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Tragedy struck the home of Mr. S. Gyorkos, tailor, at 339 North Railway St., shortly after 3 o'clock this morning when four persons, three of them children, were burned to death, and four other persons, including a member of the fire department, injured in a flash fire which destroyed the house and shop. The dead: Marie Gvorkos, aged 12 years;: Elizabeth Gvorkos, aged 8 years: Martha Gvvorkos, aged 5 years: John Jacob McCauley, aged 44 years. The injured: Christine Gyvorkos, aged 13 years, suffering sever burns to the face, chest, back of hands, arms and legs; Mrs. Jessie Laws, aged 47 years, suffering a fractured vertebrae and broken bones in the feet; William Koeniz, bruised ribs; Farl Congdon, member of the fire department, injured knee. IN GENERAL HOSPITAL Mrs. Lews and Miss Gvarkos are being attended in the General hospital by Dr. E. D. MacCharles, who report their condition as satisfactors. Koen w and Congcon were given medical at tention and then released. R Koenig and Mrs Laws received their injuries when they jumped trare the second stare uidow of the build ing. Christine Gaorkos was rescued from the burning building by firemen The remaining 100 persons in the dwelling. including Mr and Mrs Ga orkos: three sons. Stephen. Lenaties and Louis and three daushtfer. Rose, Margaret and Matilda. and two out dentified men. one a salesman and Lawrence Products, escaped uniin jured. Ambundances and doctors were on hand during the fire to assist in the rescue The seven Gvarkos ciais were sleep. We in the front bedroom of the trance dwelling, the three hevs in a rear bed room, and Miro and Mrs. Gvarkos were mooded u oon a back bedroom oan the eromnd floor The roamers were lo cated on the second floor on the brick -tore dwelling. The two tratdines were joined bs oe dialivas oan the sec ond floor HEARD SCREAMS The tire Was one of the mast Gta trots a the eis shisters The med thed scream of the victimts could be heard abouve the pour at the dlanme- Once When the dense stugne. pour from the ends room. cleared for a second. no tiny tad was seen on the rainbow sillet disappeared from stew When firemen coremved on the scene the blaze had already spread through: out the buildings Fire Chief Hatcher informed the News this morning that he believed the fire to have started from a hot water heater via the base ment of the house. TRIED TO SAVE SISTERS Jenatius Goorkos told the News the morning how he and his older breather Steve wakened suddenily when the dense smoke tiled the room. They roused them .oune brother, Louis, and made a exit out the rear wand as He cosered Louis to the ground tron the pool of the rear Verandah. vine Steve attempted to reach the gil rpont smoke and diame blocked by route and he was forced to make a hurried escape. Faremen were amiable to reach the trapped sarle due to the sipoke ane flame pouring out of the vwindo The bodies were taken vom the root at 3.15 a.m The body of McCuides was discov ered on the basement oat the lase. having fallen wath the floor shen oat roantiined an page tend
Newspaper Details
Medicine Hat Weekly News
Medicine Hat, Alberta, CA
Wed, Jun 04, 1947
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Vanessa S.
CA 02 Jun 2026
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