A Small Miracle (Part I)

March 30, 2001 Rome, New York, USA

This story and photography was originally printed in the Rome Sentinel Online earlier this month.  Our thanks go to Scott Gwilt of the Sentinel for sharing it with us, as well as Scoop reader John D. for the tip!

Timid and trembling, Tess steps from ruins just in time.

Minutes before crews were to begin tearing down the charred ruins of the North George Street apartment building Monday, a small wonder happened.

"Tess," a smoky and wet Yorkshire Terrier, slowly stepped her way out of the front door and onto the porch steps of the collapsing hulk.  To onlookers, it was a bright spot out of the fire that claimed the life of one man. For the dog's owner, it was later a joyful reunion.

The early morning fire at 408 N. George St., a multi-apartment building, swept quickly through the brick structure, sending confused occupants into the streets. 

One resident, Alan R. Scheideman, died in the fire as dawn broke. The other residents made it out safely.  One resident, Annette Dow, managed to make it out with one dog but another pet was lost.

As firefighters continued to douse the last of the flames, a decision was made to tear the unstable building down.  Nearly eight hours after the fire had started, as NiMo utility crews worked to turn off the underground gas line, the terrier timidly exited the building.

Contractors were minutes away from razing it.  The disheveled little dog waited on the porch before being scooped up by a firefighter and handed to a police officer.  The patrolman then contacted Animal Control Officer Jeanne Waite.

"It was wet and smelled like smoke," Waite said, but other than that "it had no obvious injuries."  The dog also was breathing normal and was walking fine, she added.

Waite went to the Rome chapter of the American Red Cross to find its master, and then brought the dog to the owner where she was staying at a local motel.

Dow "was very happy," Waite said. The dog which is an older animal, "seemed shaky but as soon as it saw its owner, it stopped shaking.

"The dog is named for the angel in the television show Touched by an Angel.  In this incident, 'It was touched by an angel,' Waite said.

"They thought it had died," Waite said. "How it survived, I don't know."

Dow also has a pet Pomeranian dog which is staying with her at the motel and "Tess" is staying with Dow's sister, according to Carole B. Glinski, executive director of the Rome chapter of the American Red Cross.

©2001 Rome Sentinel Inc., Rome, NY, USA.

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