1958 — Feb 17, duplex fire kills 12, including 11 children in two families, Atlanta GA — 12

–12 AP. “11 Children Die in Atlanta Fire.” The News, Sarasota, FL. 2-18-1958, p. 1.
–12 AP. “12 Burned To Death As Fire Sweeps Home.” The News, Frederick, MD. 2-18-1958, 1.

Narrative Information

Feb 18, AP: “Atlanta (AP) – Twelve persons, including 11 children in two families, perished in a fire that roared through a two-story duplex building in Atlanta’s southwest section last night. Firemen said they found the bodies of 10 children huddled in one upstairs bedroom. In other bedrooms were the charred remains of an infant boy in an incubator and a woman, mother of four of the dead youngsters….

“Mr. and Mrs. Jewell Jones risked their lives in unsuccessful attempts to reach their seven children. Jones was cut off by flames while trying to get to them and finally leaped to safety from a second-story window. Later he ran up a ladder erected by firemen and plunged into the smouldering structure. Firemen pulled him back. Mrs. Jones said she ‘ran through a wall of flames trying to get upstairs. My hair caught fire and my arms were blistered. I just couldn’t reach the children.’

“Police listed the seven dead Jones children as Sandra Louise, 8; Frederick, 6; Larry, 5; Charles, 4; Christine, 2; Barbara, 1; and Calvin Douglas, the infant whose body was found in an incubator. Also dead were Mrs. Mary Helen Rowe, Jones’ sister-in-law, and her four children, Betty Jo, Marvin, Robert and Calvin, all under 6.

“Jones told police he was repairing a bed when he thought he smelled smoke in the duplex. He went downstairs. ‘The whole downstairs was a sea of flames,’ he said. ‘I ran back upstairs and tried to get to the bedroom where the children were sleeping, but the flames cut me off. I saw I couldn’t get to them and I jumped out a window.’

“Cause of the fire was not determined.” (Associated Press. “12 Burned To Death As Fire Sweeps Home.” The News, Frederick, MD. 2-18-1958, p.1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “11 Children Die in Atlanta Fire.” The News, Sarasota, FL. 2-18-1958, p. 1. Accessed 2-16-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/sarasota-news-feb-18-1958-p-1/

Associated Press. “12 Burned To Death As Fire Sweeps Home.” The News, Frederick, MD. 2-18-1958, p.1. Accessed 2-7-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/news-feb-18-1958-p-2/