Edward Flatow 1878 - 1931

Edward C. Flatow (1878–1931)

“By a Barrier of Flames”

Here lies Edward C. Flatow, a man whose life included a moment of extraordinary courage and survival—one that briefly made newspaper headlines in North Tonawanda.

In the early morning hours of March 25, Edward was working as a night watchman, stationed in a small shanty on Payne Avenue, guarding a home quarantined for smallpox. At the time, contagious disease was feared deeply, and watchmen like Flatow stood long, lonely shifts to protect the public.

Edward was a one-legged man, relying on an artificial limb, which he had removed while resting inside the shanty. Just after 5 a.m., an oil stove exploded, instantly filling the small structure with fire. Trapped inside, Edward threw a carpet over the stove and managed to hurl the burning heater out of the building, suffering severe burns to his face and arms. His hair and eyebrows were scorched away as flames surged higher.

Before he could reach his artificial leg, fire blocked the doorway completely. With no clear escape and help still minutes away, Edward made a desperate decision. Using a hammer, he knocked down part of the wall and crawled out through the opening, collapsing nearby from exhaustion and injury. Neighbors, responding to his cries, found him barely conscious. A physician was summoned, and Edward was taken home to recover.

He survived the fire—but the scars of that morning, both physical and unseen, likely followed him for the rest of his life.

Edward died in 1931, at the age of 53, and is buried beside Carolina Christgau, marked simply as Mother. Together, their stones quietly reflect lives shaped by hardship, endurance, and family bonds.

Edward C. Flatow’s grave reminds us that courage does not always come on a battlefield or in moments of glory. Sometimes, it appears in the dark, alone, behind a wall of flames—with only a hammer, determination, and the will to live.