themselves in a narrow hallway which led to a locked door. Another exit to the outside led to a platform with no fire escape. Dozens escaped the fire only to fall or be pushed to their death in the alley several stories below.
The preformers made their way to an exit back stage and made their way out. The open door created a backdraft, sending a fireball the length of the theater and into the balcony, killing who ever was left. There were 27 exits in the theater, but only 3 were available to the patrons. The rest were covered or locked. Most of them were unmarked. There was no firebox near the building which delayed the alarm approximately 13 minutes. The first engine company arrived in two minutes, but the damage and the dying, was done. They bfound a lobby full of dying people flooding down the grand staircase which led up to the narrow hallway up stairs. Fighting their way to the doors leading to the theater the firemen found them jammed shut. Hacking them open they found piled bodies over 6 feet high, and silence. Crawling over a pile of bodies, hoses were dragged into the theater and the fire was put out. As the flames were driven back, the full horror of the situation was realized. There were bodies everywhere. In the end 572 bodies were taken out of the building and the alley next door. Several more died in hospitals later making the final toll 602. Several dozen people survived but were horribly burned. Chicago mourned over the new years holiday. There were few celebrations and the church bells were not rung.
So how does this horrid event affect us ? Lighted exit signs above every door. Doors that open outward in every public place. "Panic bars" that allow doors to be opened from the inside at anytime. Wide , and lit aisles..seats made of fire resistant materials, fire extinguishers, sprinklers, employees trained to assist in emergencies are just a few of the changes that came out of the ashes of the Iroquois Theater. Changes that came too late for 602 unlucky theatergoers on a frosty December day in 1903.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Lovesong
Lovesong
Whenever i'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am home again
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am whole again
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am young again
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am fun again
However far away
Iwill always love you
However long I stay
I will always love you
Whatever words I say
I will always love you
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am free again
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am clean again
However far away
I will always love you
However long I stay
I will always love you
Whatever words I say
I will always love you
I will always love you
Whenever i'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am home again
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am whole again
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am young again
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am fun again
However far away
Iwill always love you
However long I stay
I will always love you
Whatever words I say
I will always love you
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am free again
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am clean again
However far away
I will always love you
However long I stay
I will always love you
Whatever words I say
I will always love you
I will always love you
Saturday, December 1, 2012
The Day Chicago Cried Pt 2
When the roof collapsed, the force knocked the two hose teams out of the hallway and down the front stairs and most of the firemen on the ladders were knocked out of the windows. The hosewteams recovered and fought their way back into the second floor hallway.Forcing the fire back and out through the giant hole in the roof. The fire was quickly extinguished, but sadly, it was too late for the victims trapped in the classrooms. A ladder company leiutenant was credited with saving 10 children before the roof collapsed, said later that he could only see around two feet into the room, but could see the faces of the paniced children under the window. He grabbed whatever he could arms , belts, hair, whatever and swung the kids backwards to the ladder, hoping they caught the ladder, if not, well he didn't have time to look. As the fire banked down to the floor, he could see a horrific sight, a sea of childrens faces screaming for help. Knowing he could not get them all, he saw a young girl take a running start and crawl over the heads of her struggling classmates to reach the window. H e lunged in to grab her just as her clothes burst into flames. He pulled her out and swung her to the ladder. She missed and fell where several firemen broke her fall and put her out. She thanked them and passed out. She survived. The Lt. reached back into the window but the roof collapsed, knocking
him off the ladder. His turnout gear smouldering and burned on the face and hands, he was led away from the building.
After driving the fire out of the hallway, firemen made their way into the classrooms. The horrific scenes affected many of them for the rest of their lives. In one room the teacher lay over a pile of students near the windows as if trying to protect them, in another 29 kids died sitting at their desks, in the other kids were found huddled near their dead teacher at the front of the room.
Mayor Daley arrived and insisted upon being shown the classrooms. When the fire was out, he was taken upstairs by the fire comissioner. After seeing each classroom he was near collapse, and was escorted from the building. Pale and shaken he was heard to say "I will make sure that this will never happen again." He was escorted away, and didn't look back.
There were several laws enacted in the wake of the disaster..sprinkler systems became a requirement..ther school had none. All vertical stairways need to be enclosed with fireproof material, fire alarms must be, accessable and also notify the fire dept automatically, and fire doors cannot be blocked or covered are just a few of the new laws that came about after the fire.
A few years later, a young man , who was caught setting another fire, confessed to setting the school fire. He told them the exact spot where he started it and how. Investigators found that he knew unrealised details and he was seen in the` school baseme`nt before th`e fire started. He was never charged.
him off the ladder. His turnout gear smouldering and burned on the face and hands, he was led away from the building.
After driving the fire out of the hallway, firemen made their way into the classrooms. The horrific scenes affected many of them for the rest of their lives. In one room the teacher lay over a pile of students near the windows as if trying to protect them, in another 29 kids died sitting at their desks, in the other kids were found huddled near their dead teacher at the front of the room.
Mayor Daley arrived and insisted upon being shown the classrooms. When the fire was out, he was taken upstairs by the fire comissioner. After seeing each classroom he was near collapse, and was escorted from the building. Pale and shaken he was heard to say "I will make sure that this will never happen again." He was escorted away, and didn't look back.
There were several laws enacted in the wake of the disaster..sprinkler systems became a requirement..ther school had none. All vertical stairways need to be enclosed with fireproof material, fire alarms must be, accessable and also notify the fire dept automatically, and fire doors cannot be blocked or covered are just a few of the new laws that came about after the fire.
A few years later, a young man , who was caught setting another fire, confessed to setting the school fire. He told them the exact spot where he started it and how. Investigators found that he knew unrealised details and he was seen in the` school baseme`nt before th`e fire started. He was never charged.
The Day Chicago Cried Pt. 1
December 1, 1958 was a dark and gloomy day in Chicago. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't the cause of the city's consternation. The Our Lady of The Angels grade school had approximately 1,200 students crammed into a U-shaped building when it was set ablaze just before the end of the school day. The fire was started underneath the bottom of an open stairwell at the back of the north wing of the building. The fire travelled up the stairs, bypassing the first floor because the fire door was closed. After burning for approximately 20 minutes, a window near the bottom of the stairwell shattered from the heat. The fire, fed from the inrush of oxygen, rush up to the top of the stairs and out into the hallway of the second floor where 329 students and 6 teachers were finishing their day. The fire aided by the fact that the fire door was propped open, rushed into the hallway and into the area between the roof and the ceilings of the classrooms.
The teacher in the classroom nearest to the stairway noticed a steady rise of heat in the room an d saw that the paint was starting to bubble on the wall..ordered her kids out of the room and down the twin stair way in the front of the building. Another teacher was leading her kids out at the same time, and she pulled the fire alarm, which didnt work. Three kids panicked and ran back to their classroom. Sending the remainer of the class to the nearby church, she returned to the classroom and dragged two of the three remaining students down the stairs pulling the alarm on the way out. This time it worked, and the entire first floor was evacuated safely.
By this time, the fire had come through the ceiling in the hallway cutting off any escape from the remaining three classrooms. Feeding on 14 layers of rubberized paint the fire turned the hallway into an inferno , burning at approximately 1200 degrees and creating thick, toxic, coal black smoke. The teachers in the remaining classrooms, realizing that they were trapped, tried to keep their students calm. But all hope was lost when the rooms began to fill with smoke. Several seconds later, the fire broke through the glass over the doors and across the ceiling made of flammable tile. The teacher then ordered the kids "to hit the windows".
By this time, the fire dept had arrived and called for help immediately. What they saw was kids on the ground, and others jumping from windows on both sides of the building. In other rooms the kids were too small to reach the windows and the teachers were lifting them up onto the sills. Many neighbors of the school had brought their ladders but they were too short to reach the windows. At this point, the kids were jumping two or three at a time from the flaming classrooms. Help began to arrive from all over the city, and the response brought several hundred firemen and pieces of equipment. Soon after the dept arrived, there was a manned ladder at every window, as firemen saved 160 kids in a little over 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, two hose companies fought their way up the stairway, at the front of the school. Others tried to vent the roof but were stymied by 3 layers of tar and roofing material. 15 minutes after the first truck arrived, the roof collapsed, compressing all of the fire and superheated gas down into the school. The screaming stopped.
The teacher in the classroom nearest to the stairway noticed a steady rise of heat in the room an d saw that the paint was starting to bubble on the wall..ordered her kids out of the room and down the twin stair way in the front of the building. Another teacher was leading her kids out at the same time, and she pulled the fire alarm, which didnt work. Three kids panicked and ran back to their classroom. Sending the remainer of the class to the nearby church, she returned to the classroom and dragged two of the three remaining students down the stairs pulling the alarm on the way out. This time it worked, and the entire first floor was evacuated safely.
By this time, the fire had come through the ceiling in the hallway cutting off any escape from the remaining three classrooms. Feeding on 14 layers of rubberized paint the fire turned the hallway into an inferno , burning at approximately 1200 degrees and creating thick, toxic, coal black smoke. The teachers in the remaining classrooms, realizing that they were trapped, tried to keep their students calm. But all hope was lost when the rooms began to fill with smoke. Several seconds later, the fire broke through the glass over the doors and across the ceiling made of flammable tile. The teacher then ordered the kids "to hit the windows".
By this time, the fire dept had arrived and called for help immediately. What they saw was kids on the ground, and others jumping from windows on both sides of the building. In other rooms the kids were too small to reach the windows and the teachers were lifting them up onto the sills. Many neighbors of the school had brought their ladders but they were too short to reach the windows. At this point, the kids were jumping two or three at a time from the flaming classrooms. Help began to arrive from all over the city, and the response brought several hundred firemen and pieces of equipment. Soon after the dept arrived, there was a manned ladder at every window, as firemen saved 160 kids in a little over 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, two hose companies fought their way up the stairway, at the front of the school. Others tried to vent the roof but were stymied by 3 layers of tar and roofing material. 15 minutes after the first truck arrived, the roof collapsed, compressing all of the fire and superheated gas down into the school. The screaming stopped.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
The Psychic
A long time ago I went to see a psychic. She told me some pretty general things, and things that she probably could have guessed, and a few things that she could've never known.. But the most important part of my visit was the end. After making her predictions, she got quiet and just sat and stared at me. Finally she said,I see you. I see you a long time ago..do you want to know ? I actually was getting kinda creeped out, but I was too curious to not hear what she had to say, so I said yea sure, why not .I was expecting something about sports, but what she said shocked me.
She said I see you out far away,by the mountains..Colorado ? Wyoming ? West...She continued..I see you dressed in a blue shirt with gold buttons..You have a helmet on..You are a fireman.. Now she had my attention.. I see a building, burning with a ladder with a fireman on it at a second story window, but it is not you..you are inside..you are at the window and you hand the fireman on the ladder a small child..he is telling you to get out..you refuse you say there is another one...you disappear into the smoke..The other man waits on the ladder, but you dont come back to the window, the smoke is getting blacker, thicker.the other man is going down the ladder, there are now flames coming out of the window.. I stared at her in disbelief..and she stared back. Finally I said.. well what happened? She said when you go by a firestation, no matter where you are, you look in to see if the trucks are there..dont you. I said yes..but everybody does that..and she said not everybody does, but now you know why you do.. I said why is that ? She just stared at me in that creepy way and said you were a fireman in one of your past lives and died saving that child... this will affect you for your whole life.. I thanked her and left...as my friends and I talked about our visit we shared her predictions and had a good laugh, but I have never told anyone about my past life story until now.. Why now? Why not..
She said I see you out far away,by the mountains..Colorado ? Wyoming ? West...She continued..I see you dressed in a blue shirt with gold buttons..You have a helmet on..You are a fireman.. Now she had my attention.. I see a building, burning with a ladder with a fireman on it at a second story window, but it is not you..you are inside..you are at the window and you hand the fireman on the ladder a small child..he is telling you to get out..you refuse you say there is another one...you disappear into the smoke..The other man waits on the ladder, but you dont come back to the window, the smoke is getting blacker, thicker.the other man is going down the ladder, there are now flames coming out of the window.. I stared at her in disbelief..and she stared back. Finally I said.. well what happened? She said when you go by a firestation, no matter where you are, you look in to see if the trucks are there..dont you. I said yes..but everybody does that..and she said not everybody does, but now you know why you do.. I said why is that ? She just stared at me in that creepy way and said you were a fireman in one of your past lives and died saving that child... this will affect you for your whole life.. I thanked her and left...as my friends and I talked about our visit we shared her predictions and had a good laugh, but I have never told anyone about my past life story until now.. Why now? Why not..
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
To Whom it May Concern
To whom it may concern,
Thank you for your e-mail. It is nice to know that someone is reading my blogs, even the old ones. But, I have moved on from those days and those thoughts. I really don't care about what you think, or who you're with, or what you did. The point is, you did it. So now it is off to new things and people in the time that I have left to spend. Please continue to read these blogs if you like, I don't really care. By the way, your daughter never said a word about any of this to me. It was someone who is unrelated to anybody who told me about everything, so save your tirade.It's been two years, its time to move on and leave me alone. Oh, thanks for taking your name back, I don't want you associated with me either.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
I Believe In You
I Believe In You
By
Amanda Marshall
Somewhere there's a river, looking for a stream
Somewhere there's a dreamer, looking for a dream
Somewhere there's a drifter, looking for it's way
Somewhere, someone's waiting
To hear somebody say
I believe in you, and I can't evewn count the ways
That I believe in you, and
all I want to do is help you to
believe in you
Somewhere someone's reaching
Trying to grab that ring
Somewhere there's a silent voice
Learning how to sing
Some of us can't move ahead,
we're paralyzed with fear
And everybody's waiting
To hear somebody say
I believe in you,
And I can't even count the ways that
I believe in you,
And all I want to do is help you to
Believe in you
I will hold you up
I will help you stand,
I will comfort you
When you need a friend
I will be the one that's calling
I believe in you,
I can't even count count the ways
That I believe in you
And there are just so many ways that
I believe in you
And all I want to do is help you
To believe in you
This post is dedicated to a few friends of mine who are there for me and they know that I am there for them. Being friends is very difficult sometimes..health issues, family issues, all take a toll on people, but they know that I am here for them and I know that they are there for me....we whine, complain,bitch, offer kind words or even a joke to each other, often privately.....I don't need to let the world know that we are friends, and they dont either, which is good, often very good for the soul. So I will stick by my friends, and I hope that they stick by me. We all have our issues, and not all of them are public knowledge. But a true friend knows and is there to help in anyway that they can. They dont want credit, they just want to help..Because that's what true friends are for. All I can and will say is thank you.
By
Amanda Marshall
Somewhere there's a river, looking for a stream
Somewhere there's a dreamer, looking for a dream
Somewhere there's a drifter, looking for it's way
Somewhere, someone's waiting
To hear somebody say
I believe in you, and I can't evewn count the ways
That I believe in you, and
all I want to do is help you to
believe in you
Somewhere someone's reaching
Trying to grab that ring
Somewhere there's a silent voice
Learning how to sing
Some of us can't move ahead,
we're paralyzed with fear
And everybody's waiting
To hear somebody say
I believe in you,
And I can't even count the ways that
I believe in you,
And all I want to do is help you to
Believe in you
I will hold you up
I will help you stand,
I will comfort you
When you need a friend
I will be the one that's calling
I believe in you,
I can't even count count the ways
That I believe in you
And there are just so many ways that
I believe in you
And all I want to do is help you
To believe in you
This post is dedicated to a few friends of mine who are there for me and they know that I am there for them. Being friends is very difficult sometimes..health issues, family issues, all take a toll on people, but they know that I am here for them and I know that they are there for me....we whine, complain,bitch, offer kind words or even a joke to each other, often privately.....I don't need to let the world know that we are friends, and they dont either, which is good, often very good for the soul. So I will stick by my friends, and I hope that they stick by me. We all have our issues, and not all of them are public knowledge. But a true friend knows and is there to help in anyway that they can. They dont want credit, they just want to help..Because that's what true friends are for. All I can and will say is thank you.
Ok, I've Had It
Some days I wonder why I get on facebook except to play games. Today is one of those days. I happened to see some snide comments about the new memorial in the Streator City Park. Usually I would just ignore them and move on, but not today. For some reason all of the whining and bitching and political crap is getting to me. I have had it ! The government worker who made the comment should thank God they're not working 16 hour days for 6 days a week like their predecessors did in a coal mine or glass plant. Go look up and read about the history of the labor movement and learn about the people who DIED to get you the rights that you enjoy today. And before you start, I was a UAW shift steward for 7 years and a bargaining committee member for 2 years. I attended the UAW leadership workshops every summer. So I know how unions work. So all I ask is just respect the people who came before you, and dedicated their lives to making yours easier.
Before I fall off the soapbox, is the election over yet ? It cant come soon enough. I made the mistake of watching the first lady's performance last night. As they showed the audience members with tears in their eyes, I must say I was crying too. From laughing so hard my ribs hurt. Now you expect me or any intellegent person to believe that a Harvard-educated lawyer who met his wife while working at a law firm, drove a car with rusted out doors, with holes you could see the road through ? Oh and dont forget that his most prized possession was a coffee table he found in a dumpster. Really ? I wonder if he has that with him in the white house . Oh and would someone please check to see if his shoes fit properly ! I am SO glad that Barry knows how the riffraff livesand is able to sympathize with you..as long as you vote for him. Now. I really dont care how much money Mitt Romney has or how he got it. I don't care what bank its in. And I dont care that Ann Romney hasnt worked a day in her life..really ? I'm not voting for Ann or Michelle,so leave them out of it. The last two candidates wouldny be where they are today without money. They are BOTH rich. To continue talking about the evil rich is ridiculous. I cant wait to see what kind of crap comes up on facebook in this last couple of months before the election. Having been called vile and disgusting nd a liar hasnt changed my opinions or beliefs one bit. Maybe I'm just too hard-headed. Or maybe I'm just too smart.
Before I fall off the soapbox, is the election over yet ? It cant come soon enough. I made the mistake of watching the first lady's performance last night. As they showed the audience members with tears in their eyes, I must say I was crying too. From laughing so hard my ribs hurt. Now you expect me or any intellegent person to believe that a Harvard-educated lawyer who met his wife while working at a law firm, drove a car with rusted out doors, with holes you could see the road through ? Oh and dont forget that his most prized possession was a coffee table he found in a dumpster. Really ? I wonder if he has that with him in the white house . Oh and would someone please check to see if his shoes fit properly ! I am SO glad that Barry knows how the riffraff livesand is able to sympathize with you..as long as you vote for him. Now. I really dont care how much money Mitt Romney has or how he got it. I don't care what bank its in. And I dont care that Ann Romney hasnt worked a day in her life..really ? I'm not voting for Ann or Michelle,so leave them out of it. The last two candidates wouldny be where they are today without money. They are BOTH rich. To continue talking about the evil rich is ridiculous. I cant wait to see what kind of crap comes up on facebook in this last couple of months before the election. Having been called vile and disgusting nd a liar hasnt changed my opinions or beliefs one bit. Maybe I'm just too hard-headed. Or maybe I'm just too smart.
Monday, September 3, 2012
A Modern Love Song
Joey
By
Concrete Blonde
Joey,baby
Don't get crazy
Detours....Fences
I get.... defensive
I know
you've heard it all before,
So I won't say it anymore
I'll just standby and watch you
Fight your secret war
You know I used to wonder why,
I used to cry 'till I was
dry.
Still sometimes I get a strange pain inside.
Oh Joey, if you're hurtin',
So am I.
Joey,honey
I saved some money.
All is forgiven
Listen,
Listen.
And if I seem to be confused,
I didn't mean to be with you.
But when you said
I scared you,
Well I guess you scared me too.
But we got lucky once before,
And
I don't want to close
the door
If you're somewhere out there
Passed out on her floor
Oh, Joey
I'm not angry anymore.
And if I seem to be confused,
I didn't mean to be with you.
And when you said I scared you,
Well I guess you scared me too.
If it's love you're looking for,
I can give a little more.
And if you're out there somewhere
Passed out on the floor,
Oh, Joey,
I'm not angry anymore.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
The Bear's Den: Take A Moment To Remember
The Bear's Den: Take A Moment To Remember: On the humid summer evening of August 28,1929, hundreds of people were settling in near the bandshell in the middle of Streator's City...
Take A Moment To Remember
On the humid summer evening of August 28,1929, hundreds of people were settling in near the bandshell in the middle of Streator's City Park. It was something to enjoy on a Wednesday night under the trees of the park. Unbeknownst to them, business owner Thomas Kennedy was closing up his factory just two blocks to the North. On his way through the plant, Kennedy discovered a fire near the blacksmith's shop. Fed by varmished wood scraps and shavings, the fire was spreading rapidly. Fighting desperately, Kennedy emptied a fire extinguigher at the fire with no real effect. He then got out of the building and called the fire department.
The fire was discovered around 6pm and the firemen arrived around 6:10. The fire had quickly engulfed the interior of the building and was eating through the roof upon th arrival of the firemen. The roof collapsed at 6:15, dooming the building. Streator Fire Chief Frank Owen had at least three major problems. The out-of-control blaze in a residential neighborhood, low water pressure , and a large crowd which contimuously edged closer to the building. The firemen quickly set up hose lines around the factory, and ran hoses several blocks in all directions to get water to the scene. A hydrant directly in front of the building was unusable because of the radiant heat. As darkness fell, police tried to hold back thousands of people attracted by the thick smoke and flames shooting hundreds of feet into the air. The city park was soon emptied as the lure of the fire took many of the patrons down the street.
Chief Owen made several trips around the building as the night went on, checking the condition of the building and the several hose crews surrounding the fire. The North side of the building worried him.There were three men assigned to a hose in the narrow alley between the two story factory and a house next door. They were Firefighter Charles Marx, and Volunteer Fire Fighters John Norris, and Fred Thomas. The three men were taking turns on the nozzle in the alley because of the tremendous heat. Owen had warned the men several times to back because the wal was starting to lean. The remains of the roof were leaning on the inside of the wall and the intense heat was weakening the entire structure. Marx was on the nozzle ,just a few feet outside a small fence in the alley, with Norris just behind him in a gateway in the fence. Thomas was just returning from a trip down the alley to warn the people to get back. Thomas had just gotten back to his position on the hose behind Marx and Norris when the wall suddenly collapsed outward into the alley. Thomas grabbed Norris and tried to pull him back through the fence, and Norris tried to yank Marx back but the falling bricks and debris had buried Marx instantly killing him.The roar of the collapse was followed by a few moments of deadly silence as the alley filled with burning debris, flames and smoke. The fire, now fed by an inrush of air,leapt out at the firemen and volunteers,digging in the alley to find the buried men. Hoses were quickly trained on the fire to give the rescuers room to work, many of whom suffered burns on ungloved hands trying to get to the men. Norris was found first when the dust and smoke cleared, just inside the fence. His head and one shoulder were sticking out of the pile,he was taken nearby where several doctors attended to him, but he soon died with several family members with him. Thomas suffered scalp injuries and a broken arm. Charles Marx died instantly. The fire was not declared out until the next day, with firemen remaining on the scene for several hotspots in the building.
An inquest was held and the deaths were declared to be accidental, based on the testimony of Chief Owen and several other witnesses to the collapse. Norris died two days before his 50th birthday. Marx a 19 year veteran of the department was 45. They are the only two men to die in the line of duty of the Streator Fire Department.
The fire was discovered around 6pm and the firemen arrived around 6:10. The fire had quickly engulfed the interior of the building and was eating through the roof upon th arrival of the firemen. The roof collapsed at 6:15, dooming the building. Streator Fire Chief Frank Owen had at least three major problems. The out-of-control blaze in a residential neighborhood, low water pressure , and a large crowd which contimuously edged closer to the building. The firemen quickly set up hose lines around the factory, and ran hoses several blocks in all directions to get water to the scene. A hydrant directly in front of the building was unusable because of the radiant heat. As darkness fell, police tried to hold back thousands of people attracted by the thick smoke and flames shooting hundreds of feet into the air. The city park was soon emptied as the lure of the fire took many of the patrons down the street.
Chief Owen made several trips around the building as the night went on, checking the condition of the building and the several hose crews surrounding the fire. The North side of the building worried him.There were three men assigned to a hose in the narrow alley between the two story factory and a house next door. They were Firefighter Charles Marx, and Volunteer Fire Fighters John Norris, and Fred Thomas. The three men were taking turns on the nozzle in the alley because of the tremendous heat. Owen had warned the men several times to back because the wal was starting to lean. The remains of the roof were leaning on the inside of the wall and the intense heat was weakening the entire structure. Marx was on the nozzle ,just a few feet outside a small fence in the alley, with Norris just behind him in a gateway in the fence. Thomas was just returning from a trip down the alley to warn the people to get back. Thomas had just gotten back to his position on the hose behind Marx and Norris when the wall suddenly collapsed outward into the alley. Thomas grabbed Norris and tried to pull him back through the fence, and Norris tried to yank Marx back but the falling bricks and debris had buried Marx instantly killing him.The roar of the collapse was followed by a few moments of deadly silence as the alley filled with burning debris, flames and smoke. The fire, now fed by an inrush of air,leapt out at the firemen and volunteers,digging in the alley to find the buried men. Hoses were quickly trained on the fire to give the rescuers room to work, many of whom suffered burns on ungloved hands trying to get to the men. Norris was found first when the dust and smoke cleared, just inside the fence. His head and one shoulder were sticking out of the pile,he was taken nearby where several doctors attended to him, but he soon died with several family members with him. Thomas suffered scalp injuries and a broken arm. Charles Marx died instantly. The fire was not declared out until the next day, with firemen remaining on the scene for several hotspots in the building.
An inquest was held and the deaths were declared to be accidental, based on the testimony of Chief Owen and several other witnesses to the collapse. Norris died two days before his 50th birthday. Marx a 19 year veteran of the department was 45. They are the only two men to die in the line of duty of the Streator Fire Department.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Songs and Memories
IF I DIDN'T HAVE YOU
I don't know what I was thinking, 'till I was thinking of you
I don't remember a thing
Before I opened my eyes
and you came into view
I don't know what I was doing
when there was nothing to do
Must've been waiting for someone, baby
Now I can see
I was waiting for you
I'd give up my sight just to see you
I'd beg, and would borrow and steal
I'd cut off my hands just to touch you
And tear out my heart
To let you know how I feel
There's nowhere where I wouldn't follow
There's nothing that I wouldn't do
'Cause I wouldn't wanna be me
If I didn't have you
Driving myself to distraction
Until you got in my way
I was just whistling Dixie
'Til you struck up the band
And they started to play
I don't know how I was living
Until you came in my life
I always knew there was something wrong
Then you came along, baby
And you made it right
I was alone in the silence
'Til I was hearing your voice
I couldn't see my way clear
Until you parted the clouds
And you gave me a choice
I couldn't pick up the pieces
'Til I was falling apart
I didn't know I was bleeding
'Til your love fixed the hole, baby
Here in my heart
I'd give up my sight, just to see you
I'd beg, and would borrow and steal
I'd cut off my hands
Just to touch you
And tear out my heart
So you'd know how I feel
There's nowhere that I wouldn't follow
There's no place where I'd rather be
This life without you would be hollow
This love is a gift
And you gave it to me
All that I am
You have made me
And baby, I know that it's true
That I wouldn't want to be me
If I didn't have you.
I don't know what I was thinking, 'till I was thinking of you
I don't remember a thing
Before I opened my eyes
and you came into view
I don't know what I was doing
when there was nothing to do
Must've been waiting for someone, baby
Now I can see
I was waiting for you
I'd give up my sight just to see you
I'd beg, and would borrow and steal
I'd cut off my hands just to touch you
And tear out my heart
To let you know how I feel
There's nowhere where I wouldn't follow
There's nothing that I wouldn't do
'Cause I wouldn't wanna be me
If I didn't have you
Driving myself to distraction
Until you got in my way
I was just whistling Dixie
'Til you struck up the band
And they started to play
I don't know how I was living
Until you came in my life
I always knew there was something wrong
Then you came along, baby
And you made it right
I was alone in the silence
'Til I was hearing your voice
I couldn't see my way clear
Until you parted the clouds
And you gave me a choice
I couldn't pick up the pieces
'Til I was falling apart
I didn't know I was bleeding
'Til your love fixed the hole, baby
Here in my heart
I'd give up my sight, just to see you
I'd beg, and would borrow and steal
I'd cut off my hands
Just to touch you
And tear out my heart
So you'd know how I feel
There's nowhere that I wouldn't follow
There's no place where I'd rather be
This life without you would be hollow
This love is a gift
And you gave it to me
All that I am
You have made me
And baby, I know that it's true
That I wouldn't want to be me
If I didn't have you.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
The Devil's In The Details
As most of you know, I am finishing my book "Dancing With the Devil ". It is a book of stories about the Streator Fire Dept. I am now working on the Williams Hardware Explosion and fire which occurred on July 14, 1958. It took the lives of 6 people and destroyed what was one of the largest hardware stores in Northern Illinois. It took 12 fire departments over 12 hours to put it out. I have read everything I could get my hands on to prepare this chapter. I know the story by heart,so it should be easy to write..but it isn't. Most of the reports which went out over the newswires nationwide varied wildly in the details...Rumors were flying(as they often do in a small town) I have read accounts from newspapers all over the United States about what was happening on South Vermillion St on that muggy July day. Most of it I simply dismissed because it was so off what I knew had happened. With my education in history I learned that there are many sides to a story : our Professors favorite example was The is a collision between 2 cars at a busy intersection..how many sides to that story ? Well there's the 2 drivers, the people following them, the people standing on all 4 corners waiting to cross the street, the people walking down the sidewalk..etc..each individual tells the story differently..the way THEY saw it happen..and the all vary widely in the details. That is the way that it has been for me with this story. The details vary wildly to the point where I think they just made some of it up to make the story more dramatic...there were 30-40 people trapped (false) they had found more bodies than was reported (rumor..false), there were two people trapped on the 2nd floor (false) and on and on... Streator fireman Lawerence McGurk was interviewed for the Ottawa Republican Times. He was injured after being blown off a ladder while trying to rescue a man who was trapped on the second floor..This was after he and a volunteer (Earl Pollett) had made there way into the burning building to rescue a woman trapped on the first floor..He tried three times to get to the man on his fourth attempt, an explosion occurred in the basement and McGurk and the ladder he was on were enveloped in a fireball and he was blown approx 15 feet out into the middle of a debris filled Vermillion St. This ended any more rescue attempts. The front of the building was so hot that a hose had been played on McGurk to keep his clothing from catching fire on his last trip up the ladder. McGurk had almost reached the window when the explosion occurred. The man, later identified as George Blaine, store clerk , had appeared at the window screaming for help, hair and clothing ablaze. He was later found just inside the window.
McGurk said he was jut about to reach for the window, when the next thing he knew, he was being dragged onto the sidewalk across the street. He sustained burns and a sprained ankle in the fall. He figured he had slid back down the ladder because he wasnt seriously hurt. He was suprised when he heard that he had been blown off the ladder..this entire story was in the Ottawa paper..non of it was in the Streator paper...His heroics are the center of my chapter, he deserves the recognition....I just hope that I tell these stories in an interesting way that people will enjoy reading and learning a little about the history iof the Streator Fire Dept and Streator itself.
McGurk said he was jut about to reach for the window, when the next thing he knew, he was being dragged onto the sidewalk across the street. He sustained burns and a sprained ankle in the fall. He figured he had slid back down the ladder because he wasnt seriously hurt. He was suprised when he heard that he had been blown off the ladder..this entire story was in the Ottawa paper..non of it was in the Streator paper...His heroics are the center of my chapter, he deserves the recognition....I just hope that I tell these stories in an interesting way that people will enjoy reading and learning a little about the history iof the Streator Fire Dept and Streator itself.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
The Dance
Looking back on the memory of the dance we shared 'neath the stars above
For a moment , all the world was right
How could I have known, that you'd ever say goodbye.
And now, I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end
The way it all would go
Our lives were better to chance
I could've missed the pain
But I'd have had to miss the dance
Holding you, I held everything
For a moment, wasn't I the king
But if I'd only known
How the king would fall
Hey who's to say, you know I might have changed it all
And now, I'm glad I didn't know
the way it all would end
the way it all would go
Our lives were better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
But I 'd have had to miss the dance
Yes my life is better left to chance
I could've missed the pain
But I'd have had to miss the dance
This is one of my very favorite Garth Brooks songs..it brings back memories of a very special person, with whom I shared a slow dance with a long time ago in The Villa (of all places). She and I were pals and had spent some time at T-n-Teke's..(yes it was still the old place then) and we walked over to the Villa to hear some music and ended up slow dancing to Freebird (of all things) It was the longest and best slow dance of my entire life...... It is one of my favorite memories and I will never forget it...to this day that song means one thing to me..a very long and wonderful dance.....
For a moment , all the world was right
How could I have known, that you'd ever say goodbye.
And now, I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end
The way it all would go
Our lives were better to chance
I could've missed the pain
But I'd have had to miss the dance
Holding you, I held everything
For a moment, wasn't I the king
But if I'd only known
How the king would fall
Hey who's to say, you know I might have changed it all
And now, I'm glad I didn't know
the way it all would end
the way it all would go
Our lives were better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
But I 'd have had to miss the dance
Yes my life is better left to chance
I could've missed the pain
But I'd have had to miss the dance
This is one of my very favorite Garth Brooks songs..it brings back memories of a very special person, with whom I shared a slow dance with a long time ago in The Villa (of all places). She and I were pals and had spent some time at T-n-Teke's..(yes it was still the old place then) and we walked over to the Villa to hear some music and ended up slow dancing to Freebird (of all things) It was the longest and best slow dance of my entire life...... It is one of my favorite memories and I will never forget it...to this day that song means one thing to me..a very long and wonderful dance.....
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