Resident Rescued Children During 1957 Hospital Fire

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — Ida McClure rarely talks about the split-second decision that made her a hero nearly 70 years ago.

But in 1957, the then-young nurse rushed into a smoke-filled room at Mount Vernon Hospital in New York and pulled a 3½-year-old boy from a burning oxygen tent. Her actions likely saved not only the boy’s life, but the lives of others in the children’s ward.

Now 92 and a resident at Magnolias of Chambersburg senior living community, McClure remains modest about the rescue that forever altered the course of young Raymond LoBello’s life.

“As someone with a nursing background, this story truly touched me,” said Alyssa Culbertson, Community Relations Director at Magnolias of Chambersburg. “We spend our careers training and preparing for emergencies while always hoping we never have to face them in real life. To see someone who responded with such quick thinking, courage and selflessness in a moment of crisis is nothing short of extraordinary.”

Then assistant supervisor of nurses in the hospital’s children’s ward, McClure had just reported for duty around 7:25 a.m., when she smelled smoke coming from a sixth-floor room occupied by LoBello and a 1-month-old infant.

According to February 1957 newspaper accounts, a hose connected to the oxygen tank had caught fire, scorching the wall and floor around an electrical outlet.

“Mrs. McClure grabbed Raymond just before flames from the hose ignited the plastic sheeting of the oxygen tent and pulled the electric connection from the burning outlet,” one newspaper reported.

In another twist, the young LoBello boy eventually was evacuated by nurses and firemen, one of those being his father, firefighter Salvatore LoBello, then 33.

“Heroine of the dramatic rescue of Raymond LoBello and credited with averting a tragic blast by quickly pulling the electric plug from the oxygen-pumping apparatus, was Mrs. Ida McClure,” a newspaper article stated. “Shouting for help, Mrs. McClure grabbed Raymond just before the flames from the hose ignited the plastic sheeting of the oxygen tent.”

Another published account noted, “Ida McClure, head nurse, removed two youngsters from the room, closed the door to hold the flames in check, and called firemen.”

The New York Times even covered the news, with the headline, “Children Evacuated in Fire,” in its Feb. 8, 1957 edition.

A photograph of McClure leaning in to accept a kiss on her cheek from young Raymond LoBello — his smiling father watching — appeared in newspapers throughout the northeast.

A total of 21 youngsters in the children’s ward were evacuated from the sixth floor to a lower floor. In the years since, McClure said she never viewed herself as extraordinary for what she did that day. “That’s what nurses do,” she said. “You help people and you don’t think twice about it.”

Ida’s son, Craig McClure, said she didn’t speak much to her family regarding her role that fateful day 69 years ago.

“My mum never really brought the story up herself and only talked about it when my dad mentioned it,” Craig McClure said. “My parents had moved to Mount Vernon because my dad had taken a job in Manhattan with Price Waterhouse. He would commute into the city on the train.”

Craig McClure said his father didn’t know about Ida’s life-saving actions, even though on the train ride home, he read a newspaper that included a story about the hospital fire.

“In those days, The New York Times published several editions every day, updating the morning edition as the day went along,” Craig McClure said. “The fire occurred early in the morning after dad had gone to work. On his way home, he picked up the evening edition and read it from cover to cover. The one article he missed was the one about my mum. He had no idea what had happened when he got home.”

Ida recently showed the Magnolias of Chambersburg team her scrapbook stuffed with newspaper articles and photos about the fire and rescue. Suddenly, the seven-decade-old story was rekindled throughout the senior living community.

“What makes Ida even more inspiring is her humility afterward,” Culbertson said. “Her smile, genuine humor and sharp wit brighten every room she enters, and you would never expect someone so petite to carry such incredible strength and bravery. She is a true hero, and I know her actions will stay with so many people, especially those of us in caregiving professions who understand how remarkable her response truly was.”

Seven decades later, Ida still makes an impression throughout the Magnolias community. Her friendly personality and willingness to strike up a conversation or joke with team members brings smiles to their faces.

“Almost daily, Ida will pop into the wellness room with a beaming smile, playfully shouting, ‘Boo,’” said Catherine Neil, a medication associate in the senior living community. “Her infectious giggle after startling me always brightens my day, especially when she follows up with a cheerful, ‘I got you!’”

Ida’s actions that day at Mount Vernon Hospital still resonate.

“Fire drills are critically important in senior living communities because residents are often among the most vulnerable populations during emergencies,” said Cynthia Hooper, a Magnolias of Chambersburg medication associate. “One would never know our very own Ida, known for her calm voice, was once a hero among a vulnerable group of children when she was a nurse nearly 70 years ago.

“She is one to never mention her heroism but will always pat you on the back with a job well done during the middle of the night fire drills we perform quarterly,” Hooper said. “I hope to one day be as selfless as she was and still is.”

For more information, contact Alyssa Culbertson, Community Relations Director, Magnolias of Chambersburg, at [email protected] or call 717.264.6000.