DOCTORS COMPLETE OPERATION AT BROOKLYN HOSPITAL WHILE NEARBY WING IS ON FIRE
New York City (JFK+50) On April 23, 1924, a major operation on a woman at St. Mary's Hospital* in Brooklyn was performed by surgeons "while 200 patients were being removed from a wing in which a fire was burning."
Dr. George Owens and Dr. John T. Flynn observed smoke coming from the roof of the hospital wing just 30 feet away as their patient lay on the operating table.
Undeterred, the doctors completed the operation while nurses kept close watch on the progress of the fire. Firefighters arrived on the scene and determined that damage to the hospital wing was minimal.
*St. Mary's Hospital, 170 Buffalo Avenue, Brooklyn, NY served the area since the 1870s but was rebuilt in 1979. Supported by the Catholic church, SMH provided care for people without insurance but was forced to close in 2005,
SOURCES
"Doctors Conduct Operation While Hospital Burns," The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., April 23, 1924, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/
"Louther, Kevin and Clio Admn. "Saint Mary's Hospital," Clio: Your Guide to History, November 30, 2016, Accessed April 23, 2024, https://theclio.com/entry/24710
