Saturday marks another grim anniversary for the disaster at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, marking 40 years since two of the 32-ton elevated walkways collapsed during an evening tea dance, resulting in 114 deaths and an additional 200 injuries.
The tragedy unfolded on July 17, 1981, and the next issue of The Chronicle told how the disaster had hit close to home: “Jewish Community Hit Hard By Hyatt Regency Hotel Tragedy” read the front page headline over the story written by editor Milton Firestone.
The story reported the deaths of three members of the Jewish community: Robert S. Jonas, 56, a religious school teacher at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah, and the father of two children; Steven Hershman, 59, a father of two children; and Paul William “Pete” Winett, 38, the father of three children.
Firestone also detailed the injuries to Sol Koenigsberg and his wife, Rosette. Koenigsberg was executive director of Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City at the time. Rosette Koenigsberg was treated for shock, cuts and bruises before being released from Trinity Lutheran Hospital on the Sunday following the disaster.
Her husband suffered fractures of two vertebrae in his lower back and a severely fractured left knee that required reconstructive surgery.
Sol Koenigsberg died late last year at age 96. Rosette died in 2014.
Firestone also recounted how then-Kansas City Mayor Richard Berkley, an active member of the Jewish community, left a dinner party at his home upon learning of the disaster.
“He took part in early rescue efforts, comforting the bereaved and wounded and the injured and gathering information to give to members of the news media, who quickly assembled in Kansas City from the entire country,” the story said.
Another member of the Jewish community affected by the skywalk collapse was Steve Miller, who was conducting the orchestra at the time of the tragedy. Firestone reported that Miller narrowly avoided being struck by the falling skywalks, though one of his trumpet players broke an arm, and a trombone player was cut by glass.
The story said Miller had felt an “overwhelming sadness” that his music had proved so popular that it had attracted the crowds that led to the tragedy.
Sol Koenigsberg reflected on the night and its aftermath during the July 2015 groundbreaking for a memorial to the victims of the tragedy, an event covered by The Chronicle. The memorial is a work by local Jewish artist Rita Blitt.
“We were right under the skywalks when they collapsed,” Koenigsberg said. “I eventually recovered from serious injuries but Rosette never did and suffered from post-traumatic syndrome until she died.”
