In March of 1973 I was just short of my 18th birthday and still living in Baltimore. Instead of showing up for my senior year of high school (had the highest number of unexcused absences in the junior year) I was attending the Community College of Baltimore, where I worked at the campus radio station, WBJC-FM. At the same time I was interning at WCBM radio (Bob “Smoke” Shilling, who sometimes checks out STATter911.com, was the news director).
My interest in the fire service was growing. While at CCB I was taking a fire science course along with my radio and TV curriculum. Around that time I somehow talked Baltimore City Fire Department Chief Thomas Burke into letting me spend a few weeks riding with his department. He set me up with Peter O’Connor who was then Battalion Chief 2 and later chief of the department. While up until then I was only interested in the fire service as a buff, the time spent at Engine 6′s quarters convinced me I might want to try doing this stuff.
I read everything I could get my hands on about the fire service and began saving articles about significant incidents. One of those that caught my eye was from a place called Bailey’s Crossroads. I had never heard of it. But what happened there on Friday, March 2, 1973 was making big news. A middle section of a 26-story building under construction as part of the Skyline complex had collapsed. It took the lives of 14 workers and injured more than 30 others. This occurred well before Fairfax County had an urban search and rescue team.
The reporter on the film is the legendary Mike Buchanan, one of the best reporters the TV business has ever seen. Mike was also instrumental in getting me hired at Channel 9.
I now live just down the street from the high-rise canyon that is Skyline. Through the blog I have gotten to know two people who lived in the area at the time. Both are now retired from the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department and should be familiar names to STATter911.com readers.
From Firegeezer Bill Schumm:
At the time, Co. 10 Bailey’s was still in the old firehouse on Rte.7 not far from the site. Two friends of mine (one of them Capt. Jim Small mentioned at the start of the tape) were working that day. They were in the firehouse when somebody came racing up to the bay door telling them that the new building just collapsed. They didn’t believe him and kinda gave it the “yeah, sure” treatment and started laughing it off. Then the tones hit.
I didn’t work in that part of town, so never responded to the call. But I got up there a couple of days later with my 35mm. camera and got some good slides of the thing. They’re still around here somewhere, I think.
Harry Diezel was working at the training center then and he told me about loading up the recruit class on the bus and going down there to search for victims. They used a technique where the whole group would stand along the top of the collapsed debris and everybody would simultaneously stomp on the concrete while yelling. Then at a signal, all would stop and there would be total silence on the entire work site while people would listen for any kind of a response from underneath. Never got any, though.
From FossilMedic Mike Ward:
I would occasionally play cards at a buddy’s house. We were sophomores. His parent’s house was just north of Route 7, in the shadow of the high rise complex. We hung out at the scene while the sun set Friday night.
Three or four ambulances were lined up on Leesburg Pike with their rear doors open. The drama was offset when I realized that they were shut down. With 19 months as a VFD weekend warrior, it was the first major, multi-jurisdictional event I witnessed. Not much was going on so we went back to his house.
Around midnite I went back to the scene. A DCFD jeep with a portable generator had a floodlight focused on the corner of the smaller section of the building. About 2 am I was in the crowded Krispy Kreme, listening to conversations.
Also on STATter911 …
- UPDATE Breaking news: Early reports of 24 dead in Joplin, Missouri tornado. Hospital hit. Two fire stations lose roofs. Fire & police radio traffic. Video. – May 22, 2011
- Must see videos: Collapse of large apartment building in Astrakhan, Russia. At least 8 dead after natural gas explosion. – February 28, 2012
- Slowly I turn: Niagara Falls fire chief canned over comments posted on Baltimore officers union website. – February 8, 2011
- UPDATED – Early video of house explosion: Fairfax County firefighters responding to leak when natural gas blast levels home in Chantilly, Virginia. – December 20, 2010
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I was in the Air Force, stationed at Ft. Meyer, VA. at the time. I remember this event, and have thought of it several times in the years since. I didn’t know I was to get involved in the volunteer fire service 3 years later, but now have 34 years of service behind me. I honor all the brothers and sisters who have gone before us, facing situations like this collapse with nowhere near the tools and training we have nowadays. God bless them all, and us.
I was a volunteer at “Busy Baileys” from 1970 to 1978. I remember this event well. I spent every evening for 2 weeks at the site or on standby at Co. 10. I am still involved in the fire service as a volunteer dispatcher in New Jersey.
My father was one of those killed in this collapse. I was 4 years old and my brother was 7. To this day, I do not feel that those who were responsible for this disaster that changed so many lives were ever brought to justice.
My Father was killed in this accident. I was born in January and he was killed in March. I never got the joy of growing up and knowing my father. I completly agree that the people who were responsible for this horrific disaster got off and never held responsible destorying so many lives.
Very sorry to hear that.
Dave Statter
While working at Baileys Crossroad Fire station 10 we found the old station log for 1973. The initial call for the Skyline building collapse was never entered in the logbook, we assume due to the magnitude of the call. We sadly found entries in the days following the collapse of our ambulance returning to the scene for body recovery.
I know this is an old report. But I'm wondering if this building collapse had anything to do with the development of Virginia Task Force 1, based in Fairfax County? Do you know?
All best