1950 — Dec 22, Fire, Walker Convalescent Home (for the elderly), near Amarillo, TX– 10

–10 Amarillo Daily News, TX. “Flames Devour 10 Oldsters Trapped in Beds.” 12-23-1950, 1.
–10 Amarillo Sunday News, TX. “Church Women Seek County Probe of Tragedy…” 12-24-50.
–10 Amarillo Daily News, TX. “The Fire is Out, but not the Crusade” (editorial). 12-28-1950, 1
–10 Babcock. “Let’s Prevent Nursing Home Fire Casualties.” NFPA Quarterly, Oct 1954, p. 89.
–10 National Fire Protection Assoc. Spreadsheet on Large Loss of Life Fires (as of Feb 2003).

Narrative Information

Babcock/Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association: “….It is also true that flimsy, combustible construction may contribute to fire spread. A nursing home fire near Amarillo, Texas in 1950 is an example. A defective gas-fired furnace was the cause. Although the fire occurred in mid-afternoon when many attendants and friends of occupants were in the 1-story wooden building, flames enveloped the combustible structure so rapidly that 10 of the 47 elderly occupants could not be saved.”
Newspapers

Dec 23, Amarillo Daily News, TX: “Ten aged and helpless people died in their beds yesterday as fire roared through a dormitory at Walker’s Convalescent Home, northeast of Amarillo. Loss of life was the highest in any single tragedy in the history of Amarillo. Only one patient in the dormitory was able to escape the flames that engulfed the flimsy former barracks building within minutes after the fire was discovered. He was Phillip Jellery. Mr. Jellery is crippled in one leg but is able to walk with assistance. Only charred bones remain of the bodies of the victims.

“One other person, who was visiting in the home when the fire struck, suffered serious burns. She is Mrs. M. P. Taylor. She was visiting her step-mother, Mrs. W. P. Vinson one of the victims. She was momentarily overcome by smoke and heat but recovered in time to escape. She was the only person seriously injured. Several attendants at the home suffered minor burns and other injuries….

“The building in which the 10 old people died was a converted Army barracks moved to the home from Amarillo Air Field when the home was expanded a few years ago. The convalescent home consisted of five buildings, the largest of which was originally the clubhouse of the old Hillcrest Country Club. One of the buildings was used as an office and living quarters by members of the staff. The others, including the old clubhouse, the laundry building and two converted barracks used as dormitories, were connected by enclosed passageways. The buildings were arranged in two rows. In the front row from east to west, were the office, a dormitory and the old clubhouse. In the rear row were the dormitory and the laundry. Thirty-seven patients housed in other buildings at the convalescent home were removed to safety.

“After the first flash of tragedy, the blaze spread slowly, traveling along the covered passageways which connected all buildings of the home. Attendants and neighbors were able to remove practically all furnishings from a second dormitory before the flames reached it. Demolition of the covered ramp from the central dormitory in the main building of the home prevented further spread of the fire.

“The fire was discovered about 4 o’clock and was not brought under control until after nightfall. Members of the city fire department were handicapped in fighting the blaze by a lack of water. City water mains do not extend to the home and the limited supply carried in booster tanks on the trucks was inadequate to control the flames. Nearest available water was in a creek a short distance from the home. Banks of the creek are high and steep. Nearest place a pumper truck could he located was about 15 feet above the water level. The first pumper truck on the scene was unable to draw water from the creek. By the time another pumper could be spotted farther down the creek, where banks are lower, the second dormitory was virtually destroyed. Without adequate water to control the fire, firefighters resorted to demolition to prevent further spread of the flames. Cables anchored to a fire truck were tied to timbers of the ramp connecting the second dormitory to the main building of the home – the former, clubhouse building. The ramp was jerked down and pulled beyond the reach of the flames.

“Demolition work had been completed before tank trucks, one owned by the City and others owned by oil companies and other firms, arrived with several thousand gallons of water. With water from the tank trucks and from the creek, firemen were able to bring the blaze under control and begin the grim task of cooling the smouldering ruin, so bodies of the victims could be removed.

“Evacuation of the aged patients from the scene began soon after the fire broke out and continued for more than an hour. Ambulances and private cars shuttled from the home to St. Anthony’s Hospital. A few of the patients were taken to private homes but the majority were taken to the hospital.

“The fire was discovered by Mrs. J. W. Wright, attendant who was in charge of the building where the 10 persons died. Mrs. Wright heard one of the patients call to her and stepped into the hall. She was met by a blast of heat and found smoke filling the hall. She could see less than half the length of the dormitory. She was able to get out of the building with one partially-crippled patient, and gave the alarm. ‘I was in the last room next to the bathroom, at the east end of the building, with those four little old ladies,’ Mrs. Wright said last night. She named the four as Mrs. Baer, Mrs. Dennis, Mrs. Vinson and Mrs. Parsons. ‘Mrs. Taylor was there with her mother. I heard one of the men calling for someone to bring him a match.’

“Mrs. Wright explained that several of the patients were smokers but that, due to their feeble condition, none of them were permitted to keep matches. She said attendants regularly lighted pipes for the smokers. ‘When I stepped out into the hall the heat struck me. I couldn’t tell where the fire was. The hall was full of smoke. Mr. Jeffery – Phillip Jeffery – was standing in the hall. He was just standing there, not saying anything. I called to the others that the building was on fire and led Mr. Jeffery out.’

“Mrs. Wright suffered burns about the face and hands. She explained that Charley Ryan, only other survivor of the patients normally in the northwest dormitory, was not in the building when the fire broke out. ‘His people were coming for him for Christmas and he was waiting for them outside,’ Mrs. Wright said. Mrs. Wright was unable to determine where the fire started. ‘There must have been an explosion. I don’t know what could have caused it but the windows were all blown out,’ she said. There were no stoves or other fires in the building. The building was heated by a forced draft, hot air system, Mrs. Wright said.

“The scene at the home was one of panic when firefighters arrived at the home. Neighbors joined personnel of the home in moving patients – all of them feeble in body and many of them feeble in mind – away from the burning buildings and in removing furniture and personal effects from the threatened buildings. Many of the patients were hysterical and attendants, themselves near hysteria from the impact of the tragedy, rushed from patient to patient, trying to calm them and keep them at a safe distance. Panic-stricken relatives of patients, anxious for information about their loved ones, added to the hysteria.

“Mrs. Zelene Rowe was the attendant in charge at the time of the tragedy. She had been left in charge by Mrs. Vivian Walker, operator of the home. Mrs. Walker was visiting yesterday in El Paso. Mrs. Rowe was in the office building, talking with a prospective patient, when the fire alarm came. ‘I heard someone yell ‘Fire’ and I called the fire department. I guess they got here about 4:15 or 4:20.’ Other attendants were on duty in various parts of the home at the time….

“The Convalescent Home is owned by Potter County but is leased to Mrs. Walker. Under terms of the lease contract, Mrs. Walker pays a rental for the building and pays for utilities. The home is obligated to care for county patients but is available also to private patients. There were nine county patients at the home and several others received some assistance from the county. The home was established by the county several years ago when the old Hillcrest Country Club building was converted for use by county patients. It was expanded about two years ago by moving other buildings from Amarillo Army Air Field….”

“The Dead:

Mrs. Margaret Baer, 76, of Amarillo, a blind woman, resident…for only a month.
Mrs. Tom Dennis, 75 years old, of Memphis, resident…for the past three years.
Mrs. W. P. Vinson, 77, of Amarillo, resident of the home since September 1950.
Mrs. Susie Parson, 76, of Canyon, resident of the home less than a year.
J. C. Collett, 89, of Roaring Springs, railroad carpenter, a blind man, resident…a year.
Jim Delzell, 82, former prominent real estate man of Amarillo, resident…for many years.
F. J. ‘Jimmy” Maddis, 87, retired brick-layer and…pioneer…of the trade in Amarillo.
Mat Kerwin, 81, of Borger, a blind man, former oil driller and resident at Walker’s a year and a half.
John W. Hall, 88, a retired Amarillo city painter, who began with the city in 1926.
George M. Elkins, 92, of Amarillo and formerly of Snyder, a retired cattleman. He had been at the home since last April.”
(Amarillo Daily News, TX. “Flames Devour 10 Oldsters Trapped in Beds.” 12-23-1950, pp. 1-2.)

Dec 24, Amarillo Sunday News-Globe, TX: “Investigation of the fire which Friday evening look the lives of 10 patients at Walker’s Convalescent Home is being requested by the Amarillo Council of Church Women. Mrs. A. F. Madison, president of the council, yesterday released the text of a letter which is being addressed to the Potter County Commissioners Court. The letter follows:

Due to the pathetic fire tragedy which occurred at Walker’s Convalescent Home, the Amarillo Council of Church Women believes an investigation should be made to determine the conditions that made such a tragedy possible. We believe the reasons for this tragedy should be made known to the public so a similar catastrophe will never again occur.

“County Judge Gene Jordan said the county commissioners have taken no official action in regard to investigation of the fire. ‘I feel that the fire department and the fire marshal are competent to make whatever investigation is needed,’ he said. Judge Jordan said the convalescent home was investigated a few months by the Potter County Grand Jury and was given a clean bill of health.

The grand jury made an investigation after some of the patients complained that they were not getting the attention they felt they deserved.

The grand jury made no formal report. However, its only recommendation was that a watchman, or other night attendant, be added to the staff to make it easier for the patients to make their wants known. That was done.

“….Only one patient was saved from the building which was used exclusively for bedfast patients.” (Amarillo Sunday News-Globe, TX. “Church Women Seek County Probe of Tragedy at Convalescent Home.” 12-24-1950, p. 1.)

Dec 28, Amarillo Daily News, TX (Editorial): “‘Don’t let the crusade die until we get our old people and our young people out of the barracks.’ That’s the word from the Amarillo grass roots. That’s the word from dozens of citizens who have called and written The Daily News. Typical of these expressions is a call from M. J. Rose… ‘I have been afraid of these barracks-type buildings all along,’ he said. ‘I have a child who has a home-room in such a building at the Humphrey’s Highland School. ‘I was in the Navy, and we had barracks at my base very much like the Army barracks. There was a fire guard on duty at each end of every building 24 hours a day. When you convert such buildings to civilian use, no such precautions are taken.

“Mrs. Rose also had something to say about it. ‘The county builds fireproof buildings at the fair- grounds for prize bulls; but they put old folks and young folks in wooden buildings that burn like tumbleweeds.’

“That’s the word from the people, Mr. County Commissioner and Mr. School Board. They want you to get rid of the old barracks as soon as you can, and get our old people and our school children into fireproof shelter.

“If it takes bond issues, let’s have them. We have an idea that the people have been jarred out of the long-standing community policy of playing fast and loose with human life by doing everything as cheaply as possible. Too long has Amarillo been more interested in its tax rate than in the safety of its human charges. It cost 10 lives to shake us out of this dream of false economy. And we’re not going to sink back into it.

“No, Mr. Rose, and you other people who have called and written – we are not going to drop this crusade as soon as the first flare-up of public indignation dies down. We intend to keep hammering at it until our old people and our children are safe from the sort of disaster that swept the convalescent home last week.” (Amarillo Daily News, TX. “The Fire is Out, but not the Crusade” (editorial). 12-28-1950, p. 1.)

Jan 9, Amarillo Daily News, TX: “Potter County…commissioners…promised Mrs. Vivian Walker, operator of the [Walker Convalescent] home, consideration on possible rent adjustment after she informed the court her income had been cut about two-thirds since the fire. Mrs. Walker, who leases the home from the county, said it had a 60-bed capacity before the fire, but now she can care for only slightly more than 20 patients. There are now 22 patients housed in the portion of the home which remains. Seven of these are Potter County patients. Under the present lease, which comes up for renewal April 1, Mrs. Walker pays the county $175 rent per month…” (Amarillo Daily News, TX. “Vote Set Feb. 17 on Nurses Home Bonds.” 1-9-1951, p. 2.)

Sources

Amarillo Daily News, TX. “Flames Devour 10 Oldsters Trapped in Beds.” 12-23-1950, 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=90190026&sterm

Amarillo Daily News, TX. “The Fire is Out, but not the Crusade” (editorial). 12-28-1950, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=90190096&sterm

Amarillo Sunday News-Globe., TX. “Church Women Seek County Probe of Tragedy at Convalescent Home.” 12-24-1950, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=90190033&sterm

Amarillo Daily News, TX. “Vote Set Feb. 17 on Nurses Home Bonds.” 1-9-1951, p. 2. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=78368155&sterm

Babcock, Chester I. “Let’s Prevent Nursing Home Fire Casualties.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, October 1954, pp. 88-103.

National Fire Protection Association. “Summary of Fire Deaths in Hospitals, Nursing Homes and Homes for the Aged.” Pp. 311-313 in: United States Congress, House of Representatives. Boarding Home Fires: The Tip of the Iceberg (Hearing before the Subcommittee on Health and Long Term Care, Select Committee on Aging, 96th Congress, First Session, April 25, 1979). Washington, DC, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1979.

National Fire Protection Association. Spreadsheet on Large Loss of Life Fires (as of Feb 2003). (Email attachment to B. W. Blanchard from Jacob Ratliff, NFPA Archivist/Taxonomy Librarian, 7-8-2013.)