Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-02-23

centre of the building were approached
by narrow, dark passage way. When
the girls on the second floor rushed
from their class rooms, they had hard
ly reached the head of the stairs when
the boys and girls from the upper sto-
ries were upon them. All franticslly
fought TO get down the stairway,
and the first were thrown hesdlons
to the bottom. Then as the crush
come from hundreds of children try.
ing to get down from the upper floors
on the east side of the building, the
hslustrade gave way, the balusters go
ing with it, and fully 80 children were
thrown to the floor beneath. On these
fell others until they were piled five
feet high on top of each other.
AN OFFICERS STORY.
Officer Lambert, of the society for
the prevention of cruelty to children,
happened to be on East Fourth street
nearly opposite the school when the
alarm was given. He says: az rushed
into the building and a terrible sight
met my eyes. Packed into the narrow
hallway on the first floor were
from so to rs little girls. The
poor things were screaming and strug-
Cling with all their might. BY this
time other police and citizens had ar
rived and went to pulling the poor
children out of the hallway. Cries
from some children at the bottom of
the pile grew fainter and then ceased
altogether"
Detective Robinson said: .'The fire
broke out under the staircase on the
second floor and was easily extinguish-
ed. examined the place and it seems
to me some matches must have been
swept with papers under the stairway
and been ignited by friction with the
floor"
Policeman Reid said: '0a the floor
behind the staircase lay struggling
mass of screaming children. They
piled on top of each other. As quickly
as possible we pulled them out and
passed them, one by one, through the
window. Those on top were still alive.
When we reached the bottom we came
upon 10 dead. 1t was an awful sight
to sec them lying there, with their
blanched faces, mouth and eyes wide
open, and their dresses all in disorder.
One little girl, Minnie Truhew, was
still alive. She died, however, on the
way to the station house. 1t is the
most awful scene I ever passed
through"
The dead we're removed to the sta
ton on 9th street and 1st avenue, where
they were laid in rows on the floor in
the back room. They were all quickly
identified by sorrow stricken mothers
and little brothers and sisters and the
removal of each to the afflicted home
OF the family was promptly permitted
by authorities.
THE SCENE IN THE CLASS ROOMS
and in the halls after the panic, was al
most indescribable. Torn books and
broken school apparatus and fragments
of torn clothing were scattered upon
the hoors--terrible evidences of the
wild struggle of the children to escape
from the building.
The school building FIVE stories high,
shallow in depth and frontage ON
Fourth street and embracing several
numbers, is adjacent in the church
of the most Holy Redeemer. On the
east side is the convent of the Sisters of
Notre Dame who have general charge
of the school. Father Hesblein is
school director. Five hundred girls
under IL years of age and two hundred
boys attended the school and they were
all in their classes when the panic oc-
Cured.
SURVEY SHOWS
that every rule and precaution for
safety in the school had been disre-
garded. On the four floors there were
nine class rooms opening in two hall
ways with stairs running east and west
reaching either end of the building.
Through the class rooms access can be
had to either stairway, but the halls
and stairs are separated. In nearly
every room the doors open inward and
there is only one door in the room
children, mostly young girls, and the
doors only two and half feet
wide. The stairways are likewise
narrow. At the top of the highest
flight is stout wooden gate, easily
moved. An actual measurement
showed that the inward opening of the
door came within II inches of the end
of the nearest benches. The backs of
the benches we're within "a inches of
the rear wall, and stove in the centre
aisle between the row of benches
Promptly upon an alarm of fire be-
ing given, the sisters called the chill
dren, and before half minute elapsed
half of them were in the street by one
stairway, the other being useless by rea-
son of the fire and smoke The other
half would have quickly marched out
unharmed, but that the sister in care
Of No. class, overcome Dy the peril of
her charge, swooned away. This class
Immediately became panic stric ken,
broke away from all restraint, threw
other rapidly marching classes into
confusion, and all rushed for the stair
way, with the sad results already told.
From the heap of children in the west
hall six dead girls from seven to ten
years of age, were taken out and car
ried into the church, where they were
laid in front OF the sanctuary and at
tempts to resuscitate made. Mothers
forcing their way in despite q large
force of police filled tie sacred
building with pitiful cries. One recog-
nizing her child fell upon it with agon-
izing shrieks. Policemen and monks
turned away dazed at the spectacle.
Conveyances arriving the bodies were
taken up by officers in their arms and
carried out. The clamoring, shrieking,
mourning throng of women with up
lifted hands and streaming eyes follow
ed. Mothers, finding missing children
living fell upon their knees in the mud
and snow giving thanks. In the station
house q frantic shrek proclaimed the
Identification of each little Head one.
The ages of the children dead and in
Jured range between seven and twelve
years.
LATER.
One other little girl died this evening,
making 16 deaths in all.