The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-02-28
4 HORRIBLE AFFAIR."

SIXTEEN SCHOOL CHILDREN
TRAMPLED TO DEATH
In . Panic In . Ffve-etory School
House in New York City. the Result
Of an Alarm ofFtre-The Frightened
Little Ones Piled Upon Each Othe'
by the BreakinG or the Stair Railing
-Heartrending Scenes in the Streets
An outbreak of fire under the
stairs on the second floor Of the
school house attached to the Roman
Catholic Church of the Most Holy
Redeemer, in Fourth street, be-
tween Avenue A and First avenue,
New York, at 3:15 yesterday after
noon, was the cause of IN appalling
accident, no less than fifteen children
losing their lives. Oevr O scholars,
mostly children OF the poorer classes
living in that vicinity, from six ia
eleven years Of age, attended the
school, and were in their class rooms
when the alarm of fire was raised,
which resulted in a fearful panic,
The removal Of the children on the
fourth floor began quietly, and was
progressing rapidly, when a Sister OF
Charity, who vas in charge of a class
of girls, tainted from excitement.
Immediately the class was thrown
into confusion, and a rush was m; de
for the hallway. On the stairs,
which we're already crowded, a panic
ensued, and a deadly rush 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. Tho police and
fremen rushed in and found them
living four or five deep. Six were
taken out dead from the bottom of
the heap. Nine more died immedi-
ately after, making a total of fifteen.
A large number of others. who were
carried to surrounding tenements,
yer reported to be dying. The ex-
element when the news of the cata-
strophe spread through the densely
peopled neighborhood was fearful,
and throngs of excited people block
ed the streets surrounding the build
ing. Many children were lost in the
excitement and are reported missing.
A number of the injured were sent
to Bellevue Hospital.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE-THE PANIC.
The fire started in a closet con-
tanning some sweepings and waste
paper under the stairs on the second
floor. 1t amounted to nothing, but
when first e filled the hall with
smoke. Sister Apromia, who was
about to send a child home, opened
the door of her class room, and was
met by a gust of smoke, through
which the flames could be seen.
Hastily shutting the door, she ran
for a pail of water, sternly command
ing her pupils to remain quiet. She
was too late with her water, and
hurriedly marshalling her scholars,
marched them out in safety. The
had spread, and similar pre-
cautions were taken in each class.
The boys in some of the classes be-
came unruly, but were kept in check
by great effort. Exit being irnpOs-
-ible 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 COM
parative safety. A half minute after
the alarm bad been given half the
children were in the street. Just at
this time the Sister ia charge of
girls class No. 10, on the second
floor, tainted. This was the one mis-
hap wanting to precipitate a panic,
and with a Wild cry of fear the sew
enty or eighty little girls thus left
without a leader rushed into the.al
ready crowded hallway. throwing
the crowd there into confusion.
Shrieking the children crowded,
rolled and tumbled down the stairs
together. The foremost and the
weaker were trampled. Others
struggling over them formed an inn
passable barrier on the stairs. From
the street policeman Henry Schweak
who was on duty at the school, but
had gone into the church, rushed in
with citizens and firemen. The
heaving struggling mass on the
receiving fresh additions from
above, swelled in their sight. Sud-
the hand rail and board par
tition guarding the stairs on the ex-
side crashed in, and the mass
Of dead and dying children fell to
the narrow hall below, filling it four
and five deep
HEARTRENDING SCENES.
A score of hands were quickly at
work pulling the children cut and AZ
many more by main force kept the
still coming from above back.
The slight fire on the other side
had been promptly extinguIshed,
and many of those still on the upper
floors were helped on; that way.
From the heap of children in the
west nall six dead girls were taken
out and carried into the church,
where they we're laid in front OF the
chancel and attempts 'made u re-
sussitate them. Mothers, forcing
their way despite the large police
force, filled the sacred building with
their pitiful cries. One recognized
her child and fell upon it with ago
nizing cries. The policemen and
monks who looked on turned away
to hide their tears. The bodies
were taken up by officers and
brought to the Fifth street police
station. A clamoring, shrieking,
moaning throng of women, with up
lifted hands aud streaming eyes, sur-
rounded it searching for their chill
dren. Some found those whom they
sought, and fell upon their knees in