Rome Daily Sentinel
Friday, June 10, 1960
OSWEGO, N. Y. — Three children perished today when a flash fire quickly engulfed a small, two story house on the city's East Side. Three adults, one a 16-year-old expectant mother, jumped from a second story rear porch to safety. They suffered burns and cuts. An infant, about one year old, was thrown from the porch to a policeman and escaped injury. The three dead, children of Albert and Alma Piersall, were identified by police as Debbie, age 5; Christine, age 2; and Bradford, age 5 months.
They were trapped upstairs when the fire, of undetermined cause, raced through the frame structure. The flames seemed to "erupt all at once," Peter Shortt, a neighbor, said. Shortt spotted the reflection of the flames in a plate-glass window as he walked to his garage.
Moments later, Shortt said, the entire house was ablaze. Daniel Sova, 22, his wife. Patricia, 16, and the couple's child, Victoria, age 1, were in an upstairs bedroom when the fire erupted. In another bedroom was Sova's brother, Richard, age 22.
The four made their way to the rear porch, tossed the baby to Patrolman Elmer Heiminger, and then jumped. Richard Sova was the most seriously burned. Firemen, using oxygen masks in the thick smoke, were unable to reach the Piersall children. Their mother, Alma, downstairs at the time, reached safety.
Debbie's body was found at the top of the stairway. The other two children were in a bedroom. Their father, Albert Piersall, was at work in a factory. Also at work were Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Sova, the dead children's grandparents and owners of the house.
Eugene F. Sullivan Jr., an assistant district attorney, and city police, began an investigation of the cause. Firemen said the fire apparently started in the front living room and mushroomed throughout the house. Other occupants, Karen and Sheila Sova, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Sova, were in school at the time.
Story found at: www.fultonhistory.com
Paternal Grandparents:
Bradford Piersall
Winifred Piersall
Maternal Grandparents:
Lawrence Sova
Betty Sova
Friday, June 10, 1960
OSWEGO, N. Y. — Three children perished today when a flash fire quickly engulfed a small, two story house on the city's East Side. Three adults, one a 16-year-old expectant mother, jumped from a second story rear porch to safety. They suffered burns and cuts. An infant, about one year old, was thrown from the porch to a policeman and escaped injury. The three dead, children of Albert and Alma Piersall, were identified by police as Debbie, age 5; Christine, age 2; and Bradford, age 5 months.
They were trapped upstairs when the fire, of undetermined cause, raced through the frame structure. The flames seemed to "erupt all at once," Peter Shortt, a neighbor, said. Shortt spotted the reflection of the flames in a plate-glass window as he walked to his garage.
Moments later, Shortt said, the entire house was ablaze. Daniel Sova, 22, his wife. Patricia, 16, and the couple's child, Victoria, age 1, were in an upstairs bedroom when the fire erupted. In another bedroom was Sova's brother, Richard, age 22.
The four made their way to the rear porch, tossed the baby to Patrolman Elmer Heiminger, and then jumped. Richard Sova was the most seriously burned. Firemen, using oxygen masks in the thick smoke, were unable to reach the Piersall children. Their mother, Alma, downstairs at the time, reached safety.
Debbie's body was found at the top of the stairway. The other two children were in a bedroom. Their father, Albert Piersall, was at work in a factory. Also at work were Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Sova, the dead children's grandparents and owners of the house.
Eugene F. Sullivan Jr., an assistant district attorney, and city police, began an investigation of the cause. Firemen said the fire apparently started in the front living room and mushroomed throughout the house. Other occupants, Karen and Sheila Sova, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Sova, were in school at the time.
Story found at: www.fultonhistory.com
Paternal Grandparents:
Bradford Piersall
Winifred Piersall
Maternal Grandparents:
Lawrence Sova
Betty Sova
Rome Daily Sentinel
Friday, June 10, 1960
OSWEGO, N. Y. — Three children perished today when a flash fire quickly engulfed a small, two story house on the city's East Side. Three adults, one a 16-year-old expectant mother, jumped from a second story rear porch to safety. They suffered burns and cuts. An infant, about one year old, was thrown from the porch to a policeman and escaped injury. The three dead, children of Albert and Alma Piersall, were identified by police as Debbie, age 5; Christine, age 2; and Bradford, age 5 months.
They were trapped upstairs when the fire, of undetermined cause, raced through the frame structure. The flames seemed to "erupt all at once," Peter Shortt, a neighbor, said. Shortt spotted the reflection of the flames in a plate-glass window as he walked to his garage.
Moments later, Shortt said, the entire house was ablaze. Daniel Sova, 22, his wife. Patricia, 16, and the couple's child, Victoria, age 1, were in an upstairs bedroom when the fire erupted. In another bedroom was Sova's brother, Richard, age 22.
The four made their way to the rear porch, tossed the baby to Patrolman Elmer Heiminger, and then jumped. Richard Sova was the most seriously burned. Firemen, using oxygen masks in the thick smoke, were unable to reach the Piersall children. Their mother, Alma, downstairs at the time, reached safety.
Debbie's body was found at the top of the stairway. The other two children were in a bedroom. Their father, Albert Piersall, was at work in a factory. Also at work were Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Sova, the dead children's grandparents and owners of the house.
Eugene F. Sullivan Jr., an assistant district attorney, and city police, began an investigation of the cause. Firemen said the fire apparently started in the front living room and mushroomed throughout the house. Other occupants, Karen and Sheila Sova, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Sova, were in school at the time.
Story found at: www.fultonhistory.com
Paternal Grandparents:
Bradford Piersall
Winifred Piersall
Maternal Grandparents:
Lawrence Sova
Betty Sova
Friday, June 10, 1960
OSWEGO, N. Y. — Three children perished today when a flash fire quickly engulfed a small, two story house on the city's East Side. Three adults, one a 16-year-old expectant mother, jumped from a second story rear porch to safety. They suffered burns and cuts. An infant, about one year old, was thrown from the porch to a policeman and escaped injury. The three dead, children of Albert and Alma Piersall, were identified by police as Debbie, age 5; Christine, age 2; and Bradford, age 5 months.
They were trapped upstairs when the fire, of undetermined cause, raced through the frame structure. The flames seemed to "erupt all at once," Peter Shortt, a neighbor, said. Shortt spotted the reflection of the flames in a plate-glass window as he walked to his garage.
Moments later, Shortt said, the entire house was ablaze. Daniel Sova, 22, his wife. Patricia, 16, and the couple's child, Victoria, age 1, were in an upstairs bedroom when the fire erupted. In another bedroom was Sova's brother, Richard, age 22.
The four made their way to the rear porch, tossed the baby to Patrolman Elmer Heiminger, and then jumped. Richard Sova was the most seriously burned. Firemen, using oxygen masks in the thick smoke, were unable to reach the Piersall children. Their mother, Alma, downstairs at the time, reached safety.
Debbie's body was found at the top of the stairway. The other two children were in a bedroom. Their father, Albert Piersall, was at work in a factory. Also at work were Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Sova, the dead children's grandparents and owners of the house.
Eugene F. Sullivan Jr., an assistant district attorney, and city police, began an investigation of the cause. Firemen said the fire apparently started in the front living room and mushroomed throughout the house. Other occupants, Karen and Sheila Sova, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Sova, were in school at the time.
Story found at: www.fultonhistory.com
Paternal Grandparents:
Bradford Piersall
Winifred Piersall
Maternal Grandparents:
Lawrence Sova
Betty Sova
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