Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-12-01
The New Work kCalastrOphc


the building occupied as Ward School &c,
gives a clear and ip!elligible "--ernt the
| dwul calamity which betel large mum.
Der of children attending one of the free
schools in new York Thursday evening:
THURSDAY Evening, Nov. 20, 1851.
MEssRs EpIroHs: take an opportunity
to give you few facts in regard to the sad
and fatal calamity which occurred this af.
ternoon at Ward School 26, situated in
Greenwich avenue. at the head of Chsrlcs
street The accident happened about 9
o'clock, and the circumstances are as fol
lows:
There were, at the time, about eighteen
hundred children in the three departments
The principal ofthc Female Department
while engaged in teaching, suddenly fell
PROSTATE in fauting 6t The young la
dies were much excited and alarmed. and
gave utterunce TO their fears in shrieks and
cries and many Them rushed into the adj
joining apartments.
The children Of the three departments,
hearing these screams, and supposing
that the building was on fire. became so
troll over them, and then general rush
was made for the door. The children Of
the primary department filled the first
flight Of stairs, and the entry below SO close
ly that the doors. which opened inward
would not be opened. The children of the
Female Department, rushing out, were
soon checked by the jam below. and the
II. Al
gave way for two flights. and the children
upon them were precipitatcd upon the
heads Of those below, some Of them falling
fifteen feet. The scene which ensued is
beyond all description. The children were
piled Unfortunately, in an area Of abou,
ten feet, to the height Of nearly as many
feet moro, where many were smothered or
otherwise killed.
The boys from the Male Department
rushed down the back stairs, and were
stopped by door,which like those in front
opened inward, and the back stairs pre-
| sented a scene similar TO that in the front
entry, and one or two were fatally injured
here. Many boys lcaped from the win
dows-some ofthem from the second sto-
ry The bells were rung, and the streets
in front were soon filed with distracted pa
rents, and the excitement IN and around
the building was immense.
The whole and sole cause fths melan-
choly casualty was simply the faintIng Of
the teacher and the cries and shricks Of the
members ofherclass, which were mistaken
by the other scholars in the building. ns an
| alarm Of fire, and which SO suddenly filed
them with fear, that the teachers lost all
control over them, and could not prevent
| the rush to the doors.
A TEACHER IN TIE HunDySc.
As already stated, the lIleless bodies Of
| fifty one children had been removed from
the scene ofthe horrible calamity. tothc po-
lice station in the vicinity where they were
claimedby their parents and friends. The
greater number ofthe children died from sui-
foca,ion-no external marks Of violence
appearing upon their bodies. Some few
however. were sadly mutilated--so much
so as 20 render their identity doubtful. II
is supposed that about sixty or seventy
children, were wounded by the accident
but the exact number will probably ncvel
be known, because their parents bore tn,
little sufferers away to their homes as sooi
as they were recognised. Tho victim
were mostly little girls from six to fourteen
years old.