Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-02-21
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New YoBK, February 2O.h.-A FIRE under
the stairs on the second floor Of the school.
house atta,hsd to the German Roman Cath.
ole Church Of the Most Holy Rsdeemer. on
Fourth street, between avenue A and First
avenue, at quarter past this afternoon,
was the cause of terrible calamity. No less
than fourteen children lost their lives. Over
700 scholars-mostly children Of the poorer
classes, ranging from six to eleven years Of
age-sttended the school. and wers in their
class-roous when the alarm of FIRE was raised,
and
a FEARFUL PANIC
Soon followed. The removal OF the children
on the fourth floor began quietly enough, and
was progressing rapidly, when the Sister of
Charity in charge of the class of girls faint
ed Immediately the alarmed class became
panic-stricken, and rush was made for the
hallway. On the stairs, already crowded. a
deadly crush took place. The railing of the
stairs broke, and the mass of struggling chill
dren was precipitated to the floor below, fall
ing in packed mass one upon another from
four to five deep. The police and fremen,
who were already summoned, arrived, but
their work of rescue was hampsrsd by the
frightened children continuing to fall or leap
from the stairway, those in front being
crowded over the broken balustrade by the
children behind, still struggling to reach the
exit. Six children were taken out dead from
the bottom, and eight more died immediately
after their rescue, making total of fourteen.
A large number Ct others who were carried
to neighborirg tenements are reported dying.
The excitement when the news spread was
fearful, and great throngs of people blocked
the streets surrounding the school. Many
children were lost in the excitement, and are
reported missing.
THE VICTIMS.
Following is list of the dead from re.
turns Minnie USER, 9 years Mary Hobe-
arneoht, z; Mary Ann Happ, s; Minnie
Truhe, 10; Josephine Mar. Z: Mary
Breehf, 8; Lena Becker, O.; LIZZIE Nah.
tycki, 6; Theresa Kitzner, IL; Barbara
Pregepzsr, 8; Louisa Florence, 8. She was
taken out alive, and died in St. Francis,
Hospital. A girl apparently 7 years old is
unidentified. A girl about years is also un.
identified.
STATEMENT OF TEACHERS.
Sister Apromia, who had charge Of the
fifth class of girls, said: 81 was in charge Of
my class when the fire first broke out in the
hall adjoining my room. I heard commo-
ton outside, and a great confusion and hub
bub of voices. At once turned toward the
room door, and then for the first time discov-
cred smoke coming through the wainscoting.
1 Immediately went to thu door, and as 1
opened it to learn the cause of the excite.
ment, the flames rushed at me. at once
closed the door and was about to warn the
children to keep calm, when some men came
bursting into the room. In moment the
children ran out at the bidding of the men,
and I followed, seeing all escaping. Many
of them, however, went to the stairs at the
west side of the building, and were injured
by falling over the stairs, where ths boys had
broken down the balussrade before them.
There were about 100 girls in my class."
The Sister in charge Of the first division of
the girls departmenton the fourth floor, said
81 was not aware what was going on until I
looked out and saw the boys on my floor run
ming over to the wess-side stairs and going
wildly down. I heard the balustrade give
way, and then was about TO turn and look to
my charges, when they all arose, and, as il
seized with the same fright, dashed past ne
and ran recklessly DOWN the stairs and hall
way. I saw none ot my girls injured, and
they disappeared so quickly from my sight
that hopsd they had all escaped in safety"
The Sister appeared oslm and composed,
and seemed to retain her self possession dur
ing the trying moments Of her h, rrowing ex-
periencs.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
The fire from which the smoke spread
through the building, bringing such terriB&
results to the innocent pupils, wes Of most
trivial character. It started among mass
OF sweepings in closet beneath the stairs
leading from the second to the third floor, on
the east side of the tuilJing. 1t had been
smoldering for some time, and had eaten its
way through to the center of the partition
wall dividing the hall from the classroom in
front, and crept up toward the third hoor be.
fore il was discovered. AZ this moment a
visitor called ct the school to see ole of the
pupils in the fifth class, which is on the Sec
ond floor, and the door of which opens almost
opposite and within FIVE feet of the closet in
which the sweepings were burning. The Wis.
itor knocked at the door, which was opened
by one Of the Sisters of Notre Dame, by
whom the school is conducted. Scarcely had
the door swang back on its hinges when the
flames burst out from under the stairs. The
Sister hastily shut the door, but not until
some of the children in her care had caught
sight OF the fire. ALI efforts TO calm them
were in vain, and they rushed madly from the
classroom. Smoke now rolled out of the
closet in great volumes, and in a few seconds
spread to all parts CT The building, aad a
scene of the utmost confusion ensued.
THE SCHOOL BUILDING
L. FIVE stories high, and has nine class. rooms,
seven for girls and two for boys. The rear
Of the school abu.s against the rear of the
Church of the Holy Redeemer, which fronts
on Third street. There are two ssairwsys,
one at the east and the other at the west end
Of the building. These stsirwsys were about
three and a half feet wide, and opened a.
most at the doors of the class-rooms but
from the play.room in the center of the
building were approached by narrow, dark
passageway. When the girls of the second
floor school rushed frSm their clsss-rooms.
they had hardly reached the head of the
stairs when the boys and girls from the upper
floors reached them. All frantically fought
to get down the stairs, and the first were
thrown headlong to the bottom. Then, as
the crush came from the hundreds of chill.
dren trying to get down from the upper floors
on the east side of the building, the balus-
trade gave way, and fully fifty children were
thrown to the floor beneath. On them 9TH
ers fell, until they were piled FIVE feet high on
top of each other.
OTHER STATEMENTS.
Officer Lambert, of the Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Childrep, happened
En- ha on East Fonrth straet nearly opnos;4a