New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-11-21

Shortly after , o'clock yesterday after.
noon the City was agitated by the report OF /,
most dreadful catastrophe at Ward School Ma
IS, IN Greenwich.ayenue. near Jefferson Mark.,
Al first, by a singular reyersion of the usual
form of rumor, not half the truth was told il
was reported down town that the stairs Of the
school.house had given way and that dozen
children were killed This was enough to startle al
the residents Of that section OF the City who were
away from home, and all sorts Of vehicles were At
once summoned to convey them 10 the scene of Ae
disaster.
Before we go farther let us briefly state the
nature and extent of the disaster
One Of our reporters writes II as follows
The causes OF this fearful catastrophe we give a
truthfuy could be ascertalned on the spot, amid
the great excitement and dense crowd that for houn
pervaded the IXth Ward Police Station, where mos
of the mangled and dead were taken to be recog.
nized by their heart-broken parents. The 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 the play-room Of
the scholars. The Primary Department occupied
the second floor the third floor was used by the
more advanced scholars, and the front served As
"A lecture room and was used at the examinations OF
the school.
Itappears that abou, O'Clock one ofthe teachers,
Miss Harrison, was taken with a faintng 1T, and
cry for water was instantly made by some OF the
children who were standing near her. This cry
was mistaken for that of fire, and the whole room
was instantly alive with the cry Of" IRE fire " The
children all rose en- masse and rushed for the door
The alarm given to the other rooms on the same
floor, and communicated to those of the Principal OF
the school and his assistants who occupied NE
third floor, and 1t was generally believed BY
all that the building was on IRE ana accord
ngly all rushed for the doors OF their respective
rooms Mr. McNuly immediately placed himself
in front OF the door Of his own room, and forbade
any of his scholars to leave, and we hear that one OF
the other teachers did the same. The children o.
the other departments rushed out of the doors Of
their respective rooms, and down the stairs, which
were built IN a spiral form, and commencing on the
ground floor carried up to the fourth story The
bannister of this stair gave way about thirty feet
above the ground floor and precpitated hundreds oil
the children 10 the tagging Of the first hoor killing
and managing a large number. The news of the
dreadful occurrence spread like the wind through
the neghborhood, and hundreds OF parents and
friends rushed to the school honse to hear the tdgs
of the safety or loss of their little ones. The crowd
was dense in very short time, that 1t was win
great difficulty that the Police, headed by Capt.
Lovett and his assistants, Capt. TAFT and Sesbrlns,
could remove the wounded and dying and dead from
the building Many OF these were recognized by
their parents and friends and taken to their homes
the names of such could not ascertain, but we
append the names of those who were removed to the
Ninth Ward Police Station and thence TO the resi-
dences of their afflicted parents.
We will here state more fully the cause Of
the first alarm Miss Abby Harrison. Principal
OF the Female Department, has been slightly
indlsposed for few days, but considered herself
quite able to attend to her arduous duties. Al
u o'clock, while she was hearing the Rotations
of a large class, she was attacked with mo-
mentary paralysis Of the tongue she tired to speak,
but only made an unintelgibIe noise in her eeor
to speak her face was drawn into dsagreeabls
contortions, and her pupils became frightened think
ing that she was fainting. Hence the cry for "wa
ter" and Immediately aiteTward OF fire." and the
consequent rush for the doors. Miss Harrison re.
manned all the while comparatively helpless, and
could do nothing to check the alarm.l
The alarm spread. The fire bells tollcd. The
Police of the Ninth Ward (only hundred yards dis
tanD rushed to the spot the iremen we're there IN
moment but It was very different thing from FIRE
that called for their services. When they first ar
rived, the children were still throwing themselves
down the starways a hundred were piled IN fright
ful destruction at the bottom the very doorway was
bancaded with pile Of dead and wounded
Help was sent for the police and hremen rushed
up the stairs and forced the frightened children
back statione a guard, and then returned to save
the wounded and dying.
At this time the news began 10 spread, and parents
and friends came IN breathess haste to the place
and the heartrending scene which followed baffes
description. As each lifecss or wounded body was
borne 10 the stationhouse, 1t would be followed bya
dense crowd OF persons. all striving 10 assure them
selves that It was not their relative, and whom some
distracted mother recognized the bleeding form Of
her beloved child her shrieks OF agony enough
to move the stoutest heart to fearful pity.
But We need not dwell upon these painful scenes
They continued up TO a late hour Of the night, until
the fate Of all had been ascertaned.
The result Of this awful catastrophe, as nearly As
We can ascertain, is as follows
The number Of children KILLED IS FORTY
FOUR or FORTY-FIYE
The number positively known to be woundedn
more than SIXTY, of whom give the names d
the greater portion.
The following are the names and residences ofsae
killed ard wounded
KILLED.
/. Anna {. Thorp residence rot known
9. Henry Abbot, No. 745 Washington ST., yearso'd
3. Morris Walden, No SIS Iiammond-st.
4. Sarah Levy, No. IL Charles-st
3. CatharIne Reynolds No A. Charles-st.
6. One in Charles.st., name not known.
:. Eliza O'Neil, No. l23 Peny.st.
s. Margaret Harper No. l35 Yves. ThitsensA'a'
l0years.
g. Mary Penchard, No. $40 West seyenteensh-a-
TO- Harriet Howell, No. s. Twenty-nInth-st.
H. Julia Delano, No. coo Greenvich-st., 10 years
r. Archy Van Tassell, No 6Gs Greenwich st., !"
years.
10. Miss Brown Nineteenth-st. between Eish'n anu
Nlnth-ays.
IL Anna M.vv Hin No -4- WaShinstOn. St, 10 yfs