The Collinwood school fire occurred March 4, 1908 in Collinwood, Ohio (now a part of Cleveland). 172 students, two teachers and one rescuer were killed.
Lake View School was built with masonry walls and wooden joists. One wooden joist caught fire when a steam pipe overheated it. The building's main staircase extended from the front doors of the building, up to the third floor; without benefit of fire doors. The stairwell acted like a chimney, helping to spread the fire quickly. Oiled wooden hall and classroom floors also fueled the fire.
Contrary to local legend, building's doors opened outward. This is verified by accounts of the fire written at the time. As panic leading to the crush of a large number of students in stairwell vestibules contributed to the death toll, students also died as a result of smoke inhalation and the fire itself. Some children died jumping from second and third story windows. Family and neighbors watched as victims trapped in the building were burned beyond recognition.
Those killed in the fire who could not be individually identified, as well as those students whose parents could not afford a burial, were buried in a mass grave in Cleveland's Lake View Cemetery. Additionally, several families who lost their children in the fire chose to bury their children's remains adjacent to the Collinwood victims.
-most info from John Stark Bellamy II's book, "They Died Crawling"
Hugh was the son of Collinwood Police Chief Charles C. McIlrath. When his father arrived, he saw Hugh leading a number of younger children odown the fire escape. The children were afraid to jump to the ground, and some returned to the building. Hugh climbed back in the window after them.
Hugh had two siblings at the school, Viola May and Benson, who survived.
Officer McIlrath stayed on the scene doing his duty, and did not find out until late in the day that one of his children had died, and two survived.
Thank you to find a grave member Heidi for sorting out Hughie's relations!
Lake View School was built with masonry walls and wooden joists. One wooden joist caught fire when a steam pipe overheated it. The building's main staircase extended from the front doors of the building, up to the third floor; without benefit of fire doors. The stairwell acted like a chimney, helping to spread the fire quickly. Oiled wooden hall and classroom floors also fueled the fire.
Contrary to local legend, building's doors opened outward. This is verified by accounts of the fire written at the time. As panic leading to the crush of a large number of students in stairwell vestibules contributed to the death toll, students also died as a result of smoke inhalation and the fire itself. Some children died jumping from second and third story windows. Family and neighbors watched as victims trapped in the building were burned beyond recognition.
Those killed in the fire who could not be individually identified, as well as those students whose parents could not afford a burial, were buried in a mass grave in Cleveland's Lake View Cemetery. Additionally, several families who lost their children in the fire chose to bury their children's remains adjacent to the Collinwood victims.
-most info from John Stark Bellamy II's book, "They Died Crawling"
Hugh was the son of Collinwood Police Chief Charles C. McIlrath. When his father arrived, he saw Hugh leading a number of younger children odown the fire escape. The children were afraid to jump to the ground, and some returned to the building. Hugh climbed back in the window after them.
Hugh had two siblings at the school, Viola May and Benson, who survived.
Officer McIlrath stayed on the scene doing his duty, and did not find out until late in the day that one of his children had died, and two survived.
Thank you to find a grave member Heidi for sorting out Hughie's relations!
The Collinwood school fire occurred March 4, 1908 in Collinwood, Ohio (now a part of Cleveland). 172 students, two teachers and one rescuer were killed.
Lake View School was built with masonry walls and wooden joists. One wooden joist caught fire when a steam pipe overheated it. The building's main staircase extended from the front doors of the building, up to the third floor; without benefit of fire doors. The stairwell acted like a chimney, helping to spread the fire quickly. Oiled wooden hall and classroom floors also fueled the fire.
Contrary to local legend, building's doors opened outward. This is verified by accounts of the fire written at the time. As panic leading to the crush of a large number of students in stairwell vestibules contributed to the death toll, students also died as a result of smoke inhalation and the fire itself. Some children died jumping from second and third story windows. Family and neighbors watched as victims trapped in the building were burned beyond recognition.
Those killed in the fire who could not be individually identified, as well as those students whose parents could not afford a burial, were buried in a mass grave in Cleveland's Lake View Cemetery. Additionally, several families who lost their children in the fire chose to bury their children's remains adjacent to the Collinwood victims.
-most info from John Stark Bellamy II's book, "They Died Crawling"
Hugh was the son of Collinwood Police Chief Charles C. McIlrath. When his father arrived, he saw Hugh leading a number of younger children odown the fire escape. The children were afraid to jump to the ground, and some returned to the building. Hugh climbed back in the window after them.
Hugh had two siblings at the school, Viola May and Benson, who survived.
Officer McIlrath stayed on the scene doing his duty, and did not find out until late in the day that one of his children had died, and two survived.
Thank you to find a grave member Heidi for sorting out Hughie's relations!
Lake View School was built with masonry walls and wooden joists. One wooden joist caught fire when a steam pipe overheated it. The building's main staircase extended from the front doors of the building, up to the third floor; without benefit of fire doors. The stairwell acted like a chimney, helping to spread the fire quickly. Oiled wooden hall and classroom floors also fueled the fire.
Contrary to local legend, building's doors opened outward. This is verified by accounts of the fire written at the time. As panic leading to the crush of a large number of students in stairwell vestibules contributed to the death toll, students also died as a result of smoke inhalation and the fire itself. Some children died jumping from second and third story windows. Family and neighbors watched as victims trapped in the building were burned beyond recognition.
Those killed in the fire who could not be individually identified, as well as those students whose parents could not afford a burial, were buried in a mass grave in Cleveland's Lake View Cemetery. Additionally, several families who lost their children in the fire chose to bury their children's remains adjacent to the Collinwood victims.
-most info from John Stark Bellamy II's book, "They Died Crawling"
Hugh was the son of Collinwood Police Chief Charles C. McIlrath. When his father arrived, he saw Hugh leading a number of younger children odown the fire escape. The children were afraid to jump to the ground, and some returned to the building. Hugh climbed back in the window after them.
Hugh had two siblings at the school, Viola May and Benson, who survived.
Officer McIlrath stayed on the scene doing his duty, and did not find out until late in the day that one of his children had died, and two survived.
Thank you to find a grave member Heidi for sorting out Hughie's relations!
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McILRATH
MOTHER................SON...................FATHER
LIZZIE....................HUGHIE.............CHARLES
1874 - 1921...........1894 - 1908.........1872 - 1937
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