The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-11-24

4 Nearly 6,ly Children Killed, and forty or my
Wounded Melancholy Scenes an GreenWich
Avenue DC, &c, Dc
One of the most lamentabie occurrences that
we have ever been called on to record, took
place ut Ward school No. rs, in Greenwich
avenue opposite Charles street. yesterday after
noon, when nearly fifty children lost their lives,
and many more were severly injured That, IN
all probability, they will not recover. We will
give the facts Of the at once, and AS briefly
as possible The school house is magnificent
four story edfce, with winding staircase from
the first floor to the upper landing. This stair
way is not spiral, bat is formed of short flights
of stairs winding round square WELL The
first or ground floor is used as play ground for
the scholars, and is paved with flag stones The
second story Of the building is occupied by the
primary department of the institution; in the
third story is the female department of the
upper school, and in the fourth story the male
department. The entrance to each Of the school
rooms is from the landings of the stairs The
outer side of the stairs was guarded by an or
binary wooden bannister, of no great height, and
not firmly secured at the bottom, or where the
balusters were connected with the stairs This
description of the stairway will enable the reader
better to understand what foil ows At about
two o'clock yesterday afternoon, one of the
teachers in the female department Miss Har-
rison, was taken with fainting fit, and in order
to her recovery she was carried outinto the pas
sage way, where a cry was raised of "water
water! !" by one Of her companions. This cry
was not understood, or else the scholars thought
that the water was wanted to extinguish fire,
and the next moment the cry of fire - was
raised, and spread like wildfire through the
building. In a moment subOrdination was at
an end The children from the primary depart
ment rushed to the airs as did also the scholars
on the floor above them.
The stairway was soon filed, and the press
against the balusters so great that they gave way,
precpitating the children over the stairs down
to the ground floor. As the rush increased so
did the numbers that were hurled over the stairs
into the space below. Two of the female teach
ers made an effort to stop the children; but so
great was the panic that their efforts were vain,
and they were themselves hurled along with the
current, and despite their efforts were carried
over the stairs into the space below. In the up
per room, the boys department., Mr. McNally
took his stand with his back against the door,
and forbade any one to 60 out. Although the
panic pervaded his room as we'll as the rest of
the building, yet he stood firm, and thus succeed
ed in saving the lives of many, perhaps of hun
|
stairs as did the younger children, Heaven only
knows how much more sad would have the dis
aster than it now is. We learn that some of
the boys Jumped out of the windows and that
one of them had his neck broken by the fall
There were altogether in the building but few
short of 1900 scholars. 1,765 we understood
to be the number) While Mr. Mentally re.
NAMED firm at his post, the destruction of life
was going on below Hundreds on hundreds
went over the stairs, until there was a pile of
human beings-a mass of children--eight feet
square and about twelve feet in height. The
alarm was now given outside, and the police
were soon at hand and took possession Of the
premises, as well as they could, and commenced
the work of handing out the children from their
perilous position. Those that were on top,
were, of course, but slightly injured but as soon
as these had been removed, the most heart-rend-
ing spectacle presented itself. Some among the
policemen were fathers, whose own children
were there. They worked manfully, and de-
serve all praise; body after body was taken out
many Of them, lifeless at first, came to when
they once more breathed the fresh air, but many
alas were beyond aid, and death was but too
plainly marked upon their paid features Some
were injured by the fall, and lay wrthingin ago.
ny; some moaned, while others shreked with
for home, apparently unconscious of the awful
scene through which they had passed.
One polcema- Mr. Seabring, on going to the
school-house was, on the instant greeted by the
sight of his little girls face; her head was all
that was visible, her body being covered with
those of her companions Mr.. Seabring, urged
by paternal feelings, of course direct his efforts
at once to the release of his daughter While
he was so engaged man came up and laid hold
of him, saying: MY child is there" and en-
deavorcd to take the place on which Mr.. Sea
bring stood Finding he could not move him,
he struck at him, thus endeavorng TO displace
MIR. s., and get in a position to work more eff
fectually 10 search for his lost child Mr.. s. sue
! ceeded in rescuing his child, who proved to be
bat slightly injured He said he forgave the
man who struck at him he knew too well his
feelings to blame him for any act of rashness
perpetrated at that time The bodies of the
dead and wounded were mostly, unless claimed
on the spot taken 10 the Ninth ward stat on.
T house. which is near the school. In few min
utes news of the accident spread through the
neighborhood, and mothers came rushing to the
scene by scores, all in anguish, but all, at FIRST
buoyed up by hope. Occasionally a mother
would recognize the lifeless form of child At
il was lifted from the mass, and then the piercing
CRY OF agony Llhb Woulu tut vi pou
may il never be ours again to hear And now
the neighborhood was thoroughly aroused, and
crowds focked TO the scene of the DISASTER
Many of the dead, dying, and wounded, were
taken to the station-house, where the entire
lodging room of the policemen was turned into a
/ hospital, and their beds all used couches for
dead bodies Of injured children. This was, in.
deed a sad sight; parents, whose children were
missing, came here to confirm their hopes or
fears Here might be seen bfeess body, with
an agonized mother standing over il, wringing
her hands in the excess Of her grief There was
father looking the picture of sorrow, as he
beheld the form of loved one tina: he had so
lately parted with in health, and then further on
was family standing round the bed Of little
one, whose painful writings gave evidence Of
the patients suffering. One after another the
bodies of the dead were removed and at length
filters we're provided, and the wounded were
carried away also. 1t was sad evening in the
Ninth ward.
Nearly one hundred families either mourned
the loss of children, or watched anxiously over
the forms of the wounded. The catastrophe
1 ,-aa olr,oot tho only tonic of conversation