Summerland Memorial
3 Aug 2013 01:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
curiouswombatLast night D-d and I went to a memorial service for the 50 people killed in the Summerland Disaster 40 years ago.
This was her idea - she has been doing some legal work where the disaster formed part of the background research and she now knows a lot about both what went before and what went after.
For me - I thought of my cousin, then a 23 year old newly recruited policeman in his first month on the job, doing orientation before even going to do his basic training. He found himself involved with the immediate aftermath, like so many other emergency service workers.
Summerland. Summerland was wonderful - it was a whole new concept for people to enjoy themselves when it was wet outdoors - an entertainment complex which was of a type that is commonplace now - but was new in 1971. It was billed as 'the biggest and most innovative indoor entertainment centre in the world'.
There were play areas for small children, a cinema and games area for older children, a disco underneath the main area, bars, restaurants...
But on August 2nd 1973 a small fire, started by a couple of teenaged boys smoking a couple of illicit cigarettes, started a fire which became a raging inferno in almost no time.
There were 3,000 people in the building, no-one realised the seriousness of the situation at first. Children's entertainment areas were on the mezzanine floors, many of the parents were in the central hall listening to a concert - so even as the seriousness became apparent many adults began to go up the staircases that those very children, and others, were trying to come down. And then the wonderful new Oroglass that much of it was built from simply all went on fire at once, and melted down onto those below.
What is amazing is that only 50 people were killed. But remember the population of the island was only 56,000. Of course not all of them were local, by any means, and one holidaying family lost 5 members.
But if you compare those figures with the deaths of 9/11 - 2,752 killed when the population of New York city was over 8,000,000 - and you can see just how much of an impact it made on all the emergency services, and the whole population. I can remember the first thing I knew about it was the sirens going off to call our local, volunteer, firemen out and, as usual, the people of our small town trying to find out where the fire was - only for word to circulate quickly that they were going up to Douglas (13+ miles away) as there was a fire in Summerland. The true scale and horror only really filtered through to us by the next morning - no mobile phones and instant TV coverage then.
Of course there were stories of heroism, but also many stories of stupidity - ground floor fire-exits were found to be chained closed to stop people opening them and coming in without paying, for instance. That horrifies us now - but was common practice worldwide back then - as was putting the children's areas high up (young legs would cope better with stairs than the elderly would...), and taking the word of the manufacturer that a new product was not inflammable...
In the end the enquiry decided that no one individual was to blame - the Public Inquiry came to the conclusion that 'there were "no villains" - just human beings who made mistakes'.
D-d has read a lot of this and she says it was probably the best verdict. These days people would be screaming that there must be someone to blame - but it really was just a whole series of errors that were not questioned at all at the time because they were normal practice.
The only good thing that came out of it is that building regulations and safety regulations world-wide were changed in light of it, and many, many, people throughout the world probably owe their lives to that - so many over the past 30+ years who escaped from buildings where there was a 'not too serious fire' who do not realise that it only remained 'not too serious' because of better regulation and knowledge.
But that is little comfort to the families who know that there should be another uncle and probably more cousins at family gatherings, or who never met their grandparents because they died, in their forties, at Summerland - and so on. Or those who still have nightmares about fire, or about the task they did picking through the ashes trying to decide if something may, or may not, have been a person the day before.
It is only right and fitting that, at last, there is now a proper memorial with all 50 names engraved on it, dedicated at that outdoor service that D-d and I, along with about 200 others, attended yesterday.
This was her idea - she has been doing some legal work where the disaster formed part of the background research and she now knows a lot about both what went before and what went after.
For me - I thought of my cousin, then a 23 year old newly recruited policeman in his first month on the job, doing orientation before even going to do his basic training. He found himself involved with the immediate aftermath, like so many other emergency service workers.
Summerland. Summerland was wonderful - it was a whole new concept for people to enjoy themselves when it was wet outdoors - an entertainment complex which was of a type that is commonplace now - but was new in 1971. It was billed as 'the biggest and most innovative indoor entertainment centre in the world'.
There were play areas for small children, a cinema and games area for older children, a disco underneath the main area, bars, restaurants...
But on August 2nd 1973 a small fire, started by a couple of teenaged boys smoking a couple of illicit cigarettes, started a fire which became a raging inferno in almost no time.
There were 3,000 people in the building, no-one realised the seriousness of the situation at first. Children's entertainment areas were on the mezzanine floors, many of the parents were in the central hall listening to a concert - so even as the seriousness became apparent many adults began to go up the staircases that those very children, and others, were trying to come down. And then the wonderful new Oroglass that much of it was built from simply all went on fire at once, and melted down onto those below.
What is amazing is that only 50 people were killed. But remember the population of the island was only 56,000. Of course not all of them were local, by any means, and one holidaying family lost 5 members.
But if you compare those figures with the deaths of 9/11 - 2,752 killed when the population of New York city was over 8,000,000 - and you can see just how much of an impact it made on all the emergency services, and the whole population. I can remember the first thing I knew about it was the sirens going off to call our local, volunteer, firemen out and, as usual, the people of our small town trying to find out where the fire was - only for word to circulate quickly that they were going up to Douglas (13+ miles away) as there was a fire in Summerland. The true scale and horror only really filtered through to us by the next morning - no mobile phones and instant TV coverage then.
Of course there were stories of heroism, but also many stories of stupidity - ground floor fire-exits were found to be chained closed to stop people opening them and coming in without paying, for instance. That horrifies us now - but was common practice worldwide back then - as was putting the children's areas high up (young legs would cope better with stairs than the elderly would...), and taking the word of the manufacturer that a new product was not inflammable...
In the end the enquiry decided that no one individual was to blame - the Public Inquiry came to the conclusion that 'there were "no villains" - just human beings who made mistakes'.
D-d has read a lot of this and she says it was probably the best verdict. These days people would be screaming that there must be someone to blame - but it really was just a whole series of errors that were not questioned at all at the time because they were normal practice.
The only good thing that came out of it is that building regulations and safety regulations world-wide were changed in light of it, and many, many, people throughout the world probably owe their lives to that - so many over the past 30+ years who escaped from buildings where there was a 'not too serious fire' who do not realise that it only remained 'not too serious' because of better regulation and knowledge.
But that is little comfort to the families who know that there should be another uncle and probably more cousins at family gatherings, or who never met their grandparents because they died, in their forties, at Summerland - and so on. Or those who still have nightmares about fire, or about the task they did picking through the ashes trying to decide if something may, or may not, have been a person the day before.
It is only right and fitting that, at last, there is now a proper memorial with all 50 names engraved on it, dedicated at that outdoor service that D-d and I, along with about 200 others, attended yesterday.
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no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 12:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 01:16 pm (UTC)I do remember that my sister and her friend were visiting our aunt, in one of the northern villages, and Aunty Lily was taking them to Summerland, as a treat for her as well as them, that day.
We didn't have a phone at home - and when news began to spread on the Sunday morning I remember Mum saying that, of course, they would have already left by then to get the bus. And, knowing, now, that she must have been reassuring herself as much as me.
And, of course, she was quite right - they had got a bus back north about 5.30.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 12:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 01:19 pm (UTC)Most of the dead were UK holiday makers - and yet it seems, now, to have slipped out of the UK national consciousness.
And, in a way, I think most of the island is quite glad - it is such a sad memory for so many.
no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 01:03 pm (UTC)Those kind of disasters profoundly affect most communities in which they occur. In the small town where I grew up there was an infamous movie theater fire in the 1940s--not nearly the number of lives lost as in your example above, but like you said also comparatively had a huge affect upon a very small community.
no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 01:29 pm (UTC)So many tragedies that are caused by dangerous practices over the years. And the best that can be said of this one was that lessons genuinely were learned - but, sadly, not by everyone.
There was, too, a sort of sense that it was better not to talk about it, that talking about it would stop people getting over it... was that was true in your small town, too, do you think?
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 01:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 01:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 01:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 01:35 pm (UTC)It is quite a nice memorial - 3 granite standing stones in a small garden.
no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 01:39 pm (UTC)I'm in favor of memorials so that things like this, and the people involved, aren't forgotten.
no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 04:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 01:51 pm (UTC)I agree with D-D that the verdict of people being human and making mistakes is good.
Sad loss of life, but many were saved.
no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 04:16 pm (UTC)I agree with her, too, about the verdict being fair. And it is amazing that so many did survive.
Actually one 18 year old working for the summer as a barman survived inside it and was rescued the next day when they were looking for bodies! I knew him a little, and D-d met him, in a totally different context a couple of years ago. He realised he was trapped, and turned on the taps in the stillroom, covered himself with wet cloth and crawled into the cupboard under the sink. I think it might have been against the concrete wall.
no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 02:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 04:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 02:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 04:31 pm (UTC)But people did learn, world-wide, where some of the corners were that no-one had even realised they were cutting, if you see what I mean.
At the time it seemed as if the official attitude by 1975 was 'we've had the inquiry, now let us try to forget this and move on.' They actually rebuilt, in a much smaller, almost all concrete, style, the 'new' Summerland on the same site without any memorial of any sort within it. It was only at the 25th anniversary that a small plaque was put in a near-by public garden, where the new memorial now stands.
The site itself is now empty - but it is for sale for development...
no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 02:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 04:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 03:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 04:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 03:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 04:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 03:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 04:48 pm (UTC)I try to imagine what it must have been like to be on duty in the island's hospital that night - and it must have been horrific - the A&E department was so small, for one thing!
no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 04:14 pm (UTC)I know we all moan about 'health and safety' and 'risk assessment' but it really has made a difference hasn't it.
no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 04:50 pm (UTC)Absolutely. I gather now, for example, that anywhere similar where families may split up within a complex, it is normal for the children's activities to be no higher than the first floor.
no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 07:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 08:09 pm (UTC)And as Clodia_Metelli says, up the comments, it is really quite amazing that the death toll wasn't higher.
no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 07:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 08:35 pm (UTC)The oroglass was invented and manufactured by a company in Philadelphia and I would guess they would be grateful for as little publicity as possible as they had said in their technical data that it would only smoulder. We know, now, of course that such acrylics used for the whole roof and at least one wall was courting disaster, and it is hard to believe that people then did not realise - but all the reports show that this really was the case.
no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 08:17 pm (UTC)It is a fitting memorial and I'm glad people have not forgotten. We take so much in the way of safety for granted these days...until something horrifying happens like the recent train crash in Spain e.g.
no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 08:51 pm (UTC)We do, don't we? The dangers of some of our modern materials and designs just had not really occurred to them, then.
It was a 'loss of innocence' tragedy in a way - the people who made the oroglas that it was, in a large part, built from had not tested it in these circumstances, they gave their results that it 'only smouldered' to the architects and designers, and the local fire officer, and they all assumed this meant it was safe in the way they were using it.
They made a great big open space, put in what they thought were lots of doors and signs, tested everything else, like the curtains, the carpet and so on for flammability, gave instructions to staff at the beginning of the season, in May...
And didn't really think of the fast turn over of staff, the number of students who would join the staff in June and not receive the training, of people wedging doors open, or closed, and so on.
I think about 30:20 visitors to local people died in it - and at the time it was felt that the only answer was to talk as little as possible about it and get on with life. So it is good, now, that there is at last a proper memorial.
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 09:39 pm (UTC)- Erulisse (one L)
no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 11:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 09:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 11:09 pm (UTC)Absolutely. Some of those regulations we moan about really have grown out of things like Summerland for very good reasons.
no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 10:59 pm (UTC)50 people dying does not seem a lot compared to the numbers that have died in other tragedies, but with a population of only 56,000 that is quit a large percentage.
Fire doors chained shut, what were they thinking, other than to prevent people sneaking in!
Good to hear that there is, finally, a proper memorial for the victims.
Lynda
no subject
Date: 03/08/2013 11:16 pm (UTC)I always think how difficult it must have been to cope in the island's hospital, or for the local fire-service. I know there were less than 100 police in total in the island's police force at the time.
no subject
Date: 04/08/2013 08:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 04/08/2013 12:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 04/08/2013 02:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 04/08/2013 10:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 04/08/2013 08:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 04/08/2013 10:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 05/08/2013 12:39 pm (UTC)The idea of all that melted glass raining down on hapless people is horrifying.
no subject
Date: 05/08/2013 03:59 pm (UTC)I think that the simple memorial service as it was the 40th anniversary was about right - they held something similar at the 25th - and the simple stone memorial. But more would have been morbid, I think.
The worst thing about the oroglass was that it was actually a form of plastic - and it genuinely doesn't seem to have been obvious to anyone, back then, that it could just go up in flames, so becoming so hot that it began to melt and drop down, and produce toxic fumes; all things that seem so obvious to us now - but I guess it was this fire, and doubtless others, that brought the realisation.
no subject
Date: 06/08/2013 02:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 06/08/2013 09:24 pm (UTC)Absolutely. When I read more about it in recent years it does seem as if, quite genuinely, no-one had really thought about the effect of fire on a building with a whole wall and roof made out of what was a from of acrylic. The company said it only smouldered in the tests they had done, and no-one wondered how relevant those tests were.
And no-one thought of parents trying to go against the flow if the children's areas were upstairs, and so on.
But we do know better now - at least lessons were learned.