The New York herald., 1851-11-21
TERRIBLE uCATAsTRoPHE,
WARD School NUMBER IwENTY-sM.
NEARLY FIFTY CHILDREN KILLED,
FORTY OR FIFTY WOUNDED
Melancholy Scenes in Greenwich Avenue.
&C., &C., &c.

One of the most amentable occurrences tnA we nave
ever been called record took place ct Ward school
No %, in Greenwich avenue opposite Charles street,
Yesterday afternoon when nearly fifty children lost their
lives and many more severely injured, that in
all probability they will not We will give the
.cts Of the case at once and briefly possible The
school house is magnificent four story edfce, with
winding staircase from the first floor to the upper land
ing This stairway is not spiral but formed Of short
flights of stairs winding reund square we'll The first
CT ground floor is used play ground for the scholars
and is paved with flag stones The second story Of the
building occupied by the primary department Of the
institution in the third story is the female department
the upper school, and in the fourth story the male de-
psrtmen The entrance to each Of the school from
the dngs the stairs The side of the stairs
guarded by ordinary wooden bannister of great
height and not firmly secured at the bottom where
the balusters connected with the stairs This de-
scription Of the stairway will enable the reader bet
ter to understand what follows At about two o'clock
yesterday afternoon of the teachers in the female
department Miss Harrison, taken with fainting
m and order to her recovery she carried out into
the passage way where cry was raised of Water!
Water by of her companions This cry was not
understood, else the scholars thought that the
water Was wanted to eztiuguish fire, and the
next moment the cry of g Fire" raised, and
spread like wildGre through the building. In
a moment subordnstiou was at an end The
children from the primary departments rushed to the
stsrs did also the scholars the floor above them
The stairway filed and the press against the
bausters great that they way precptstps the
children the stairs down to the ground floor As
the rush increased did the numbers that were hurled
the stairs into the space below Two Of the female
teachers made effort TO stop the children but so
great the panic that their efforts vain aud they
were themselves hurried along with the current and
air into
space below In the upper 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 we'll the rest Of the build
ing yet he stood fr and thus succeeded in saving the
lives Of many, perhaps of hundreds, for had the
larger boys rushed upon the stairs as did the
younger children, Heaven only knows how much
more sad would been the disaster than 1t now is
welesrn that of the boys jumped out Of the win
dows and that Of them had his neck broken by the
fall There altogether In the building but few
short of 500 scholars Q765 understood to be the
number) While Mr. McNally remained hrr, at his post,
the destruction Of life going on below Hundreds
on hundreds wen the stairs until there pile of
human beings-s Of ehidreneight feet square and
about twelve in height The alarm given out
eide and the police hand and took possession
OF the premises as well they could and commsnced
the work Of banding out the children from their perous
position. Those that top, We're, Of course but
slightly injured but as these had been removed
the most heart rendDg spectacle presented Itself Some
among the policemen fathers whose children
we're there They worked anfuy and deserve all praise
body after bedy taken OUT many of them frless at
first when they breahed the.fresh air
but many alas beyond aid and death but too
plainly marked upon their paid features. Some were
injured by the fall and lay wrthng in agony; some
eHrs.h xxttb main rudo hara
again when released started ed for home apparently
uneonscou. Of awful through which they had
passed. One policeman. Mr. sesbring on going to the
school house the instant greeted by the sight
his little girls face; her head all that visible
her body being covered with tho.e Of her companions
Mr.. sesbrng, urged by psternal feelings Of course
directed his efforts at 10 the release Of his
daughter While he engaged man came up srd
laid held Of him saying MY child IL there aud endea
vored 20 take the place On which Mf seabring stood
Finding be could not move him he struck him, thus
endesvorins 10 dsplaee Mr. and get in position to
work more sfec,usy in search Coz his lost child Mr.
g. succeeded in reseuing his child who proved De but
slightly injured He said he orsave the who struck
at him he knew too well his feelings to blame him for
any tf rashnsss perperaed at that time The beies
Of the dead and wounded mssty, unless claimed
the spot taken the Ninth ward station house which
near the school In few minutes Of the accident
spread through the neighborhood aud mothers came
ruthing TO the by scores. all in anguish but all
at first buoyed up by hope 0eeasonay mother would
recognise the feless form Of child lifted from
the msss ard then the piercing cry agony that would
rend the air oh God msy II never be again 70
hear And now the n,ishborhood was thoroughly
aroused and crowds nocked to the Of the disaster
Many Of the dead dying and wounded taken to
the station house where the entire lodging room ofths
policemen was turned into hospi,sl and their beds ali
used a. eouches for dead bodies Of injured children
This was indeed sad sight; parents whose children
we're missing here 70 confirm their hopes OF fears
Here might BE- lifsle. body, with an agonissd
mother standing IT, wringng her hand. in the excess
Of her grief There father looking the pc~re Of
.oriow a, b. held the form Of loved that b. had
lately parted with in health and then further
family stsnding round the bed Of little whose
painful writings gave evidence Of tie patients suffer.
ing. one after another the bodies Of the dead were
moved; and At length nt,e-, were provided AMI the
wounded were carried away also It was sad evening
in the Ninth ward Nearly hundred families either
mouinsd the os, Of children or watched Anxoudy over
the forms of the wounded The catastrophe wa almost
the only topic Of convsrsation Small Knots Of men
stood on the q the streets. aua recouhtel the
occurrences u the afternoon pell seemed % have
sstted on everything and al Greenwich village was in
mourning We give below the names Of the killed A.
well those who were taken cut o. the building ured
II quite probable that this list is incr doubt
scne children taken home By parents or friends
vbo did 1T report them. o. thc n urad believe the
| list veIy smtli compared with thr actual uumbers
Herr the list ss comrie1 from the retufE. at The
| uon houe:--
! RULED
Virgins Ningsy. ............1o ~ Christopher street
Geo tuscksnp0s. .s.. 100 Grsensieb street
| Alfred Pike .... ..............l 10 Jones street
Benjsnip ls7 West sixtset IA st.
Abty Jaco1u'.. .''' s's'..ss wv hVnth avenue
I james Errta. .............l5 l52 Fourth street
ChaTes y hcre......'....... n Jah.' street