The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-02-21
CHILDREN CRUSHED
IN a SCHOOL HOUSE PANIC


Fourteen Scholars Crushed In New York School
Room -TumblIus O,sr Baiustrade TO DEATH.
The Terrible Scenes Told By Eye.
Witnesses OF the Disaster.
NEW YoRK, February 20.-The outbreak
Of fire undcrth stairs Of the second floor
Of the school house attached to the German
Roman Catholic Church Of tho Most Holy
Redeemer, Fourth street, between avenue
A and First avenue, at 3:15 o'clock this az
ternoon, was the cause Of terrible ca
lamity. No less than fourteen children lost
their lives. Over 200 scholars, mostly
children Of the poor classes, ranging from
six to eleven years Of age, attended the
school and were in their class rooms when
the alarm OF FIRE was raised. A fearful
panic soon followed. The removal Of the
children from the fourth floor began quietly
enough and was progressing rapidly when
Sister OF Charity In charge ot class OF
girls tainted.
A PANIC STRICKEN CROWD.
Immediately the alarmed class became
panic stricken, and rush was made for the
hallway. On the stairs, already crowded,
deadly crush took place. The railing OF
the stairs broke and mass OF struggling
children were precipitated to the floor be-
low, falling in packed mass, one upon the
other, from four TO five deep. The police
and fremen, already summoned, arrived
but their work OF rescue was much hamp-
cred by the frightened children continuing
to fall or leap from the stairway, those in
front being crowded over the broken balu-
strade by the children behind still strug.
Cling to reach exits. Six children were
taken out dead from the bottom and eight
more died Immediately after heing rescued,
making total Of fourteen. A large mum.
ber OF others who were carried 10 neighbor.
ing tenements were supposed TO be dying
TIE VICTIMS.
The excitement when the news OF the
catastrophe spread was fearful, and great
tbrongs Of people blocked the streets sur
rounding the school. Many children lost
in the excitement were reported missing.
Following is list OF the dead so far as the
police returns now show:
MINNIE MATER, 0 years.
MARY HABERNECHT, years.
MARY ANN HoPP, s years.
MINNIE TRumE, 10 years.
JOSEPHINE MARI, 7 years.
MARY BRgcHT, s years.
LENo BRlcKER, 9years.
LIZZIE MAPETYCKI, 6 years.
THERESA CATsEREN, l | years.
BARBARA PREGESGER, years.
LOUISA FLORENCE, 8 years.
She was taken out alive and died in st.
Francis Hospital.
A girl, apparently years, unidentified.
A girl, about 8 years, unidentified.
A SISTERS STATEMENT.
Sister Apromia, who had charge Of the
fifth class OF girls said: was in charge oi
my class when the fire first broke out in the
hallway adjoining my room. / heard a
commotion outside and great confusion
and hubbub OF voices at once. / turned
toward the room door and the first time
discovered the smoke coming in through
the wainscoting, / Immediately went to the
door, and as opened 1t to learn the cause
OF all the excitement flames rushed at me.
at once closed the door and was about to
warn the children TO keep calm, when
men came bursting into the room., In a
moment the children ran out at the bid.
ding Of the men and followed, seeing all
were escaping. Many Of them, however,
went to the stairs at the west eide OF the
building and were injured by falling over
the stairs where the boys had broken down
the balusters before them. There were
about one hundred girls in my class.
ANOTHER STATEMENT.
The Sister in charge Of the first division
OF the girls department, on the fourth floor,
said: II was not aware Of what was going
on until l looked out and saw the boys on
my floor running over to the west side ol
the stairs and going wildly down. heard
the balusters give way, and then was about
10 turn to look 10 my charges when they
all arose, and, as II seized with one fright,
dashed past me and recklessly ran down
the stairs and Railways. ! saw none ot
my girls injured, and as they disappeared
so quickly from my sight | hoped that they
had all escaped in safety" The Sister ap-
peared calm and composed, and seemed to
have retained her self,possesslon during
the trying moment OF her experience.
A TRIVIAL CAUSE.
Another account says that the fire from
which the smoke spread through the build
ing, bringing such terrible results to inno'
cent pupils, was Of the most trivial charac.
ter. 1t started in mass OF sweepings in
the closet beneath the stairs leading from
the second to the third floor, on the east
side OF the building. 1t had been smould-
eripg 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 towards the third floor
ere Ii was discovered. At this moment a
visitor called at the school to see one Of
the pupils in the fifth class, which
is on the second floor, and the door,
which opens almost opposite andwithin five
feet OF the closet, in which the sweepings
were burning. The visitor 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 swung back on its hinges when the
flames burst out from under the stairway.
The sister hastily shut the door, but not
until some OF the children in her care had
caught sight OF the fire. All efforts to quiet