Photos March 28, 2015March 11, 2017 Plaque at Memorial Garden commemorating those lost in the Collinwood school fire, which occurred March 4, 1908, in which 172 lives were lost. Source: Unknown.View of the rear (west) doorway of the school, where a majority of victims were found. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Spectators view remains of school. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908). School fire in progress. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Postcard of building remains. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Rear (west) side of building. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Spectators view building remains. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Emergency workers remove remains of victims from building. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Lakeview School in Collinwood, Ohio, prior to the fire that destroyed it. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Floorplans of school annotated with teacher assignments by this site. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Postcard of building remains. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Memorial School, built adjacent to the site of the fire, in 1911. Source: Unknown.Memorial Garden, built on the site of the fire. Source: Unknown.Janitor Fritz Hirter being interviewed by Fire Marshal Brockman following the blaze. Note that Hirter lost three of his own children in the fire and that he was also seriously burned trying to rescue students. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Cutaway graphic to show bottleneck of victims at rear (west) door of building. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Temporary morgue set up in Lakeshore Railway shop. This method of handling a mass-casualty situation preceded the modern day Incident Command System by 60 years. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Memorial School (1911) postcard. Source: Unknown.Floorplan of first floor. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Floorplan of basement. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Group photo of teachers. Source: Unknown.View of east side of building with fire still in progress. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Newspaper article describing aftermath of fire. Source: The Cleveland Press (1908).One of the last known class photos (grade not determined). Source: Unknown.Rear (west) door of school. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Daily paper headline. Source: The Cleveland Press (1908).A wagon carrying bodies to the temporary morgue at the Lakeshore Railway Shop. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).William Worthington Wells, age 12. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Clinton Wells, 442 Park Avenue. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Edgar Thomas Woodhouse, age 9. Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Woodhouse. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Percy Day, age 11. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Day. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Gretchen Dorn, age 11. Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G.L. Dorn. Her father was instrumental in saving many children from the fire that day. However, he was unable to save his own daughter. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Fire victim Hubert Hunter, age 10. Son of Mrs. A. Hunter, 253 Collamer Street. Identified by school papers in his pocket. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Allen Barlett Hinsdale, age 13. Son of Mrs. Mary Hinsdale, 4800 Westropp Avenue. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Lestner Centner, age 8. Son of Mr. and Mrs. William Centner, 512 Collamer Street. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Edward Meirt, age six. Only child of Mr. and Mrs. Julius Meirt. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).The Lakeshore Railroad Storehouse, where the temporary morgue had been established following the fire. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Parents and spectators stand outside the city morgue, awaiting a chance to identify bodies. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Postcard of school remains. Source: Unknown.Postcard of school before fire. Source: Unknown.Postcard of school burning. Source: Unknown.Body identification by next of kin at Lakeshore Shop. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Body identification by next of kin at Lakeshore Shop. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Miss Laura Bodey, fifth grade teacher on the third floor. She had been a teacher at the school for only five weeks and had not gone through any fire drills prior to the fire. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Fire Marshal Brockman and building inspectors stand outside the building ruins. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).School ruins following fire. Source: Unknown.Caskets of 19 unidentified bodies and two teachers at Lakeview Cemetary. Source: Unknown.Burial of bodies at Lakeview Cemetary. Source: Unknown.Fritz Hirter being questioned by Fire Marshal Brockman and investigators. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Fritz Hirter being questioned by Fire Marshal Brockman and investigators. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Fritz Hirter at the scene if the fire. He lost three of his own children and was badly burned trying to rescue other students. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).First floor floorplan of school. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).The Collinwood gas fire engine. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Fire in progress. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Mourners assemble at funeral. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Emma Neibert, who claims she notified Mr. Hirter of the fire. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).One of the last known class pictures taken at the school. Source: Unknown.Collinwood Fire Department hook and ladder. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Map of Collinwood (1908). Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Cleveland Press headlines (1908).Cleveland Press headlines (1908).Water is poured on remaining hotpots in building. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Cleveland Fire Department. Source: Unknown.Note that the fire investigators found that the pressure valves were in proper working order, eliminating explosion as the cause of the fire. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Emergency workers remove victims from rubble. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Emergency workers remove bodies from the building ruins. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Wagon delivering victims to the morgue. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Ambulance wagon waits outside the school to transport victims. Source: Unknown.Cutaway drawing of school and bottleneck of victims at the rear doorway. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Grace Fiske, third grade teacher. She would die after being crushed by students piling up at the rear (west) exit. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Katherine Weiler, second grade teacher on the second floor, died while herding children away from the stairway and toward the fire escape. She physically threw children away from the staircase, directing them to the alternate escape route. Her clothing caught fire, killing her. She was later found in the basement, after the floors collapsed, under a pile of student victims. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Ruby Irwin, first grade teacher on the first floor. She encouraged her students to rush through the smoke and flames at the front (east side) of the building. Those that did survived. Those that did not attempted to escape through the rear (west side) of the building and died. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Fritz Hirter at the scene if the fire. He lost three of his own children and was badly burned trying to rescue other students. Source: Unknown.Caricature of Death coming for students at the school. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Survivor reunion, 1968 (source unknown)Memorial Garden, Collinwood, Oh – built on site of original Lakeview School. Source: Unknown.Memorial School, Collinwood, Oh – built adjacent to the on site of original Lakeview School. Source: Unknown.16 caskets containing unidentified victim remains awaiting interment at Lakeview Cemetary. Source: Unknown.16 caskets containing unidentified victim remains awaiting interment at Lakeview Cemetary. Source: Unknown.Lakeview School fire in progress (Collinwood, Ohio). Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).16 caskets containing unidentified victim remains awaiting interment at Lakeview Cemetary. Source: Unknown.Lakeview School fire in progress (Collinwood, Ohio). Source: Unknown.Lakeview School fire in progress (Collinwood, Ohio). Source: Unknown.Lakeview School fire in progress (Collinwood, Ohio). Source: Unknown.Remains of Lakeview School (Collinwood, Ohio) following fire. Source: Unknown.Hearse waiting to take victims to morgue. Source: Unknown.Lakeview School fire in progress (Collinwood, Ohio). Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Remains of Lakeview School (Collinwood, Ohio) following fire. Source: Unknown.Lakeview School fire in progress (Collinwood, Ohio). Source: Unknown.Recovery effort following Lakeview School fire (Collinwood, Ohio). Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Lakeview School, Collinwood, Ohio. Source: Unknown.Postcard of Lakeview School, Collinwood, Ohio. Source: Unknown.Remains of Lakeview School (Collinwood, Ohio) following fire. Source: Unknown.Parents attempting to identify victims in temporary morgue, located in the Lakeshore model shop. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Parents attempting to identify victims in temporary morgue, located in the Lakeshore model shop. Source: Complete Story of the Collinwood School Disaster and How Such Horrors Can Be Prevented – Marshall Everett (1908).Miss Lynn’s first grade class, 1908. Source: Unknown.Last known photograph taken in Lakeview School the day before the fire. Source: Unknown.
