The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-02-22
s,.remr.R OF THE rNNocENTs.
y.~,tcy,ars OF the Terrible Dis
asser nc the school OF the
uost HOLY Rcdccmcr.

,.,r,..u killed aud Nearly Score injured
H., the Accident iappeped-A sr"Ha'''R'
1900 Mass OF Little ones Prceipl-
,s,.a rrom a staircase 20 FLOOR "e'o"-
-, n,,,e Of SnfToca alton Scenes In the
IA a, the n-ffousc-idcnt-
ninR the Dead
The Vow York papers Of yesterday are
eneA with the narrowing detaiis OF 'ne
- ,,h,ch occurred at the school OF The
3 ~ ~, uolv Rcdecmer, IN that city, Tues
" -. ,ybich fifteen little children were
m, ord nearly score more injured.
.es,a,ea In our telcgraphic columns, tue
o,rse Of the panic was small hre III the
t,,ndipg The loss OF life resulted from
,ho Giving away Of a railing, 10y when q
Ting. struggling mass OF frightened llt-
& 81 nnes were prccipitated from a staircase
n,o noor below. The school had reg
,.,cred attendance OF about 9OO-the ma
,or;,v girls-and tho ages Of both sexes
ro,,,ed from four 70 fifteen years. The pu-
III IN most Of the rooms escaped unharm-
"a ovjne 10 the GOODNESS OF the Sisters IN
LIVING discipline, and It is stated those
Who caused the jam and rush on the starr
o.. aid not lose their heads until one OF
tho sisters tainted, leaving them without a
leader. ON this point. however, the state
,nents are somewhat conflicting.
STATEMENT or ONE or TIE FIRST UPoN THE
SCENE.
Tho Times in its account says; Oiiicer
Henry Schwcnk. OF the seventeenth pre-
cina. whose daily detail requires nm 10
No present at the time OF the dlsihiSSai OF
the pupils Of this school, at 500 T. NJ,
was in the large cloak-room on the Secohu
floor when he heard The engines come
Il charging up TO the buiiding eig9t or 'c,i
n minutes after O'Clock. lie h'aru cIlos VI
fire. and witnessed the rush OF the chill
Iror 70 ,be head OF the stairway in the
vccst end Of the building. Taking ms Siand
~, ono Of the ton steps OF that stairway, he
4 tried 10 keep back the pushing, scream
4 mo fhrong. and called 10 the children to
lccn oujet and move slowly. His physical
oyortions and his admOmtlOnS were OF mt
4 no ovail Some OF the scholars in front
hooded him and tried 10 push back, but
he tcrrihlc fright that had seized upon
q those behind rendered the latter uncon-
,roIlol,le. and they pushed forward with
=, torco tbot could not be stad. The officer
,ros ,vcdred tightly against the upper part
81 the sfair-railing, and the next instant he
6oord n crash. followed by the sickenlnS
tbud Of falling bodies. With the exception
~ . low who stood on the two or three top
stors All q the occupants OF the staircase
fcr with the broken railing. score or
more Of Others who were pushed forward
with terrific velocity fell directly forward
down fine unguarded staircase. The scene
was frighlful one.
FmGHTFUL SCENE.
children. large and small, tumbled one
nv one hcadlong into the struggling, shrek
inc mass. The floor at the bottom OF the
stairs was piled three and four deep with
human bodies, and the most agonlzing
cries assaled the ear. Officer Schwenkand
Mr.. Lambert. who, apparently, were the
two first men 10 view the scene, say that II
was frightful beyond description. The
proans Of the injured ones were heart
Tendng. and in some instances the men
could hear them grow fainter and fainter
until they ceased altogether. The children
nj the top OF the stairway made the air ring
with their pitiful cries for help. "Oh,
Mi,terl oh, Mister" Save me
- Please save me Ntit tue bpl'NdiS 'i'"t
came from hundred Threats.
FIGHTING BACK JEALOUS REsCUERs.
After the crash and the mOmentary
downfall OF human beings that followed,
the work OF rescue began with n much
yiror and effectiveness rs was possible UNI
der the circumstances. The fact that there
were children in the building had become
known TO the large crowd Of people at
tractcd to the spot by the arrival OF the
fre-eugines, and, with the idea OF render
ing assistance uppermost IN their MINDS, a
number Of Jealous persons burst open the
double doors Of the main entrance ana ran
into the hall. In a few seconds this hall
way was completely filed with excited
men and boys, and when the police arrived
they were obliged to fight this crowd back
in order to make way for the exit OF the
children.
WORK OF THE FIREMEN.
When the iiremcn entered the building
they found a large number Of children in
the classroom, aud many others in the
cloak-room and the passageways leading TO-
ward the staircase in the west end OF the
building. The little folk, who were mostly
girls. were very much frightened, and were
seemingly anxious TO get away from the
a burning staircase, which, being clOuded in
f. smoke. had 10 them the appearance OF
being an on fire. Some Of the tiremen
assured the children that they might safely
descend the stairs and get into the street
through the basement-dOor in the east end
OF the building. \ few OF the scholars
were prevailed upon to try this means OF
exit. aud rs they passed safely ont they
were followed by many others. and II IS
estimated that about two hundred reached
the street in this way.
While this was going on the western
staircase and the approaches thereto were
feariuy clOgged by the stream OF children
from the upper rooms. flremen ana p0-
liccmen, approaching the almost immoVa-
Bile mass OF humanity from the cloak-rOom,
partially succeeded in relieving the crush
by passing the children one by one back
through The building aud down the east
stairway. Those Of the rescuing party who
were at work on the broken staircase and
in the hall below were obliged to exercise
the greatest caution to keep from treading
upon the helpless children who were piled
upon The floor.
PAST DEPARTING LIFE.
The faint means Of those underneath
told Of fast departing life, and efforts were
made TO pull such unfortunates out from
their fearful positions. All such efforts,
however, proved fruitless, and it was found
necessary TO take those who could be most
easily reached and pass them ont as quickly
as possible. The children clustered at the
head OF the stairs waited with outstretched
hands and agonizing cries their turn to be
lifted down. Besides Officer Schwenk and
Mr. Lambert, this work was participated IN
by Sergeant Welsing. Officers Rod,