The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1851-12-02
CFrom the New York Tribune !
AWFUL CALAMITY!
FORTY-FIVE CHILDREN KILLED
A HUNDRED WOUNDED,

Shortly after 2 O'Clock yesterday afternoon
the City was agitated by the report of most
dreadful catastrophe at Ward School No. 26,
| in Greenwch-avenue, near Jefferson Market
! A. frst, ---:-ei .siS.s 0r u-uui
| form of rumor, not half the truth was told; il
was reported dnsn town hat the stairs OF the
school house had given way and that dozen
children were killed This was enough to
startle all the residents of the City who were
away from home, and all sorts of vehicles were
at once summoned to convey them to the scene
| of tho disa tor. tss+f
Before we go farther let us briefly state the
nature und extent oftnc disaster.
Ono Of our reports writes it as follows:
| The causes of this fearf0l catastrophe we
| give as truthly as could be ascertuined on the
| spot, anid tho great excitement and dense
crowd that for hours pervaded the IXth Ward
| Police Station, where most OF the mingled aud
dead were taken to be recognized by their
heart. .broken parents Tho building where
| the catastrophe happened is four stories high,
the basement, which is on level with the
street is paved with flag stones. and is tho
play-room of the scholars. the Pnmary De-
RssEsnspt Sssapsd ,f5 qn5sST STH Hegd ssn5iaifiss,
| and tho front served os u lecture room and
| was used at the examination of the school.
| IL appears that about o'clock one OF the
| teachers, Miss Harrison, was taken with a
| fainting fit. and cry for wator wcs instantly
made some Of The children who were stan-
ding near her. -'i'his cry was mistaken for
that OF fire, and tho whole room was instantly
alive with the cry of sire! fire!' The children
all ruse en- masse and rushed for the door
| The alarm wax given TO ,hoother rooms on the
| samo floor, and communicated to those OF the
Principal OF the school and his assistants who
occupied the third floor. and it was generally
believed by all that the building was on ire
and accordingly all rushed f'r the doors OF
their respective rooms.' Mr.. McNully imme-
diately placed himself in front of Tho door of
his own room. and forbade any OF his scholars
to leave and we hear that ono OF the other
teachers did the same The children Of the
other departments rushed out of tho doors Of
their respective rooms, and down the stairs,
which were built in a spiral form, and conmen-
cling on the ground floor was carried up to the
| fourth story. The bannister Of this stair gavo
way about thirty feet above the ground door
and preciptated hundreds of the children to
the tagging of the first floor killing and mang-
| ling aige number. The news OF the droad-
| ful occurrence spread like the wind through tho
neigbborhood. and hundreds OF parents and
| friends rushed to tho sohool-house to hear the
tidngs of the safety or loss OF their little ones.
Tho crowd was so dense in very short time,
headed by Capt Lovett and his assistants.
Capt. Taft and Seabring, could remove tho
wounded ard dying and dead from tho bs'iding
Many of theso were recognized by their parents
and friends and taken to their homes lne names
of such we could not asIertain, but we append
the names of those who were removed 10 the
Fmth Ward Police Station, and thence to the
residence of their afflicted parents,
tWe viii here state more fully the cause "f
tho first alarm. Mss Abby Harrison, Prin-
cipal of the Fouialo Department, has been Sill
rhtIy indisposed for few days, but consider
ed herself quito ablo to attend her arduous
dutiesr At 24 clock while she was nearing
the rocitations of large class, sho was attack
| cd with a momentary paralysis of tho tongue;
she tried to speak, but ouly mudo an nnintelll-
gibe noise; il her effort to speak her face was
drawn into disagrceabe contortons, and her
pupils became frightened. thinking that she
was fain,ing Hence the cry for'water,' and
immedia,ly ufterward Of "hrc,' and tho con-
seouent rush for the doors. Miss Harrison re-
NAMED all tho while comparatively helpless, and
couli do nothing to check the alarm :.
The alarm spread. The tre bells tollcd.--
Tho Police of tho Ninth Ward (only hun
dred Yards distant) rushed to the spot; the
6remen were in moment, but was very diff
fercnt thing from fire that called for their SER
vices. When thoy first arrived, the cl'ildren
were still throwing themselves down the STAR
ways; hundred woro piled in frighful de-
struction at the bottom; the very doorway was
barricadcd with pile of dead and wounded.
Help was sont for; the police and iiremen
rushed up tho stairs and forced tho frightened
children back. stationed guard, aod then 70
turned to ssve the wounded and dying
At this time the news hegan to spread. and
| parents and friends cAmc in breathless haste to
the place aud the heart rending scene which
followed battles description. As oach lifeloss
or wounded body was borne to the Station.
house. it would bo followed by dense crowd
of persons, al. striving TO assure themselves
that IL was not their relatives, and when some
distracted child, her shrieks of agony we're
enough to move tho stontest heart to tearfaI
pity
But we necd not dwell upon these painful
scenes. They continued up 10 lato hour oil
tho night. until tho fato Of all had been ascor-
tninod
Tho result Of this awful catastrophe, as noar-
! Iy as we can ssccrsain. IL as follows:
Tho number Of children KILLED is FOR.