Malvern, PA Hospital Fire, Jan 1936

2 BOYS DIE AS HOSPITAL IS DESTROYED.

SEVENTEEN OTHERS RESCUED BY NURSES WHO CARRY TUBERCULAR VICTIMS OUT.

Malvern, Pa., Jan. 28. -- (AP) -- Seventeen children owed their lives today to a nurse and other persons who rescued them from a fire which burned to death two six-year-old boys in a wooden pavilion of the Rush Memorial hospital for comsumptives here.
The children and the nurse, MISS HELEN RITTENHOUSE, were asleep last night when the pavilion burst into flames. She was awakened by the smoke, however, in time to start carrying the children out.
Hospital attendants and passing motorists quickly
came to her aid, but before the rescue work could be completed, the structure collapsed. Firemen, a few minutes later found the dormitory a smouldering ruin.
The hospital, outside the town, has no fire hydrants in the vicinity. Firemen chopped ice from a pond nearby but the water was of no use by the time they reached it.
In the wreckage, Fire Chief Fred Thomas recovered the bodies of JOHN LOUX and EDWARD SCHUMACHER, both of Philadelphia.
All of the children were between four and nine years of age.
Dr. John D. McLean, medical director, who identified the victims, said, "Everyone was asleep when the fire started. Smoke awakened MISS RITTENHOUSE, who began to carry the children out."
"I don't know what started it."

The Bee Danville Virginia 1936-01-28
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!