The New York herald., 1851-12-02
Grand total

The fatal panic not shown TO be the result OF any
known adequate cause. commenced by scream from
large number Of young ladies' then under the OF
Miss Harrison and Miss Van Week In room quite In the
Isa, q the budingnhy at the same instant & rushsd
young ladies who screamed we're examined 10 explain
the Of their slm but their unexplained Streams,
and sudden bursting into another room, was cause
Of alarm 20 the fifty girls in that who immediately
took the panic by sympathy and Joined the rush for the
entrance TO the stairway Miss Scott held the door aud
hey tbeu escaped through door Into Miss Arnout.
room Of eighty three giris, and rushing through
thst spreading terror there they and how many more
before IL fell This tumult aroused and excited all
the other classes aud there appears 70 have been
rush for the stairs the foot Of which the door
three feet wide, open. The numbers passing down
he tair broke away the rswe and the bsnisters, snd
the svful death o those stood below and others wo
fell from above upon them and upon each other was A.
certain az was sudden The wonder h that the loss OF
ie was not much greater There no reason to sup
pose that much minutes elapsed bstweeu the
unfortunate screams and the hnal catastrophe IL r
quite clear that no exertions within or without could
have kept the scholars in their rooms The prevailing
appre hension was Of hre but without any cause That
the report carried 20 the street aud 10 the station
but Death had then done his work pssser By,
when only q few feet from the door, saw the chh
dreu running out, walked only some twenty feet
TO the door, and in an instant saw the rsi and the
children come down geher There are many incidents,
but this s all the story OF the accident and It's cause
IL necessary remind the Board that when this
house was built the law placed the construction Of
schoo houses In the hands Of the Commissioners and
Inspectors Of the Ward aud this Board exsrcsed 20
throws upon this Board hereafter most important
responsibility for the safe building Of school houses
fully agree with the jury that starcsses Of this con
sicion are dangerous Life probably would have been
sacrifcei IL the newell bad not given way for, under
no circumstances could even one Thousand chidreo
a ell ages and sizes, and Of both sexes, rush
down the ,tsrcase without great danger
20 life and limb but there can be no reasonable
doubt that this lose Of life actually occasoned BY
The giving way Of the newell which was the main sup
port Of this immense weight OF winding bsrster have
the fullest confidence in the conscientious care OF those
pded he school
They followed In their plans unsuspected example s
TO the stairs for the public buildings Of the city such
Tbs aeSa, ~ ,h" ~, .s not yssls Tin n
was torn away and no one could suspect 20 great an
oversight and none Of the school officers are In that re-
pect chsgesbe with negligence The suggestion OF the
Jury to separate FIRE proof starcases Of great i'm
and those for the little children Of the primary
department should be exclusive, and adapted To their
sbortsr limbs. There IL no difficulty in making school
houses Of this size safe smaller the passages
are sufficiently WIDE and the stairs and dormitories SUN
GENTLY numerous and wide and properly arranged
am unable to agree with the jury In the opinion that the
school house wac high or too large; but too many
scholars were allowed to sttend ~ more thsn hted
10 anodste many Of its rooms are TOO crowded
and the same true most Of the later and better built
school house, and especially those where a. In this cas-.
attentive school officers and most exceuent BODY of
teacher, have established high reputation for the
schoo Teachers and trustees dislike 70 excluoe any
one for whom they can find place and this must
continue 10 be 20, 20 long ss such numbers of
cbidree are unprovided with school houses In which
they can be properly accommodated, and while our
school population IL Increasing faster than our schools
hs most important esson that u should teach all H.
that in our schools prudent cautious efcoptro should
be daily inculcsted az mstter Of positive education
and discipline. Had this been done panic might not
have arisen at least without would respectfully
suggett 10 the Board the expediency of appointing
committee to whom this subject msy be referred with
directions 10 exsmne all the ward school houses With
out desy and report whether any alterations neces
ssiy Toe their perfect safety aud to have stsnine
e"uwi tr. Nhoe du'y VI shoud b. to si'e coo'tap
sitrntsu ID ihe sa'i.c'
10. .eo gr..,. a -. prop 'srL son. sn.sj