NINE DIE IN CONNELLSVILLE FIRE.

Connellsville, PA. (AP) -- An electrical overload apparently touched off a fire that killed nine persons and seriously injured two more at a boarding home for the elderly, authorities said today.
"It was right there in the basement, right at the fuse box," state police Fire Marshall DENNIS SMITH said as he inspected the ruins of the two-story white frame home where the fire erupted late Sunday.
SMITH said the overload was due to "numerous television sets and radios."
Officials said all of the dead were elderly, except for JAMES McCORMICK, 30, who worked as a handyman.
Connellsville Assistant Fire Chief LELAND WILLIAMS said the structure had no smoke alarms and that a dresser in a second floor room was partially blocking a window that led to a fire escape.
SMITH declined to say if there may have been violations of state fire codes.
"I wouldn't comment on that right now. I would assume the Department of Labor and Industry will be in to look the place over. As a boarding home for the elderly, the residence did not fall under state guildelines on nursing homes," he added.
WILLIAMS said the fire started in the basement, where five elderly residents slept. All five died.
He said the flames spread rapidly, blocking the two exits from the basement -- a door to the outside and a staircase to the first floor.
"The fire started by the one door and moved across the ceiling to the stairway," he said. "They really didn't have a chance to get out."
Four other residents, pronounced dead at Connellsville State Hospital, were found on the first and second floors, fire-fighters said.
Deputy Coroner L. JOHN POWELL said most of the victims died from smoke inhalation.
The owner of the home, HELEN MARIETTA, 54, was hospitalized for shock. Her 76-year-old mother, LEONA PORTERFIELD, was among those killed.
The hospital said ELIZABETH ZAMARRELLI, 74, and BESSIE RICHTER, 77, were both in guarded condition today.
Also killed, authorities said, were GEORGE KOOSER, in his 80s; MARY DZURIK, 78; LAURA PRINKEY, 76; NELLIE SWARTZ, 84; ANNA TAYLOR, 71; and HILDA HARKEY and EDMOND ZIEMTERSKI, ages unknown.
WILLIAMS, who said the cause of the fire was still under investigation, described the residents of the home as people unable to find places in state nursing homes and unable to afford private homes.
"These people just didn't have any other place to go," he said. "The exits, the overcrowded conditions, that's the whole problem. It's not classified as a nursing home and we have no state regulations to cover it."
Mayor JAMES WAGNER said the home had been visited in past months by fire, building code and health officials and that a fire escape had been installed upon request.
"She (the owner) was very cooperative," he said. "But you must realize she was dealing with people on lilmited incomes, and because of that, her reserves were very llimited, too."

Indiana Gazette Pennsylvania 1979-04-02
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!