1923 – Mar 14, Allegany County Almshouse fire (7 women and 2 men), Angelica, NY —  9

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 12-3-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–9  Hornell Tribune-Times, NY. “Nine Persons Lose Lives in Angelica Almshouse Fire.” 3-15-1923, p1.

–9  AP. “State Probes Fire at Allegany County Home.” Olean Evening Herald, NY. 3-16-1923, 1.

Narrative Information

 March 15, Evening Tribune-Times, Hornell, NY: “Nine persons – seven women and two men – were burned to death last night when fire destroyed the old wooden structure of the Allegany county almshouse near Angelica. But for the bravery of employees of the institution the death list would have been much larger, for the fire swept with the fury of a gale through the wooden buildings where 63 aged, helpless and sick persons were sheltered. The dead are:

Frank Schen, of Buffalo; a fireman.

Charles L. Sanborn, of Angelica; teamster.

Mrs. Addie Olmsted, of Belmont.

Mrs. Cora Schmidt, of Wellsville.

Mrs. Christina Grastorf, of Wellsville.

Mrs. Sylvia Gibbs, of Rushford.

Mrs. Sarah Curtis, of Cuba.

Mrs. Mary Foster, of Belmont. Mrs. Hannah Webster, of Belfast.

“The disaster is the worst in the history of this section. The seven women who perished were invalids, sick and bed-ridden, who never had a chance to escape from the inferno of flames that swept relentlessly through the old wooden buildings after an explosion of natural gas in the basement. Six of them perished miserably in their beds. The seventh was killed by leaping from the second-story window of the blazing structure.

“Frank Schen, known the length and breadth of the United States as ‘Shorty’ Schen, was evidently killed by the explosion. His charred body was found in the ash-pit of the burned structure. He was the fireman in charge of the basement boilers.

“Sanborn, employed as head stable-man at the institution, perished in an effort to rescue the trapped inmates of the building. He had carried some of them to safety, and despite the pleas of others returned to the roaring inferno, only to be trapped himself and go down to his death in the mass of flames.

“One other person, Frances Cook, an employee of the almshouse kitchen, was so badly burned that she may die.[1] She leaped to safety from an upper window just before the roof fell in.

“The Allegany county almshouse located some two miles from Angelica along the tracks of the Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern railroad, was originally a wooden structure some 250 feet long connected to the administration building by a covered areaway. Irve years ago in February the wet end of the building was destroyed by fire and the inmates escaped with their lives only by inches. The west wind was then replaced by a modern concrete structure, but the rest of the rambling wooden building was allowed to stand.

“In the concrete part last night were housed 20 old and sick men. In the wooden wing were 24 women, many of them sick and bed-ridden. The boiler room was under the administration building and the boilers were heated by natural gas. Because of its peculiar structure the building was most susceptible to flames, the long halls giving the fire a clean sweep.

“It was 11:15 o’clock last night when the fire broke out. ‘Shorty’ Schen was in the basement looking after the fires. Suddenly there was the crash of a violent explosion and before anyone could sense what had happened, fire was being driven up against the northside of the structure and poured like the flames from a blow-torch into the old wooden buildings where the 24 women lay sleeping.

“The alarm was sounded at once, Superintendent William H. Hall donned a pair of shoes and a bath-robe and hurried into the building where he began arousing the sleeping women. Mrs. Hall was no less heroic. Although the night was bitter cold she ran out in her night-dress and assisted her husband in leading the bewildered and panic-stricken women to safety….

“The bed-ridden women and those occupying rooms on the second floor were caught without warning and had no chance to escape. The old building, erected 45 years ago, burned like tinder and the flames swept in sheets through the halls and rooms. Before help could arrive from Angelica, the building was a mass of flames.

“The concrete addition, where the men were housed, resisted the flames and is all that remains today of the almshouse and the administration building. The other buildings were more isolated and did not catch fire. Oil stoves were used to heat the rooms in the concrete wind and the natural gas had no connection there….” (Evening Tribune-Times, Hornell, NY. “Nine Persons Lost Lives in Angelica Almshouse Fire.” 3-15-1923, p. 1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “State Probes Fire at Allegany County Home.” Olean Evening Herald, NY. 3-16-1923, p. 1. Accessed 12-3-2024 at:

https://newspaperarchive.com/olean-evening-herald-mar-16-1923-p-1/

Evening Tribune-Times, Hornell, NY. “Nine Persons Lost Lives in Angelica Almshouse Fire.” 3-15-1923, p. 1. Accessed 12-3-2024 at:

https://newspaperarchive.com/evening-tribune-times-mar-15-1923-p-1/

[1] Was reported the next day that “At the Wellsville hospital today it was learned that Miss Cook is suffering extreme pain from bruised about the body. Her condition is not considered critical. Mrs. Sheldon is out of danger.” (Associated Press. “State Probes Fire at Allegany County Home.” Olean Evening Herald, NY. 3-16-1923, p. 1.)