Semi-weekly Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1851-1852, 1851-12-02
HORRIBLE AND FATAL CALAMITY. s.

HORRIBLE AND FATAL CALAMITY. :
Fify Children killed! and Forty.nine IN.
juredl-One of the most distressing calamltles
that ever visited this city, occurred yesterday
afternoon. between 2 and 3 o'clock, at the
Ward.school house No. 26, in Greenwich ave.
nue., not far from Jefferson Market. We were
upon the spot short time after the accident &C.
Cured but cannot convey to the reader any
adequate conception of the excitement and an
puish and desolation of the heart-rendlng
scene. Fifty children, or upward, were killed.
and forty.nine were more or less severely
wounded. There were | 1893 children, OF both
sexes. in the school at the time, of whom about
six hundred were in the female department.
The school house is large, FIVE story, bIlck
building, the basement being level with the
street. and forming in facta tagged playground
for the children, the building being so construct
ed that the children can play either in the olcn
ward, or run for shelter underneath the school
house. The four floors above are reached by
a winding. or what is technically called a swell
staircase. the bottom Of the well Or terminus oI
the staircase being upon the tagged floor Of
the basement, and about ten feet square IL eX.
tent. 1t was by precipitation into this well
that so many of the children were killed, many
of them by suffocaton alone
Miss Harrison, one of the teachers of the t.
male department. who had been for some days
indisposed. was seized with fainting-some Of
the morning papers say with paralysis, but we
were not SO informed, and a call for water was
raised by some Of the children near her. The
cry for "watcr" seems to have given rise to the
idea that something had caught fire, and this
alarm spread so rapidly that before any l'rc'e"I
tive measures c"nlI he TAKEN me MAJ" Do"T o'
the scholars rusked toward the door ana
scene OF indcscrihabie confusion and hitor
succeeded. This department was Ill the 'h'Fo
story, its elevatoa from the tagged lloor being
about thirty feet.
In the rush some children were forced over
the bansters Of the stair cases, aud falling up
on the flags below were manglcd ana instantly
killed The panic spread also through the 9th.
departments OF the sclooi, inclua'ns the maze
department on the fourth floor, and under lhe
augmented pressure the hallustrades from the
foot to point above the second story gave way
or were forced out, ana the chlinTeh us '!iey
eagerly rushed forward we're instantly Pfe''l'-
tated into the we'll oil the STAR case Tue upper
most smotherng or suiiocatihs tnoSe WI" lay
heneath. Before the current c"uld De arrgS!'"'
the well was ililed win tle oooes '' e"'"''''
to the depth OF about e'ght feet' -, -. .,
At this Juncture the alarm reached 1'le ,>l'''' !,
Ward station house. the hire be'l was ru's' anu
detachment Of police hurried 10 Tie Sce"".-
Here new dihcn ty presented Nsci'' nc
afternoon session OF the school having com
menced, the main outer doors, which open II pom
the loot ofEe stairs had been closed Against
these the afirightcd children were wedgea IN
masses and as the doors open inward 1t was
some time before relIef could ne gwen mem
We know not why The doors OIL Puolc Iu''n'
ings are not IN all caSeS'';.ue 10 open o"'"a"S'
lives '"' p''to ~ l;.l ,;.lL L,J,
Hauce oy " ie'' "o"'' " " -, .III