The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-03-01
Appalling Disaster-Afecting Scenes

=
Appalling Disaster-Afecting Scenes
An outbreak of fire under the stairs on the
second floor of the school house attached to
the Roman Catholic church of the Most Holy
Redeemer, in Fourth street, between Avenue
A and First avenue, New York, at 3;15 Tues
day afternoon, was the cause OF an appalling
accident, no less than fourteen children losing
their lives. Over seven hundred scholars,
mostly children of the poorer classes living in
that vicinity, from six TO eleven years Of age,
attended the school, and were ID their class
rooms when the alarm of fire was raised which
resulted in fearful panic. The removal OF
the children on the fourth floor began quietly,
and was progressing rapidly when Sister OF
Charity, who was in charge Of class OF girls
tainted from excitement.
Immediately the class was thrown into con-
fusion and rush was made for the hallway.
On the stairs, which were already crowded. a
panic ensued and deadly crush took place.
While the children were piling one on the
other the railing Of the stairs broke, and the
mass Of struggling children were precipitated
to the floor below. The police and firemen
rushed in and found them lying four or five
deep. Six were taken out dead from the bot
tom of the heap. Eight more died Immediately
after, making total of fourteen. A large
number of Others who were carried to the sur
rounding tenements were reported to be dying
The excitement when the news of the catas-
trophe spread through the densely- peopled
neighborhood was fearful, anG throngs of ex-
cited people blocked the streets surrounding
the school. Many children were lest in the
excitement aud are reported missing.
The New York Herald thus graphically de-
scr ibes the scenes attending the Identification
in the station house, of the bodies of the chill
dren, who were crushed TO death
| But now new and agonizing feature was
added to the occasion. There began to arrive
upon the scene anxiously looking women ana
men in search of missing ones. A trembling
woman, supported by sympathetic neighbors
would come in looking for her child, who had
not been heard from since the accident
| Scarcely able to stand erect she would look
shrinkingly over the ces of the Dead and
then retire with an "Ah, thank God |" A thin
faced old German housewife would appear, q
couple of children clnging to her skirts, and
would scan the CHASTITY row with eyes scarcely
able to see for the tears that filled them. Yon-
der stands a weeping baker, wearing his white
overalls. He has found his child, or all that
is left OF her. But now wild Shrek curdles
the blood of every listener and poor woman
rushes forward and filings herself in an ecstacy
of grief upon one of the tiny corpses-that Of
pretty, dark eyed little girl-covering the
face and limbs with such kisses as only a
mother can bestow upon her dead
o MARY, MARY, MY CHILD!
My child maeiaa KIND mein kind She walls
in strange medley of English and German
Men lsebc7ten dead ? No, no no What will
their gross mutter saw" Gentle hands try te
restrain this wild burst of grief and to lif
the woman up again. She will not go she
refuses to be comforted. A moment later sht
was wringing her hands asseverating that the
child is not dead or begging DR.. Purdy to save
her before it is too late. Now, they have
drawn her back and sympathizing friends sur
round her; but she heeds not what they say
With hands tightly clasped over her breast sh,
endeavors to stfie some ofthe terrible anguish
which wrings it. In one form or other
THIS DRAMA OF MISERY
was repeated eleven times before the last chilli
had been recognized Sometimes it was les
| demonstrative mothar who aoto hl;chod III
identity, sometimes it was a wailing father
again shrieking child. One of the mourner
was Sister of Charity, a teacher of the school
and it was heartrending to see the efforts mad
by the poor young thing to check her grief 70
a sister lost One of the most touching inc
dents connected with the work of identification
, occurred about half past FIVE o'clock, whe
William F. Brandenburg, stone-cutter, liy
ing at No. 1872 East Fourth street, made hi
appearance. He was a man somewhat &C
vanced in years, with hair of an iron gra,
. As he entered the room he did not apparent
realize the shock which was in store for hin
! The first figure. upon which his glance reste
. was No. s. 1t was the form of his child, an
with long, low cry, "Ac7, mejn 6e6i"
: HE SANK UPON HIS KNEES
and took the poor crushed form into his arm
When he arose to his feet it appeared as if /
i aged dozen years In as many minutes Or
poor woman's grief had strange effect upc
e her. At first she gave way to cries and stror
S convulsive weeping. When her first pa
O oxysm had passed she grew suddenly cal
V and began to chant measure from the Cat
. Ollie service.
Among the NEST pathetic incidents was tn
!. connected with the identification of Lei
d Bundnagel, the last to find claimant. A
n the other children had been taken away VIII,
J. room was made for sturdy looking mechan
e ONE AGoNIzED GLANCE
If and the man identified his child. His gri
# was something that cannot be described
r Breaking away from the friendly hands tn
IS tried to restrain him he caught up his de-
@ child In his arms, lifted her to his kne
d stocked back her 1axen hair, and with SO
is choking his utterances called upon her
German in the most endearng terms He he
d. her fast to his bosom and kissed her repeate
is ly. "She's my child, my own child," he cri
m to those who tried to take him away. CIV
is should | not keep her now? Oh, no, she
N not leave my arms till I take her to /
is mother"
ne MY GOD, WHO LII TELL HER MOTHER
m What will become of me and my pc
d, wife," And the heart broken man sank
de settee, still holding his child in his embr'
m and bathing her pale face with his tears. \
or were his the only tears that were she'd
Irt man could witness the scene unmoved 81
to wart Commissioner Brennan issued his
re- ders in husky Voice, while big tears cour
ne down his cheeks. Capt. Mccullough ran
We OF the room, exclaiming. My God this is
Us much; can't stand this !; while ocem
~, reporters and others were similarly a fec
on Commissioner Brennan humored the {
en- man who held on to his dead child, and
mitted him to take her in his arms to
dead wagon, which he entered, still carry
-. his child, and thus they were driven home
Commonwealth Attorney Witt, in
Hastings Court of Richmond, ON Fri
W last, asked permission to enter n