The year Christmas cried

Christmas holds many memories but there was a time in terre haute when Christmas brought back a memory of horror and heroism.
News 10's Mark Allen has the story of 'The year Christmas cried'.

18 YEAR OLD CLAUDE HERBERT DIDNT LOOK LIKE SANTA CLAUS...OR A HERO, BUT AS YOUR ABOUT TO SEE...CLAUDE HERBERT BECAME BOTH.
CLAUDE HAD JUST RETURNED HOME TO TERRE HAUTE FROM MILITARY DUTY.
HE TOOK A JOB AS SANTA CLAUS..HERE AT HAVENS AND GEDDES DEPARTMENT STORE ON WABASH AVENUE.
BUSTLING SHOPPERS PACKED DOWNTOWN DECEMBER 19TH.
SIX DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
NO WAY OF KNOWING WHAT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.
FIVE FIFTEEN PM.
A LIGHT BULB BURST IN A SHOWROOM WINDOW.
FIRE BREAKS OUT IN THE STORE.
HUNDREDS PANIC...RUNNING OR JUMPING FOR THEIR LIVES.
TRAPPED IN THE LOWER LEVEL...40 TERRIFIED LITTLE CHILDREN AND CLAUDE HERBERT.
CLAUDE CRIED OUT TO THE KIDS...JOIN HANDS..SANTA WILL HELP YOU.
THROUGH FIRE AND SMOKE AND SCREAMS...CLAUDE HERBERT LED 40 CHILDREN OUT OF THE BURNING BUILDING TO SAFETY.
BUT OUR STORY DOESNT END THERE.
LOCAL HISTORAIN MIKE MCCORMICK.
'A WOMAN WHO WAS AT THE DEPARTMENT STORE HAD LOST HER CHILD...AND WAS SCREAMING.
AND HERBERT REACTED TO HER REQUEST".
CLAUDE RUSHED BACK DOWN THE STAIRS.
THERE HE FOUND 3 YEAR OLD NETTIE WELCH CURLED UP IN SANTA'S CHAIR.
SHE KNEW SANTA WOULD COME FOR HER.
CLAUDE DELIVERED NETTIE TO HER MOTHERS ARMS.
SEVERELY BURNED NOW...AND CHOKING FROM SMOKE...THE CROWD TRIED TO HOLD CLAUDE BACK...BUT HIS LOVE FOR THE CHILDREN WAS STRONGER THAN HIS FEAR OF DEATH.
'HE TOOK OFF HIS SANTA CLAUS OUTFIT AND WENT BACK IN TO UH, FIND MORE'.
THIS TIME CLAUDE RAN TOWARD THE ROOFTOP TOWARDS TWO STRANDED CHILDREN.
THE KIDS IN THE MEANTIME HAD JUMPED TO SAFETY.
THEN...AN EXPLOSION.
THE BUILDING COLLAPSES.
EVERYONE KNEW CLAUDE HERBERT HAD DIED SAVING THE CHILDREN.
BY DUSK...A SILENT NIGHT HAD FALLEN ACROSS THE TOWN.
ONLY THE CHURCHES WERE CROWDED.
TEARFUL FAMILIES SAID THANK YOU TO CLAUDE HERBERT THE ONLY WAY THEY KNEW.
WHEN WE HEARD THE STORY OF CLAUDE HERBERT...WE WERE REMINDED OF THAT OTHER 'SAINT NICK'.
AND HIS LOVE FOR CHILDREN.
I SUPPOSE WE ALL NEED A REMINDER OF ONCE IN A WHILE OF JUST HOW GOOD MANKIND CAN BE.
AND WHAT BETTER TIME THAN CHRISTMAS...OR WHAT BETTER REMINDER THAN CLAUDE HERBERT.
A TERRE HAUTE TEENAGER WHO TOOK A CHILD BY THE HAND...AND TOOK A NATION BY THE HEART.
BY NEXT MORNING...TERRE HAUTE'S HERO MADE FRONT PAGE NEWS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
BACK HOME...THE FOLKS HERE BUILT A 7 FOOT MONUMENT TO CLAUDE.
KIDS CAME UP WITH THE IDEA AND SAVED THEIR PENNIE TO PURCHASE IT.
THERE WAY OF MAKING SURE WE NEVER FORGOT THEIR HERO.
BUT TIME PASSES...AND AFTERALL, IT HAPPENED A VERY LONG TIME AGO.
WE JUST THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW HOW IT ALL CAME ABOUT.
THE YEAR FOLKS WATCHED A MIRACLE ON WABASH AVENUE.
THE YEAR SANTA SAVE THE CHILDREN.
'THE YEAR CHRISTMAS CRIED'.
Claude Herbert died on December 19th, 1898.
His memorial currently stands between the Vigo County Courthouse and Terre Haute City Hall.