The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-10-18
PANIC-STRICKEN CHILDREN.
SOME UNKNOWN CAUSE TERRIFYING A
LARGE PUBLTC SCHOOL.
Nine Hundred Girls and Boys Attcmptins TO
E.cnpe from the Building Down the stair
wnys-A child Nearly Trodden to Death.


A few minutes before o'clock yesterday
afternoon three engines. and their accompany
ing hose carts and hook -and ladder truck.
came III undcring down in front Of Ward School
No 10. in Houston street. between Essex and
Norfolk streets. Tho street was filled with per-
sons shrieking and shouting. and trying to get
into tho building. The nremcn ascertained at
once that there was no fire In the building and
that there had been none. and droNa away. leav-
ing to tho police tho task Of clearing tho choked-
up street This they found difficult to do. and
even until late In tho evening there was an ever
changing curious group in front OF the build
ing.
As soon as the throng had been partially
driven back from the building. II was ascer-
tanned that one-half OF the primary school pu-
pills were in tho street. Tho remainder soon
came out. and the fcars OF hundreds OF anxious
parents were in pnrt allaycd. Some Of the little
ones we're badly bruised. and all badly scared.
and none could give any coherent account Of
thought the building was on fire;
The accounts Of the panic which may have
The The principal % Of o' the school Mr. ii. G. Itch
field, gives by far the most intelligible account.
but he is in perfect igno rance as TO the cause.
At about ~ minutes before o'clock. he says, he
was in one Of the front clnss rooms Of the boys
grammar department that occupies tho third
u
noise as II the primary school on the first floor
was being dismissed. but instantly the sound
was increased by cries first in the street. then
In the building. He ran into the hall where no
met several boys running from the class room
on the opposite side. Ho quickly drove them
back but about fifteen had already got down
the stairs. He ran down ono flight and looked
into the girls grammar department on the
19y # WAS 1s eS %Ss sabaa ns Iys
oughly terrified and ready to spring from
her seat Hc stopped only long enough
and then rushed into the primary do
partment on the first floor The room was
XII OF c9nSsonh Teers are sX eA,s rGm
against only two. one on each side. Three
women teachers were trying TO quiet them. He
called out that therc was no cause for alarm I;
then went to the head OF the basement stairs TO
assist in preventing any one from coming in
from the street. The throng in the street, he
tor and one OF the truant officers were in
the building at the time, and, had preceded
Mr.. Lchteld to the door and were fightng
back the crowd. The large double doors open
from tho inside and one was bolted. This the
crowd had pulled open. splitting II hall way
the long bolt. In some mysterious way ono
man had reached an open window over the
broke down the inside blinds. Before many
entered the building. the police came up and
Mr.. Litchneld then went into the basement.
into which the two small stairways that he saw
crowded above terminated. On the girls side.
children out OF a heap at the foot OF the stair
way. Some men who had como in through tho
yard were similarly employed on the boys side.
Both passages had become so clogged as 10 ad-
NIT 40 one passing. and by the time they were
cleared the violence Of the pnnic had subsided.
Mr.. Litchfleld says that he at once set about
learning the cause OF the pnnic; Those OF tho
| primary scholars who remained in the house
were kept in until the usual hour for DISMISSAL,
| that the excitement might die out. The two
usual time. of both the boys and girls de-
partment careful inquiries were made; but all
they could say was tina, they first heard the
noise and cries down stairs.
| In u back room OF the girls department a girl
was found SUFFERING from nm cpileptic Mt I!
| was "A matter Of debate whether the ht attack ed
her eeiqrs or altsr tne dlstnrhance down stalrs
| was induced by fear.
Mr. Litchiield says that it is no unusual oc-
| cursence for some pupil TO have M, but he
! never knew one 10 cause such an alarm. Their
| are three teachers in the primary department
Two were in the large room when the panic
| began. and know OF no cause for II. The
principal. Mrs. Haggerty. was in an adjon.
ing recitation room. She ran out and ordered
through which the children were rushing
| but they were unable 20 stop them. II was no,
ceased. Mrs. HagGerty then went into the
main hall TO assist in keeping people out She
explained that the children were safe. One
man struggling 20 get in the door struck nt her,
or II her direction. at least he hit her slightly
| in the face.
The result Of the investigation was that no
|
| the building until the panic began in the pri-
mary department How the trouble began nc
| one can tell Persons are abundant in the
neighborhood who heard some one cry fire, but
| the one who is said TO have uttered the cry is
not TO- be found nor & are ths person, who heard
| the crowd gathered in front % the school house
After. the children down stairs, had been
| quieied. a man with his face covered with blood
| rushed painting up one OF the back stairs into
! "A boys grammar recltatiOn room. woman
several steps behind him WAS talking fire. This
In la al rfx fts.
| of them rushed out past their teacher Mrs
Cannon. In trying 10 prevent them she re-
| ceived some slight bruises and good deal OF
| rough treatment
The two staircases into which the primary
pupils ran are the worst they could have
chosen. Two doors open on the broad front
stairs. and there are four stairs at the back Of
the room. Tho two side ones are narrow. about
| 81, feet wide. and built enclosed on the outside
Of the house. lou have TO make two turns to
| go down them. one on the landing after pass
ing through the door. and another one on the
| stairs near their base so aS 10 enter the base
| ment tn rough door in the same wall as thai
through which the exit door above is cut.
| The children. whose ages range from to ~
were packed in these stairways as II thrown In
| pe nell Where the stairs turn, about two
| thirds OF the way down. is awndow about thre,
| by four feet. containing six panes OF glass. The
| one on the boys side WAS totally demolished "a
Some OF the chidre Jumped out here. but tht
| break was made from tho outside TO rescue the
| children thrown down within.
tthebott9m otthe passage was found JJohnn,
Lanner. a delicate child Of years. He wa
| takon out unconscious and carried to a neigh
boring drug store. DIR. Bland Of i24 Seconc
street ascertained that no bones were broken
| but the little body is terribly bruised. His eyel
| protruded and wore set he had no pulse, AnC
his face WAS purple. His father who. IN com
mon with eyory one else. had left his work in
| shop near by was found and brought in. II,
says he could recognize his son only by his cloth
ing. Tho little fellow did not recover conscious
ness for several hours. and late last even M
was not able to talk. His condition is consdrrrC
! critical. His father says he WAS told that th,
| door AZ the foot of the stairs was locked
a hsl tltnf fls.ra
Ously injured, though some must have suffered
| severely. There were over 600 in the primnr,
| department. Some Of them were found in III,
street near the school last evening, but no tw,
told the same story about the cause Of tho fright
In addition to the 92O primary pupils there
are nearly 500 in the girls and 525 in the boys
| grammar departments. The total attendanc,
| OF the school is called 1000.
HOMELESS, HELPLESS. AND STARTING