Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1851-11-27
From the N. Y. Herald
Terrible EaiasfropIie AZ New
York.
Nearly Fifty Children Killed, and Forty or
Fifty Wounded

| One of the most lamentable occurrences
! that we have ever been called on to record,
! took place at Ward School No. 26, in green
which Avenue, opposite Charles street, on
| Thursday last, the Goth inst, when nearly
! fifty children lost their lives, and many more
were so severly injured, that in all probability
! they will not recover. We will give the facts
/ of the case at once, and as briefly as possible.
The school house is magnificent foul story
edfice, with a winding staircase from the first
floor to the upper landing. This stairway
/ is not spiral, but is formed Of short flights of
stairs winding round square wall. 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 guar
| ded by an ordinary wooden bannister, of no
great height, and not firmly secured at the
bottom,o where the bannisters were connected
! with the stairs. This description of the stair
way viii enable the reader better to under
/ ulIdGlSItIlu NIlOI lOIIONS. ~ dGOub JNO
o'clock on the same day, one OF the teach
ers in the female department, q Miss Harrison
was taken with fainting fit, and in order to
! her recovery she was carried out into the pas
sage way, where cry was raised Of Wa
ter ! Water!" by one of her companions
! The cry was not understood, or else the schol-
lars thought the water was wanted to extn-
guish fire, and the next moment the cry of
"Flre!" was raised, and spread liketwlldfire
through the building. In moment subordl-
nation was at an end. The children from
the primary department rushed to the stairs,
as did also the scholars on the floor above
them. The stairway was soon filled, and the
press against the bannisters so great that they
gave way precipitating the children over the
stairs down to the ground floor. As the rush
increased, so did the number that were hurled
over the stairs into the space below. Two of
the female teachers made an effort to stop
the children but SO great was the panic that
their efforts were in vain, and they were
themselves hurried along with the current,
and despite their efforts were carried over the
stairs into the space below. In the upper
room, the boys department, Mr.. McNally took
his stand with his back against the door, and
forbade any one to 90 out. Although the
panic pervaded his room as well as the rest
OF the building, yet he stood firm, and thus
succeeded in saving the lives of many, per-
haps OF hundreds, for had the larger boys
rushed upon the stairs as did the younger
children, Heaven only knows how much more
sad would have been the disaster 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 al
together in the building but a few short l.
500 scholars. Gigs we understood to be
the number.) While AIr. McNally remained
firm at his post, the destruction Of life was
going on below. Hundreds on hundreds went
over the stairs, until there was pile of hu-
man 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 commen-
ced the work of handling out the children
from the perilous position. Those that were
on top, were, of course, but slightly injured,
but as soon as these had been removed, the
most heart-rending spectacle presented Itself:
Some among the policemen were fathers whose
own children were there. They worked
manfully and deserve all praise; body after
body was taken out; many of them, liteless 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 up
OH their paid features. Some were injured
by the fall, and lay writhing in agony some
moaned, while others shrieked with pain, and
and others again, when released, started off
for home apparently unconscious Of the awful
scene through which they had passed. One
policeman, 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 COW
cred with those of her companions. MIR. Sea-
bring, urged by paternal feelings, of course,
directed his efforts at once to the release of
his daughter. While he was so engaged,
man came up and laid hold of him saying,
bly child is there" and endeavored to take
the place on which Mr. Seabring stood. Fin
ding he could not move him, he struck at him,
thus endeavorng to displace Mr.. S., and get
in position to work more effectually in
search for his lost child. Mr.. S. succeeded in
rescuiug his child, who proved to be but slight
ly injured He said he forgave the man who
struck at him; he knew too we'll his feelings
to blame him for any act of rashness perpe-
trated at that time. The bodies of the dead
aud wounded were mostly, unless claimed on
the spot, taken to the Ninth ward station
house, which is near the school, In few
minutes news Of the accident spread through
the neighborhood, and mothers aame rushing
to the scene by scores, all in anguish, but
all, at first, buoyed up by hope. Occasion
ally mother would recognize the lifeless
form of child as it was lifted from the mass,
and then the piercing cry ofagony that would |
rend the air, oh; God may it 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 hospital,
nd fbnfr boIc III