The Cleveland Clinic X-Ray Incident | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror

[@sapphiresorceress7007]

I used to work at that Cleveland Clinic Campus, there’s a huge memorial about this on the first floor of the original building.

[@cathystockton2721]

That's awesome

[@vNamuie]

I used to walk through that building a lot and read the history there. I'm surprised I missed the memorial detailing it. Guess I gotta look again.

[@daffers2345]

I'm glad they have a memorial! Too often we hear that nothing, or almost nothing, was done to remember those lost.

[@SonicBoone56]

The original building is still there?

[@miss_tanababy_]

@@SonicBoone56 Did you watch the video? 🤔

[@uygmoeb]

I've never heard of this case before and it really shocked me. The part about the woman almost being saved but collapsing inside the building broke my heart. They were so close

[@daffers2345]

This one made me cry. It's just so sad.

[@elijah6496]

wei wuxian!

[@xanderunderwoods3363]

Wei Wuxian :)

[@my-lady-greensleeves5831]

Me too. The whole story is tragic, but that part really got to me.

[@deViant14]

Eh, if it was that close she probably wouldn't have survived more than a few weeks of assisted breathing anyway.

[@Jekyll08]

At least Officer Staab gave those people he pulled out a chance of survival even if it was minimal. It’s also always good to see the institution in these incidents to not only survive their respective disaster but to renovate and continue to be successful. As usual though to eventually know and have the correct safety standard there had to be tragedy first.

[@mikaelafox6106]

Yes! I wouldn’t have thought anyone could survive that.

[@orangehoof]

I'm sure a clinic today would be so buried with criminal charges and wrongful death suits that the clinic would have to go bankrupt. Fortunately, an accident could still be an accident then. However, I would hope someone would have built a monument to the brave man who went back in again and again to save others and I I would hope that some restitution was made to the many victims.

[@sybrenkruijf8570]

No one would staab him

[@yoshicomic112]

@@orangehoof Everything was so new, so unknown back then. It was truly an accident. They did everything by the books and it still happened. If this were a known danger they let befall their building, the punishment would be much more severe, as it should.

[@peterjohnson617]

true hero.

[@audreym823]

The testimony of the woman preparing to jump to safety then immediately collapsing back inside the building made me genuinely feel sick. So horrifying and frustrating

[@BuddyLee23]

You may want to stick to the ‘fascinating’ and skip on the ‘horror’ when it comes to further video selection. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@ErynRenee]

I've never heard about this, which is weird as an Ohioan. I'm a first aid instructor, and there's a good reason why we train people not to enter a scene where multiple people appear to be unconscious without an obvious cause.

[@scharf74]

But “heroes” are going to go anyway.

[@TrappedinSLC]

@@scharf74 And make more victims. Rule one is “don’t create more people who need to be rescued.”

[@scharf74]

@@TrappedinSLC EXACTLY.

[@karlsantos]

And it is very difficult to identify the cause as it could be anything. From the top of my head I would tend to think it is something electrical, which means I would be so done if it turns out to be gas or anything else.

[@higueraft571]

@@TrappedinSLC Like that Coast Guard(?) Ship that had like 3-5 people or so drop dead due to entering a bolted shut oxygen deprived room, while trying to tie down an anchor chain then rescue the others who'd passed out and died.

[@IceFireofVoid]

It's terrifying how, even when meeting the guidelines, there are still over 100 people that died. You never know what can go wrong.

[@colincampbell767]

X-ray film was a new technology at the time. Nobody was aware of the risks. Just like the advent of vinyl wastebaskets. A simple item that everybody assumed was harmless. It is harmless - unless it catches on fire. One of vinyl's combustion products is cyanide gas. Back in the days when most people smoked - these things would frequently catch on fire as the result of a carelessly dropped cigarette butt. An office worker would get a decanter full of coffee and dump it on the fire to put it out - and collapse a few seconds later. This is why the recommendation is to always use a fire extinguisher and to stand well back from the fire when using it.

[@chrisakaschulbus4903]

@@colincampbell767 My recommendation would be runningshoes for me and marbles for the others... jokes aside. With this qxir, dark history, fascinating horror-bird-watching and all that i'm out of anywhere as soon as even the slightest thing seems off...

[@vustvaleo8068]

that police officer is so dedicated to his job that he saved lives at the cost of his own, a true hero indeed.

[@gobillz6895]

People had honor back then

[@daffers2345]

We need heroes like that today!

[@Aint_no_senators_son]

@@daffers2345 Do some research. The media is pushing a hate cops narrative. There are many cops who have saved people.

[@tigerlilykitty3281]

@@Aint_no_senators_son How do those boots taste?

[@lightkeeper1238]

@@tigerlilykitty3281 hes right. I know many more good cops than bad ones

[@RaptureInRed]

It was a wonderful facility, they did everything right, and a local philanthropist allowed their work to continue while the building was out of commission. One of the least fury-inducing stories you've ever read.

[@zeropoint216]

Darn rich people, am I right?

[@SofaKingShit]

@zeropoint216 I know, rich people are like any other repressed minority, am l right? As this channel has pointed out workers really do have easy, low risk jobs.

[@spiritmatter1553]

Marxist in the chat 💬 again. 😒

[@exophthalmos1]

Fury-inducing? What the?

[@Celanna192]

@@exophthalmos1 I think they mean that the accident was not caused by willful negligence on the part of the owner as is the case with many of the disasters covered on this channel.

[@reloadedditto]

MAJOR CORRECTION - The police officer Ernest Stab DID NOT die. He continued to work for the police department for another 25 years. He lived a full and happy life.

[@beaka63]

I looked this up and there is nothing to support your claim. You may wish to provide something to back this up.

[@EXO-L-ls8qj]

@@beaka63 I looked it up as well, and every article I read said he survived. He suffered from recurring medical problems but remained a police officer for another 25 years, as a detective. So, yeah. Check again.

[@jrambo7495]

Policeman Ernest Staab's Heroic Effort ID: 5584 | This file appears in: The Cleveland Clinic X-Ray Fire of 1929 Perhaps the largest heroic effort was made by Policeman Ernest Staab, who was recorded as saving 21 lives during the tragedy that killed 123 people at the Cleveland Clinic. After seemingly recovering and returning to duty, he collapsed while working on his lawn. Near death, he was rushed to a hospital and placed under an oxygen tent as shown above. Although Staab endured recurring medical problems for the rest of his life as a result of the Clinic disaster, he remained in the Cleveland Police Department for another quarter-century, where he served as a detective. | Source: Cleveland Memory Project, Cleveland State University Library Special Collections

[@MaternalUnit]

Wow. Sounds like he had continuing medical problems, but I'm glad to know he survived.

[@annaselbdritt7916]

@@beaka63 google the incident, him surviving is specifically clarified in the opening section on the wiki page

[@junusavior65]

One of the things I love about this channel is he doesn't bury the lede. He says exactly what happened at the beginning. Then backs up and works up to it in more detail. *Thank you all for the correction.

[@EsmereldaPea]

*lede It's a common mistake.

[@AmaraFerris]

Agreed. It’s “bury the lede.”

[@ricklemke9333]

Lede

[@muangfaa3511]

@@EsmereldaPea Thank you. I learned a new word today.

[@diitasukiii]

Both 'lede' and 'lead' are apparently acceptable spellings, though 'lede' is the original journalistic spelling.

[@adrianavega3202]

Honestly, Nitrate Film can just combust by itself, even in the proper conditions, I'm a photographer and I've worked as an archivist for very old cinema films and it is a very volatile material. As always I love your narration and the effort you make to keep this neutral and respectful.

[@GFSTaylor]

Yeah, I used to work at a student-run cinema and though we never handled it, we all knew how dangerous nitrate film is. The scene in The Artist where he spills nitrate film about the room and it starts to catch fire made me twitch, just waiting for it to flare up.

[@xzigalianisiochfhradha3204]

I would love to hear more about nitrate film from somebody who has actually worked with it!

[@Pulsatyr]

Nitrate film is essentially the base of smokeless gunpowder flattened through rollers. It's also known as gun cotton. The dark, poisonous smoke in this disaster was more from the emulsion that held the image than the film. While nitrocellulose fumes are noxious, they are white or colorless, which is why "smokeless powder" got its name.

[@DaedalusYoung]

@@xzigalianisiochfhradha3204 There's channels on KZbin that restore and digitise old film, and they do use nitrate film. E.M. Mihal is one such channel, if you watch the video Tib5-msDs-0 at the timestamp 8:40, for example, he gives a demonstration of how a short piece of nitrate film burns.

[@gordontheengineswifedr.nirmal]

Yes u r absolutely right. When I was a film student, we learned about this.

[@yahstino]

Man, that cop was an absolute HERO

[@olwens1368]

Yes- incredible courage to keep going back. He deserves to be remembered.

[@stephanie4698]

What he did takes an incredible amount of bravery and self sacrifice I don't think I could ever manage. He must have been a great person.

[@ronalddregan9431]

21 people were given a chance. At what point did he *know* he would die and powered through? I wish we could know what he was thinking…

[@Vespyr_]

I've heard of firemen and soldiers doing this, but never have heard of a cop going to such lengths. I mean I saw a line of cops push over a man and break his skull and not even check on him just a few months ago... this man, god why did he have to die? Even one more cop like this, would have this world be just that much better for it. A true hero.

[@rebekahwolkiewicz449]

@@ronalddregan9431 Perhaps that’s one of life/humanity’s true mysteries… perhaps the answer is waiting for us in the afterlife.

[@mrdth1012]

That poor woman on the 3rd story. I can imagine the whisps of smoke like ghostly arms pulling her back in the building.

[@updatedotexe]

Don't overdramatize it...

[@higueraft571]

@@updatedotexe It is pretty fucking dramatic though, even in reality. Woman moments away from safety passes out and falls straight back into death.

[@mlnem2k]

@@updatedotexe You gotta admit, if overdramatization must occur, he nailed it! Lol

[@albertoftasmania]

@@higueraft571 It is dramatic, but come on, MRDTH's comment was pretty twee.

[@chrisakaschulbus4903]

​@@higueraft571 Depending on how much she inhaled and so on it might've been better than to suffer the consequences... i don't wanna be that guy that wishes for a successful rescue of her just for her to suffer for months and then die.

[@glorygloryholeallelujah]

Earnest Staab ..... this man seriously deserves a statue/a bench/clinic/public garden/etc - just SOMETHING to honor his unbelievably selfless sacrifice and unwavering bravery!❤️🥺

[@BuzzinVideography]

Unintelligent idiots would likely tear it down

[@ThiefOfNavarre]

@@BuzzinVideography sad but true

[@tigerlilykitty3281]

@@BuzzinVideography Why would that be true? Don’t be ridiculous.

[@BuzzinVideography]

@@tigerlilykitty3281 oh look. I found one here. Y'all the same people that won't let Aunt Jemima stay on her own syrup.

[@tigerlilykitty3281]

@@BuzzinVideography Lmfao, I point out that there’s no reason he wouldn’t be allowed a bench and you bring up syrup icons. Grow up.

[@sigridmiller2801]

The thought of that woman on the balcony being so close to safety and ultimately falling back into the deadly building is so sad

[@mysmirandam.6618]

The timing, pacing, diction, enunciation, anticipation built, and empathy in these stories is nothing short of extraordinary ♥

[@declamatory]

*enunciation

[@seriouscat2231]

At points he becomes dangerously close to being cheesily overdramatic. But it usually lasts only for a second.

[@sarahalbers5555]

Exactly! I love his lovely, calm and neutral presentation.

[@limegreenmamba5218]

@@declamatory Annunciation would indeed be quite extraordinary.

[@mysmirandam.6618]

@@declamatory thanks

[@dinascharnhorst6590]

As a paramedic in Southwest Ohio, I have transported patients up to the Cleveland Clinic numerous times...and have NEVER heard of this disaster until now. Thank you for the fascinating, tragic lesson.

[@brentjohnson4212]

Despite the extreme tragedy of the event, this video really emphasizes the positive nature of everyone involved. I think you did a great service to the outcome!

[@ryangrissom7702]

Cleveland Clinic is an amazing hospital. My father had a lung transplant there less than two years ago due to pulmonary fibrosis. I can't say enough good things about it.

[@mistytells]

My mom, dad and only brother all died there in the past 5 years.

[@Brendan-Black]

With my morbid imagination, when I read "X-Ray Incident" my mind immediately went to some gruesome occurence to someone(s) body while being x-rayed. Another excellent video.

[@RickLincoln]

If you're a geezer like I am, you may remember looking at the box of film that you bought at the drugstore and seeing "Safety Film" on the label. After the film industry changed from nitrate based film to acetate based, the label was used to assure the public who was by then well aware of the fire danger of the former. A theater fire caused by nitrate film is a key part of the plot of the Italian movie "Cinema Paradiso". Film fires were not uncommon.

[@merakiminx]

I lived in Cleveland for 7 years and had never heard of this story. I passed that building many, many times without ever knowing its history. Thank you for sharing!!

[@drtee51]

My parents were patients at the Cleveland Clinic. It's one of the best facilities in the world. I appreciate the script pointing out, at the end, that it isn't just some killer clinic, but has saved untold thousands of lives in its history. That put the drama of the incident into perspective.

[@Jogwheel]

Super interesting story, as always! Thanks for shedding light on these lesser-known tragedies :)

[@HardRock2Day]

Hi Jon! :)

[@carvahaunter122]

Omg the microwave guys

[@JakePlaysGames8878]

Holy crap, imagine what would happen if it was the actual microwave guys commenting?

[@Jogwheel]

@@JakePlaysGames8878 but I am? Haha.

[@dmark1922]

My mother was thirteen years old and living in Cleveland when this happened, but I never heard about this at all. Her sister, my aunt, was 18 or 19; she eventually became a nurse. I wonder if this event had anything to do with her going into the profession...

[@Elleoaqua]

Well back then women didn't have much choice in acceptable professions. Teacher, nurse, secretary.

[@dmark1922]

@@Elleoaqua Good point haha. My mother had studied art in and was a cartoonist of sorts in college. She applied to work at Disney Studios (from Ohio!) and was rejected based on sex. She eventually got a job teaching art at a teachers college in Arkansas. No secretaries in our family though! lol

[@scharf74]

Ask her.

[@scharf74]

@@dmark1922 how does she know it was based on gender? Did they tell her that?

[@dmark1922]

@@scharf74 my mother passed away 21 years ago, but I heard the story a number of times straight from her mouth, and according to her, those were their words: "we don't hire women as artists" or something to that effect. this would have been in the late 1930s

[@mattigan16]

Officer Staab is a hero and honestly what he did brought me to tears. What a brave man. To all lives lost in the tragedy, Rest In Peace.

[@stuartmilerosborne]

Sadly it sometimes takes a disaster to prevent future casualties. The Cleveland Clinic is s good example .

[@russellhltn1396]

There's a saying: Regulations are written in blood. This is just another example.

[@westnblu]

@@russellhltn1396 Not maritime disasters. A notable example is the sinking of the Titanic. Significant changes where made to regulations and safety procedures to sea ferrying vessels following the Titanic sinking. It was drowning more so than blood on this occasion.

[@russellhltn1396]

@@westnblu You're nit-picking. Either way, it's death.

[@danucard13]

I've lived in Cleveland my whole life and have heard many a tale of woe. But I have never heard about this. Great Video!

[@mattr0103]

I miss the days when rich people built libraries and, in this case, donated space to a medical facility in-need as vanity projects.

[@lestranged]

Way better than billionaires playing astronaut

[@glowgurl777]

I've been saying the same! I want a Bezos Seattle Library or Bridge.....something for society

[@PeterShawpshawman]

They still do. Of course they just dodged 10000x the amount donated in taxes too.

[@jaik195701]

Andrew Carnegie was the philanthropist I believe

[@libertyprime619]

The government got involved with capitalism, people complain about it but this is true capitalism. Rich people giving to the leader because they have the means, rich people innovating to make life easier, etc...

[@deniserossiter1059]

As someone born & raised 20 minutes from downtown Cleveland and a frequent patient of the Cleveland Clinic.... HOW have I never heard of this tragedy? Thank you for another informative & tastefully done video. Keep up the great work.

[@hasufinheltain1390]

It's worth noting that nitrocellulose was used as a propellant in firearms - in common parlance, gunpowder. That fire was not going to be put out with water.

[@pblack19141]

@Fascinating Horror thank you for taking the time to research this story. So many disasters have been swept under the rug, almost callously. I have always thought, instead of pretending that the event never happened not only shows a type of disrespect not only to the victims as well for those left behind. I can only hope that learning from the past will help those in the future. You Are Amazing

[@peterwhitehead2453]

It’s an extraordinary story of tragedy, which as you say has gone on to become such a key saver of lives down the road...interesting how major incidents often lead to breakthroughs - we sort of must have them, in order to progress...

[@wesrrowlands8309]

I never heard about this surprisingly. It's still one of the best hospitals around, my friends who had cystic fibrosis got the best care available there as it was on the front of research for it. I think Robin Williams even had his hard worked on there.

[@andyhargreaves2574]

More than 30 years as a radiographer and I had never heard of this incident. Fascinating story, such a pity so many died but at least it created new safety standards afterwards

[@katiecat123]

Ugh I could listen to this person talk for hours about literally anything. Such good content, I binged it all in just a few days 😅

[@heatherberni7399]

I grew up near CLE and never heard about this. Thank you for sharing this.

[@impasse0124]

That clinic building at 9:06 has got to be one of the most atrocious examples of architecture I’ve ever seen.

[@johnarunski2006]

My great-grandmother died here. My grandfather never got over it.

[@junkjunkloot4357]

I really enjoy these lesser known stories! Excited to see more. Thanks for the content!

[@The_Mimewar]

Also, Nitrocellulose film is no longer used and ages poorly. Turns brittle over time. Also tastes sweet.

[@P_RO_]

Not-so-fun fact: In the earlier 20th century Afghan hill people reloaded rifle cartridges with shredded nitrocellulose film, as obtaining the proper smokeless powder was nearly impossible due to laws. It is essentially "Cordite", a single-base smokeless powder widely used by the UK through WW2 and beyond. AFAIK nobody figured out their ruse but I'm sure the government wondered why dirt-poor people were buying old movie films when their towns didn't have any cinemas. This is actually why so few really early cinema films exist today as there was no other market wanting them at the time.

[@Kitty-mb4hy]

@@P_RO_ thank you for sharing this sad fact.

[@walkingdeadjr]

Having the light bulb dangle all the way down by the floor was a BRILLIANT idea

[@teresaobrien4708]

Thank you, I've lived in Ohio all my life and never heard this. It's always interesting to me to discover little known historical tidbits of the state.

[@Ryies12]

It feels like the worst part about this was that the clinic did nothing wrong by the standards of the time. They were just the unlucky ones who's misfortune signaled that change was needed.

[@WouldntULikeToKnow.]

I see a comment like this on many of these videos but it's always true: "regulations are written in blood".

[@mayonnaiseeee]

Had to come see this, as to this day the Cleveland Clinic is always in the top 5 hospitals in the world up there with Mayo Clinic, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Mass General (Harvard), and a few others that rotate in. Hats off to Officer Ernest, what a hero.

[@kellysaunooke740]

It's amazing anyone survived at all.The officer is a hero and sacrificed his life to help others.

[@truecrime59]

These videos make me think of an archeological dig... Digging through the disaster layers of history, which have shaped the world - making it what it is today.

[@AnthonyHandcock]

A very interesting and tragic story I'd never heard about before. I encountered a load of nitro-cellulose x-rays when the company I worked for got the contract to store old x-rays that the hospital couldn't be bothered to sort. We were neither willing nor able to store them safely and the hospital weren't even aware they had them as they'd been repeatedly overlooked since god was a lad. I set alight to a few for the git and shiggles before they were disposed of and even though I knew nitro film was flammable I didn't realise how flammable. WHOOSH!

[@b-chroniumproductions3177]

There's a reason that nitrocellulose was first produced for artillery

[@AnthonyHandcock]

@@b-chroniumproductions3177 I think in the early days it was used for a lot of things, some rather silly, in that way that new things often are. I don't know if the stories about exploding billiard balls are true or just legend and, as they are a good "pub fact", I'm not going to check. If it's not true it should be and after three pints that's close enough.

[@LetsTalkAboutPrepping]

Hmmm I switched from a "down the rabbit hole" for this. 👍👍

[@madelainewinger7014]

I hadn't heard about this. That cop is a true hero. Excellent handling of very sensitive and tragic subject matter.

[@comput3rman77]

You should also look into doing a short documentary about the Hartford Hospital fire. Another incident which changed safety standards for hospitals worldwide.

[@jonesfamilyfarms9325]

I was raised in Columbus and my grandma went to the Cleveland clinic. I never realized this had happened

[@sandramitchell6689]

I didn't know about this until today. I went to Cleveland's pain clinic several years ago, it helped me a lot. Very interesting to know, amazing to see the original building still standing.

[@nhmooytis7058]

I grew up in Cleveland and my doc was there 1982-4 when I moved to CLE. It has hugely expanded since then.

[@marymckissick7926]

I recently discovered this channel and I’m loving the videos. I’m also a radiation safety professional (specifically in medical uses of radiation) so I got really excited when I saw the title of this video thinking oh what happened there that I don’t know about. I was both really surprised that the incident involved only the X-ray film and happy to know I hadn’t been completely unaware of some major radiation incident.

[@heidinolastname44]

Only tangentially related, but the Holiday Inn at Cleveland Clinic was one of the best hotels I've ever stayed in. You don't expect much from a Holiday Inn because it's a Holiday Inn, but that one was classy af and super clean. If you stay there, there's a bellhop who works two jobs and works his ass off. Can't remember his name but he will give you the BEST service. Tip him well.

[@gaywizard2000]

"Classy af"

[@TheBellmare]

I have heard that nitrocellulose film can spontaneously combust, as it naturally degrades. Huge collections of silent films have been lost forever to this...Thank you for doing these great documentaries!!

[@Scottocaster6668]

Being from Cleveland, I never knew this. No wonder it's the #1 cardiac center in the world!

[@Lady_Asylum]

I refreshed my subscription page just in time, I guess! Always love seeing your videos

[@davidschaadt3460]

Never heard of this ,Unreal.And fascinating

[@michaeltaylor1603]

Wow! So sad this happened. I was a projectionist. I ran "safety film" The early film WAS flammable. You could NEVER run the old school film in these projectors. They used Xenon bulbs (2,000 watts to 6,000 watts) Glad they learned from this.

[@Donde_Lieta]

I got my cancer treatments at Cleveland Clinic and basically lived there for 3 month during my transplant. I never heard of this before! I’m ready for this 😂

[@ScrewyGirl]

Great video. I'd never heard of this one. Ever think of covering the Hillsborough Disaster?

[@Queen-of-Swords]

I spent a day or so reading about similar accidents, you'd be surprised how many there were. For me, they are similar in character to the theme park incidents. Days out where people expected to have fun, which turned into tragedy. There was one at a ground called Burnden Park, the former Bolton Wanderers ground, there some 30+ people died and they were placed at the side of the pitch, with coats over their bodies, and the game was allowed to continue. That's really appalling. Ibrox was another. Of course HIllsborough cost many more lives, its even worse considering it was the culmination of many similar incidents. :(

[@sarahnelson5022]

William Mather had just gone through a disaster of his own. The Barnes Hecker mine disaster is part of our family lore because my husband’s grandfather missed dying because he had to drive his wife to the doctor that day.

[@stevengrotte2987]

When he said the type of film I knew it was bad news, that type of movie theater film burns really great.

[@Digthemadscientist]

Cellulose acetate is still used in guitar picks and paint .I have done stability test on guitar picks and let me tell you they are insanely flammable

[@michaelweiner1]

Another one close to home as i work for this employer and have been in parts of that structure which still stands. In fact we just opened Cleveland Clinic London recently :)

[@empresskrissy1527]

I have actually heard of this tragedy!! It's in a book I have about fires. So very sad. I love your channel.

[@auntkaz815]

One has to wonder how many lives were saved by the policy changes that were made due to this disaster. As tragic as it was, I’m glad it only had to happen once.

[@charlessaint7926]

The line, "...it carried Death." That sounds like the title to a book over this event.

[@randymarsh5088]

The Wikipedia page on the incident states despite multiple newspaper articles claiming otherwise, Ernest Staab survived the incident and went on to serve 25 more years on the force . A true hero .

[@dandougherty1475]

I'm aghast at what happened. One step back, but many steps forward! GOOD! Also, I would like to say that the commentary is great, because I can hear everything. I have perfect hearing ability. There's no music overtaking the commentary, and it makes for a great watch. Thanks! Peace and love. Dan.

[@Pulsatyr]

Nitrocellulose was once used to make billiard balls, too. That bright idea had to have come from Cleveland.

[@winterrenee]

As someone who lives & has grown up not very far from the Cleveland area, i’m really interested & shocked that i’d never heard of this before!

[@MollytheMammographer]

I don't miss film libraries but I do miss the dark room. I could go in there when my co-workers got on my nerves and the door had to be locked so no one could barge in and destroy film while processing. The good ole days!

[@Jigsaw33]

Lived in cleveland all my life and have recently been getting into the medical field, never knew this.

[@ellynbernardo5858]

Your stories really are fascinating, and that’s why they keep my attention

[@derekminns2332]

I never knew about this tragedy and I live in Cleveland and didn't know original Cleveland Clinic still open today

[@momv2pa]

Wow-never heard of this before. So many unsung heroes in this story. Incredible.

[@stevenwymor1398]

All film used to be nitrocellulose based. Nitrocellulose is the same compound used to make gun powder, so nitrocellulose films were extremely flammable and as the deteriorate, they can spontaneously self-combust. There were frequent fires in the early days of projected film as well, particularly with carbon arc projector bulbs or even if the film simply got stuck in the gate of the projector. It was eventually replaced by the new Kodak safety film which changed the base formulation from nitrocellulose to acetate. Both George Eastman House in Rochester, NY and The National Archives in Washington DC lost a huge selection of significant historical films in the late ‘70s due to the films spontaneously combusting.

[@rwdplz1]

Cleveland is also known for their excellent tourism videos

[@katherynrowell6937]

I am told One can see both of their buildings.

[@TrashRat45]

FUN TIMES IN CLEVELAND AGAIN, STILL CLEVELANNNND

[@jonesingforprosperity1964]

Wow!! This seems as significant as the Triangle Shirtwaist fire ... Why had I never heard of it? ... My father was a movie projectionist. If I recall correctly, IATSE (the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, their union) pushed for the development of less flammable film back in the day; it wasn't unusual for film to catch fire, and the door to the projection room would be closed to prevent its spread, sometimes trapping the projectionist inside.

[@reneedennis2011]

I never heard about this case. Thank you for this video.

[@SandlapperTours]

Ernest Staab, the heroic police officer, actually survived. He went on to live a very full life and worked for 25 more years as an officer and detective. Although he had continuous health problems his entire life from the gas and fumes. Big hole in this story and very easily remedied with proper research.

[@tonyawilson7922]

I've never heard this story before! Wow! Just so scary & so unfortunate! That gentleman that drug 21 people out before loosing his own life, is a true HERO! A true life saver, bless him. Such a selfless man! His family, while hurting from their loss, should be very proud!

[@jamesslick4790]

The Cleveland Clinic is considered the #2 of ALL hospitals in the US. (The Mayo Clinic is considered #1) Considering that there are about 7,000 hospitals in the US, That's one hell of an achievement! 👍👍

[@brunobucciaratiswife]

I go to this hospital regularly. So eerie to think that this happened here.

[@Father_Quant]

Cleveland also has one of the best burn units in the country. Coincidencidently.

[@alanbryant8457]

Thank You Fascinating Horror. I've learned about unbelievable events in United States I never knew. Also learned about events in other countries. All of these events has made changes to make our lives safer.

[@AK-jt7kh]

6:23 - Police Man Ernest Starpt He is the man who dragged 21 people to safety, and only several of them survived… Consider how fast he had to move to make that happen, and how much exertion it took to save so many people in so short a time? Carrying just one person to safety is more than the average person is capable of. This man carried (and or dragged/supported) twenty-one people in what must of been a shockingly short period of time. He deserves so much more than a news article. He deserves a statue. This man is a hero. His story moves me to tears, to be honest, and I don’t easily emote. I want to be the kind of person he is. I’ll probably never really have that kind of upper body strength - but I want to have that kind of courage. It’s a great tragedy we lost him during this crisis, but at least his life ended in a way that aligned with his greatness as a person. Why don’t we make movies about people like this?

[@johngavin1175]

What a terrible tragedy. Just found this channel. Very impressed so far!

[@Jesse-xz7br]

i never heard of this one before, goodness i love this channel

[@balthazzaarmontague8036]

1,500 views in 10 mins....not bad, FH. Not bad. :)

[@ithinkdoyou]

13k in an hour

[@ronaldlebeck9577]

When I was taking Inorganic Chemistry II at EOSC (Eastern Oklahoma State College) in Wilburton, OK, back in 1988, I was the lab assistant for our professor (he and I were about the same age and we were both military veterans -- he was in the Air Force and I was in the Navy). The Chem I class was working with halogens one day in their lab and I was helping out. When they were cleaning up after their experiments, one of the not-so-bright students decided to dump the contents of his group's labware -- instead of putting it in a waste bottle sitting inside one of the fume hoods with the vent fan going, the eejit dumped the contents into the sink at their lab bench and turned the water on to flush it down the drain. Immediately a brownish gas erupted (he had mixed bromine, chlorine, and iodine together in the sink like a damned fool after being specifically told NOT to do that). We had to evacuate two labs (they were connected with a small store room between and both doors were open). After getting all of the students out, I -- being an excellent swimmer and could hold my breath for just over two minutes -- went in and quickly raised the sashes on the fume hoods and flipped on the vent fans and then got to the windows. I got a breath at the first window and then got the others opened, and went into the other lab through the store room, closing the doors behind me, and doing the same in there. The fumes were coming out into the hallway under the door so one of the students stuffed his jacket against it, blocking the gap at the bottom. By the time I got out into the hallway, I was coughing from the irritation to my lungs, having caught some of the fumes while yelling for everyone to clear out. As soon as I got home after that (it was my last class for the day), my mom immediately smelled the stuff on my clothes and wanted to know what that stench was. I quickly explained and then headed for the bathroom, where I peeled out of my clothes and got into the shower. Afterwards, I tossed my clothes into the wash. My voice was raspy and I coughed a lot for several days after that. Not surprisingly, the same dumbsh*t did something else he was told specifically NOT to do when they were doing specific gravity measurements. He had an Erlenmeyer flask (500ml) full of water, all the way flush with the top, and then he set a rubber stopper on top. What he did that he was told not to do was put the filled flask on a lab stool and then pushed down on the stopper using both hands...and broke the flask, driving the broken edge into his hand. Water doesn't compress, which he found out the hard way. We had to get him bandaged up because he was bleeding quite a bit. He was one of those people who should just go home and stay there because he's too stupid to go outside. >.< I wouldn't doubt that since then he probably made himself a candidate for the Darwin Award.

[@carlstenger5893]

Yet another fascinating story. Thanks so much. I look forward to each episode.

[@mrbakerskatz]

Wow I was being treated for severe migraine in that old building , I had no idea but I remember a very erie feeling as I walked thru that building !

[@VladimirLorenzo-k4k]

Wow. I've worked at the clinic for years and never heard of this

[@bigwendigo2253]

There were some true heroes that reacted to this disaster and sacrificed their lives. I’m glad the Cleveland clinic was able to continue their work.

[@starpawsy]

It would be nice to have included a bit of a chemistry lesson on exactly what the poison gas was.

[@pjfoltz8810]

My husband and I love listening to these awful disasters. We are huge fans!