Tyler, Texas – Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler, Texas, opened its doors a day early to provide assistance to the mass casualties and injuries resulting from a tragic gas explosion in New London.
On March 18, 2024, at 3:17 p.m., the somber notes of Taps echoed in New London, Texas, marking 87 years to the minute since a devastating gas explosion took the lives of nearly 300 people and injured many others at a local school. The explosion in 1937 remains the third deadliest disaster in the history of the Lone Star State.
The victims of the tragic event were honored with the playing of Taps, a tune typically reserved for patriotic ceremonies and military funerals, during the memorial service held on Monday afternoon. Cross markers at the Cenotaph in New London stand as a tribute to the hundreds of students who lost their lives that day, their names engraved in stone as a lasting memory.
Sister Malgorzata Majszczyk, also known as Sister Margo, a chaplain at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Hospital, recounted the harrowing experiences of the sisters who responded to the devastating tragedy. The sisters, she explained, worked tirelessly to care for the injured, many of whom were children covered in bandages and struggling with broken bones.
The gas explosion was triggered by odorless natural gas seeping into the school building, ignited by a spark from an electric sander in a classroom shop. The resulting explosion caused the partial collapse of the school building, trapping many students beneath the rubble.
Despite the challenges faced by the community in 1937, the hospital’s staff and volunteers rallied together in a remarkable display of solidarity and compassion. Medical professionals from across the region came to the aid of Mother Frances Hospital, offering their expertise and assistance to help treat the injured.
As Sister Majszczyk reflected on the events of that fateful day, she emphasized the unwavering faith and dedication of the sisters who tended to the wounded with love and compassion. The hospital’s historical markers serve as a reminder of the bravery and selflessness demonstrated by all those who responded to the tragedy, embodying the spirit of unity and resilience that defines the community to this day.