The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-02-21
A SCHOOL HOUSE HORROR.
Frightful Stampede of Pupils i'm New
York school Building.

NEW 1ORk, req. SU.-An outbreak OF
fire under the stairs on the second floor of
the school house attached to the German
Roman Catholic church of the Most Holy
Redeemer on Fourth street, this afternoon
was the cause of terrible calamity by
which no less than fourteen children lost
their lives Over seven hundred scholars
mostly children of the poorer classes, rang
ing from to IL years of age, attended the
school and were in their class-rooms when
the alarm of fire was raised. A fearful
panic followed. The removal of the child
rem on the fourth floor began quietly
enough and was progressing rapidly when
the Sister of Charity In=charge of u class of
girls tainted Immediately the alarmed
class became panic-stricken. rush was
made for the stairway, but the stairs were
already crowded.
A deadly crush took place, the railing
of the stairs broke, and the mass of strug-
Cling children were preclpitated to the
floor, falling in packed mass and
one on top of another from four to five
feet. The police and fremen, already
summoned, arrived but their work of res
cue was hampered by the frightened chill
dren 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 exits.
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bottom. Eight more died immediately
after their rescue. A large number of
others, who were carried to the neighbor
ing tenements are reported dying. The
excitement when the news of the catastro-
phe spread was fearful, and great throngs
of people blocked the streets surrounding
the school. Many children were lost in
the excitement aid are reported missing.
The following are the dead as far as the
returns now show:
Minnie lister, years; Mary Happ. s.
years; Minnie Truhe, 10 years Josephine
Mass, I years; Mary Breecht, years; Lena
Becker. 0 years; Lizzie Maplecki, years;
Theresa Kintzner, II years; Barbara Preg-
enzer, 8 years; Louisa Florence, years.
Three others were taken out alive bu
died in St. Francis hospital, and are APP
psrently unidentified.
Siste Apromia, who had charge of the
fl. til class of girls, said: Il was in charge
of my class when the fire first broke out in
the hall way adjoining my room. ] heard
d commotiOn outside and u hubbub of
voices. At once I turned toward the door
and then for the first time discovered
smoke coming in through the wainscoat
ing, | went to- the door, and as / opened
1t the flames rushed at me. l closed the
door and was about to warn the children
to keep calm, when some men burst |
into and in a moment the children |
ran out at the bidding of the men. / fol- |
lowed, seeing all were escaping. Many of |
then, however, went to the stairs at the |
west side of the building where they were |
injured by failing over the stairs. where |
the boys had broken down the balusters be
fore them. There were about one hundred /
girls In my class.
The Sister in charge of the First Divis |
ion in the girls department, on the fourth |
floor, said: Il was not aware what was |
goingaon until looked out and saw the |
boys on my floor running over the west |
side of the stairs and going wildly down |
heard the balusters give way and then /
was about to look to my charges, when
they all arose, as If siezed with one fright. |
dashed past me, and recklessly ran down /
the stairs. ] saw none of the girls injured |
and they disappeared SO quickly from
sight that hoped they had ali escaped in |
safety The sister appeared calm and |
composed and seemed to have retained her |
self possession.
The school is conducted by the Sisters |
of Noire Dame. The building is five |
stories high, and has nine class rooms. |
seven for girls and two for boys Over /
fifty children were precipitated to the floor
by the giving way of the ballusters.
Detective Robinson said: The fire broke |
out under the staircase on the second floor
and was easily extinguished. / examined
the place. 1t seems some matches must
have been swept up with papers under the
stairway and been ignited by fire." The
dead were removed to the police station
where they were laid in row on the floor
in the back room. They were all quickly
idaatiasd by their sorrow strieksR mstksr.