Fifty Years Ago...
No, we weren't around. Probably 75% of our readership wasn't around either. But the looks that flit across the faces of people who were around when it comes up is haunting (above photo from the Tribune slide show):
- It was a day when the lives of 92 schoolchildren were stolen in a place where their parents thought they would be safe: their school.
The inferno that consumed Chicago's Our Lady of the Angels on Dec. 1, 1958, opened a pit of sorrow that still seems bottomless.
Official website here.
Labels: open posts
posted by SCC at 12:03 AM
51 Comments:
RIP a terrible tragedy, lets never forget, a parents worse nightmare
god bless
God bless those little angels....
I had an uncle, firefighter, who was a secondary responder to that fire. It was out by the time he arrived.
The man went across Europe as an Army medic in World War Two and was sent in a liberated concentration camp to provide care. He didn't often talk about the war, but on occasion and as he got older he would.
He was over at our house around the 20th anniversary and a story came on WGN. He got up walked out back and when he came back in it was clear he had been crying.
Up until that point I never knew he had been there. My mom never mentioned it as she was nervous we would ask him about it.
After he died she claimed the OLA fire contributed more to his death than all the injuries and smoke he inhaled over 30 odd years. He never laughed quite as hard after that she said.
I think he lost his faith in man in Europe and at the very least questioned his faith in God after that fire.
I've seen some horrible stuff over the years, but am thankful I have never encountered anything on the OLA scale.
God Bless
I had family lost there, the kids were told to pray instead of flee.
All I could do is weep going through the Tribune slide show.
God bless those families and fire and police staff that had to experience this first hand. I cannot imagine the horror of it up close and real.
I wish I could forget, but can't. My father was on the FD and he was not right for a long time. My prayers to everyone. It affected everyone's life.
Stay safe, A wife
It was a sad day. One of the reasons the only parkers my husband will write are school zones and hydrants. Stay safe.
I remember in 2nd grade, the Chicago American (Trib's afternoon paper)ran a front page with pictures of all who perished. If you have Comcast with On Demand, go to Local then WTTW on Demand, John Calloway's 2003 Documentary, "Angels Too Soon" is available. He did a great job reporting on this terrible tragedy.
I had family in that fire. Terrible day.
I know of at least one CPD officer, a Sgt who was a survivor. There was a girl killed in the fire with the same last name, never knew if that was his sister or not.
Rest in peace dear angels.
My dad was also a Fd and my granpa, they were both there and said many firmen went home and stared at the walls for days! Several came to work after and resigned, it was sad and terrible. Groups of kids dead and huddled in the hallways by locked doors just listening to the nuns intsructions.
I's old enough to remember. Dad worked for an insurance company then, and his company insured the boiler at OLA. He was assigned to go inspect the boiler that night to be sure it hadn't exploded and caused the fire. He hooked up with a fire marshall who took him through the building. In one of the classrooms, he found the kids books all neatly stacked on their desks, ready for dismissal. And on or or two of the stacks, he found detention slips. Can you imagine, he said to us. An hour ago that detention slip was some kid's biggest problem in the world. Now those kids are all gone.
That doesn't mean that the detention slips I earned later on were overlooked. But from that day on, dad's hugs got more frequent and lasted a little longer.
Dad's gone now; so is mom. I knew it would happen some day. Every kid expects that someday they will bury their parents; when you do, you bury a part of yesterday. But no parent every expect that they will bury a child; when you do you bury a part of tomorrow.
Give your kids a hug. Do it now. And don't forget your wife or husband while you are at it.
If you want to get some more insight into what happened; pick up a copy of the book: To Sleep With The Angels.
I think that's the title anyway. My copy is somewhere here in the house.
If anyone wants the exact title or Library of Congress number, let me know and i'll go find it and post the info.
I found the lack of knowledge about how to deal with PTSD on all fronts; the first responders, the church, the kids all very troubling.
It effected my Dad terribly. His TV repair shop was over on Division Street near the school. When I went to Immaculate Conception many years later; he REALLY grilled the staff on fire safety, alarms, building materials, etc. I imagine that he lost a fair amount of sleep wondering if my Brother and I were going to be okay at I.C..
i was 19 yrs old then and on Guam waiting to get sent home for discharge from the Navy and this made news in all the papers we got daily over there the Japenese and Aussie and New Zeland papers and the lead photo was the one i will never forget was of the fireman carrying the kid out the door, years later i worked with a guy that had the detail on the school days after it happened and each day and night a dad would come to front of school saying come out son im not mad at you we can go home this old timer told me the cops had to walk away to weep, horrible
I remember this so well. It never left me and when I had children and they went off to the local catholic school I never ceased being fearful of them being on the second floor of the old building. I knew that many safeguards had been put in place by then, but still the memories of the 1958 fire never left me. Watching the slide show, brought it all back and I cried again just as I did then.
I work in 011 and pass by the old church every day. Of course the school was torn down and a new one built in its place. However the church, which is now some sort of Baptist congregation, still has the sign on the front that says Our Lady of the Angels. It's a sad and chilling reminder of what happened there. The pictures and stories in the paper for the 50th anniversary were haunting. God bless all those little angels, their families and the firefighters and police that were there that day.
My brother and I transferred from the school a few days before. I lost a friend and family member. RIP little angels.
Where was this school? The paper doesn't give the address.
I lived a mile from the Our Lady of the Angels school. It's still difficult to think about now.
Bless the Angels
THIS WORKING NO CLOUT P.O. FROM EDISON PARK SAYS: GOD BLESS THOSE CHILDREN WHO DIED AND GOD BLESS THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
I was not born til many years later but just seeing those pictures makes my heart hurt. RIP angels.
We lived in a neighbooring parish, I was in sixth grade at the time. All evening just sat in bed and listened to the news. It was devestating then and fifty years later I can't read about it without breaking down. 9-11 was a shcck but nothing will ever compare to the OLA fire. The families never recovered and I'll never recover.
I was around then.I was 8 years old at the time over at a buddies house on s. lawndale whose dad was a fireman.The feelings i felt that day still linger,it still brings tears.We had over 60 kids,as high as 65,in every classroom at our school,Queen of Martyrs from 1958 to 1964, so that fire didn't do much to temper greed in the chicago archdiocese.My dad worked 2 jobs back then to send us there,but all 4 priests drove around in new black caddies every year,had nice houses and housekeepers.Just several of the many reasons I haven't bought into catholic bullshit for many years.
Mt father was there as CPD. He will never talk about it. My mother said that is the only thing that he told her he never would talk about to her.
I was 7. I remember very clearly when they had it on the news that night. I also remember running and hiding in my parents bedroom because of being so scared. Recently John Callaway's documentary about the fire was on WTTW. Still scary, I still wanted to hide. Thinking about it makes me want to cry.
God bless all who were there and God please hold the victims closely.
"To sleep with the angels" is a great book about this tragedy. Written by David Cowan and John (something).
If you lose your parents, you're called an orphan.
If you lose your spouse, you're called a widow or widower.
There are no words to describe the loss of a child.
This was a real tragedy. This does not even compare to the so called "honor roll" CPS students that never go to school, are failing every subject, gang-bang, deal dope, and then wind up dead from their stupidity.
My dad worked 2 jobs back then to send us there,but all 4 priests drove around in new black caddies every year,had nice houses and housekeepers.Just several of the many reasons I haven't bought into catholic bullshit for many years.
12/01/2008 03:33:00 PM
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Just to inform you, priests don't take a vow of poverty like the nuns do, so if the priest's family was loaded, he usually wound up with the family's money. I knew a priest that drove a jaguar, that doesn't make him a bad guy.
May GOD bless the angels. I've heard bits and pieces of this tragedy throught the years, but have really studied up on it, with the 50 yr anniversary and all. What a horrible tragedy. Also, may GOD bless the CPD and CFD who had to witness firsthand those little lifeless bodies. There is a special place in HEAVEN for all of you also.
An Old Sergeant said...
I's old enough to remember. Dad worked for an insurance company then, and his company insured the boiler at OLA. He was assigned to go inspect
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Nicely said old Sgt.
Anonymous said...
Where was this school? The paper doesn't give the address.
12/01/2008 01:09:00 PM
909 N Avers, Avers and Iowa
Where was this school? The paper doesn't give the address.
12/01/2008 01:09:00 PM
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3808 W. Iowa.
It is at Avers and Iowa.
I know of a few policemen that were students at OLA at the time of this horriffic tragedy.
One was a guy named Lombardo. He retired from CPD and was appointed the Director of the CCSPD Police Academy in the late 90's. I think he was also the D/C of Management Services for a bit. A good man.
CCSPD also had a female Patty L. She retired from our job about 5 years ago or so.
I hope they are doing well.
-- An old friend from the CCSPD.
This was before my time, but about second or third grade the sisters at our school would tell us about it. Anybody playing grabass at a fire drill was reminded of Our Lady of Angels and whomped one.
This was late 60's, early 70's, and we took our fire drills seriously, or else.
I remember my parents wispering about the tragagy!
As a parent, I had a very hard time reading the articles without plenty of tears. God bless those little angels for what they had to go through. :(
My heart goes out to every parent who lost their child that day. I know a piece of them died when their children perished and no matter what, or how much time passes, they'll never be whole.
What a terrible tragedy.
To 12/01/2008 01:52:00 PM,
Sober up. The Archdiocese fought tooth and nail to be exempted from the cost burden of retro-fitting sprinkler systems in the older school buildings. Poor judgement, just like letting homosexuals be ordained in order to "change them". The school administrators then tried to put blame on a janitor for poor housekeeping. The dicks ultimately proved the fire was deliberately started by a pyscopathic twelve-year-old who was angered by a teacher who tossed him out into the hallway for punshment. God bless you and hopefully he will open your eyes.
12/01/2008-priest driving jaguar. I don't want to get into a beef about priests,this is about the loss of so many beautiful children,but it's obvious that you've been drinking the monsignors kool-aid.They told us that crap about the priest's families being loaded way back when.When I worked near Sabina's years ago I would see phleger driving around in a jag with vanity plates,PHLEGER,and he grew up in Tommy Moor.Solid middle-class,yes,loaded,I think not.Just to inform you sir.
I attempted to read the book "sleep with Angels" several times: BUT could NOT get through it.
Balled my eyes out.
Rest In peace.
Back when I worked on 1112's beat on midnights, driving down the 900 blk of Avers I would get a chill down my spine because I swear I could see movement inside.
And always say a prayer for those souls.
I'm a copper of 40 years...now retired almost 2 months. Aside from the obvious tragedy, how about the firemen back then entering burning buildings with just a long coat and rubber boots. How many old time firemen do you think were eventually killed by inhaling all that toxic smoke/fumes sans todays modern breathing apparatus.
Yup, no matter what era....God has a special place for the (newly termed) "1st Responders."
Stay safe my brothers/sisters.
Remember OUR fallen in DC this May.
All Gave Some Because Some Gave All
My Dad (CPD and deceased) was at the scene afterwards. Not sure why he was there, he worked the wagon. He only talked about it once. (I'll spare the details, but was pretty shocked to hear his monotone description, which trancelike stopped when my little sister bounded into the room and disrupted his thoughts and he kind of snapped out of it) That was the only time I saw him cry, holding my sister so tight I thought he'd break her. He smiled at me, eyes bleeding with tears, and gave me a little punch in the shoulder and then grabbed my shoulder and just held it in a tight grip. It was 1978, twenty years after the fact.
PTSD, indeed. He sat in the yard drinking a few beers quietly for hours after. Alone. Therapy.
Official Website
http://www.olafire.com/
I'm only 29, born 1979,after reading all the information I got chills down my spine
I worked with a very nice policeman back in the early 90's from the 10th dist who was ther at the time of the fire. Hi H.P. and God Bless You I hope you are doing well in retirement. (He said tha the window ledges for so high that the children that were not tall enough didn't have a chance. There is still to this name no memorial for any of the victims. The first first house to reponse is now some BS MB Church.
I want to cry when I read this story, and I don't cry much. God Bless those kids and their families.
I was 5 years old when the tragedy happened and can remember when I started parochial geade school. The nuns talked about it to us and we had fire drills very often because of it. I remember the CFD coming to our school to check the alarm boxes every month and test them out. It was not until I got older that I realized how bad it really was with the shock and grief for all of the children and the families. They were nice middle class families with the baby boom generation. When you look at the class pictures on the web site you can tell that they were good kids from Chicago. RIP OLA children.
Just to inform you, priests don't take a vow of poverty like the nuns do, so if the priest's family was loaded, he usually wound up with the family's money. I knew a priest that drove a jaguar, that doesn't make him a bad guy.
12/01/2008 06:54:00 PM
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Just to inform you, priests do steal from their parish. Just ask the Rev. Mark Sorvillo who is now in Vienna-IDOC. Ask the parishioners from St. Margaret Mary, the parish that he stole hundreds of thousands from... how endearing Mark Sorvillo is to them. There are plenty more who have skimmed thousands upon thousands from the offerings and who have been arrested or are about to be arrested. Right now my heart goes to the poor souls who died in that fire and their still grieving families.
...
Just to inform you, priests don't take a vow of poverty like the nuns do, so if the priest's family was loaded, he usually wound up with the family's money. I knew a priest that drove a jaguar, that doesn't make him a bad guy.
12/01/2008 06:54:00 PM
it does when he asks me to kick in more to the collection plate.
"(Our Lady Of The Angels fire)was a sad day. One of the reasons the only parkers my husband will write are school zones and hydrants."
This fire is what I think of every time I go by a public school and see the heavy black metal fencing -- sometimes two layers deep -- that Daley has made such a point of surrounding the schools with (along with the parks and everything else).
I sure hope the Fire Department is prepared to look over their shoulder, get a running start, and back the hell up right over that fence if they have to, so that they can get ladders up to the school windows...scares me to death.
One step forward, two steps back...
I once met a gal who survived the fire. She is no longer with us. I think she would want me to say something.
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