Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-02-21
TERRIBLE CALAMITY,
ANOTHER OF THE YEARS CASUALTIES


the second floor of the school house at
tached to the Roman Catholic church of
the Most Holy Rodeemsr. on
Fourth street between Avenue A and
First avenue, New York, at 3:12 |
Tuesday afternoon was the cause of an
appalling accident, no less than 15 children |
losing their lives Over 700 scholars, |
mostly children of the poo. er classes living |
in that vicinity, from to II years of age,
attended the school aud were in their class |
rooms when the alarm of fire was raised,
which resulted in a fearful pauic. 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 confusion and a
rush was made for the hallway. On the
stairs. which were already crowded, 4
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, found them
lying four or five deep. Six were taken
out dead from the bottom of the heap.
Nine more died Immediately after, max
| ing . total of fifteen. 4 large number of
| others, who were carried to surrounding
| tenements, We're reported to be dying.
| The excitement when the news of the cat
astropho spread through the densely-
peopled neighborhood was fearful and
throngs of excited people blocked tho
streets surrounding the school. Many
children were lost in the excitement and
are reported missing.
Where the ranIc Occurren.
| The school building is five stories high,
short as to depth and fronting on Fourth
street, embracing several numbers. Its
rear wall abuts ou the church of the Most
| Holy Redeemer, in Third street, Of which
it is au adjunct. On the east side is the
convent of the Sisters of Notre Dame, who
teach in and have general charge of the
school Father Hespolein is school direc
tor. Five hundred girls under twelve
years of age and two hundred boys attend
the school aud all were in their classes
| when the panic occurred. The building
is peculiar by reason Of its shallow depth
and a survey of it shows that every rule
and precaution FOR safety in a school has
been disregardsd. On the four floors there
are nine class rooms, opening III two hall
| ways, with stairs running east and west.
reaching each end of the building. Through
the class rooms access can be had TO either
stairway. but the halls and stairs are
separated. The class rooms are in every
instance too closely packed with benches
at:d seats. In nearly every room the doors
open inward, and there is only one door in
the room to afford egress for from thirty
to eighty children, mostly young girls,
and the doors arc only two and a half feet
wide. The starways are likewise in dau-
serous condition. At the top of the high
est flight there is stout wooden gate not
easily moved. Actual measurement
showed that the inward opening dool
came within eleven inches of the end OF
the nearest bench, hardly affording room
to squeeze through. THE backs OF the
benches were within twenty-fuur inches OF
, the rear wall and Il stove blocked the
progress dt the Junction Of the passageway
and centre aisle between the row OF
benches.
The fire started III a closet containing
some sweepings aud waste paper,
under the stairs on the secand floor. Ii
amounted to nothing, but when first seer
filled the hall with smoke. Sister Apro-
mia, who was about to send a child home
opened the door of her class room and was
, met by gust of smoke, through whicl
, flames could be seen. Hastily shutting tht
door, she ran for a pail of water, sternly
commanding her pupils to remain quiet
She was too late with the water, and bur
, riedIy marshaling her scholars marched
r them out in safety.
The alarm had spread and similar pre-
cautions We're taken i'll each class. The
boys i'll some of the classes became unruly
but were kept in check by great effort
Exit being impossible by the east stairs
| as they were filled with fire and smoke
the march was taken through class rOoms
on each floor to the west side, in compare
tive safety. 4 half minute after The
alarm had been given half the childre:
| were on the streets. Just at this timt
. the sisters i'll charge of girls class No. ID
on the second floor, tainted. This was th.
, one mishap wanting to preclpitite panic
and with :, wild cry of fear the seventy u
eighty little girls thus left without a leader
S rushed into the already crowded stairway
throwing the thr"ng there into confusion
ShriekiDg, the children crowded, yellet
and fell down the stairs together. Th'
forem Ost ard the weaker were trainpled
!, Others struggling over them formed az
impossible barrier on tho stairs. Frou
G the street Policeman Henry Schweak VIII,
was on duty at the school, but had gone
into the church, rushed in with citizens
a and firemen. The heaving struggling
mass on the stairs receiving fresh addi
tiOns from above swelled in their sight
4 Suddenly the hand rail and beard partition
y guarding the stairs on the exposed sid
r crashed in. and the mass OF dead ant
dying children fell to the narrow hal
below, filling it four and five deep.
:. a Scene of Anguish.
A score of hands were quickly at worl
r pulling the children out and as many NOR
, | by main force kept the crowd still comm:
from above back. The slight fire on th.
: other side had been promptly extinguishe,
{ and many Of those Still! On the upper floors
c were helped out that way. From the hea]
, of children in the west hall six dead girl
-. were taken out and carried into the churcl
u where they were laid in front Of the chan
j. Gel, and attempts to resuscitate them wer
n made. Mothers, forcing their way in de
y spite the large police force, filled the sacret
;, building with their pitiful cries. Oue rec
osn!z d her child and fell upon it Will
agonizing shrieks. The policemen ant
r monks who looked on turned ava.
5 to hide their tears. The bodie
2 were taken up by officers an
, brought to the Fifth street police station
= = A clamoriDg, shrieking. moaning thron;
u of women, with uplIfted hands and stream
ing eyes surrounded it searching for theil
!, children. Some found those whom the,
sought and fell upon their knees in tn
could not find their little ones followed th
wagons carrying the dead aud wailins
throng-a terrible funeral cortege. In tn
l Al Al L.