The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-02-22

then ceased altogether" Doctor Rob
inson ssid: The fire broke out under
the stairs on the second floor snd was
easily extinguished. | examined the
place snd it seemed to me some matches
must have been swept with the papers
under the stairs and had been ignited by
friction with the floor" Policeman Reid
ssid, son the floor behind the staircase
lay mass of struggling, screaming
children. They were piled on top of
esch other. As fquickly as possible we
pulled them out, and passed them by hand
through the window. Those on top were
still aiva. but when we reached the bot
tom we found the dead. II was an awful
sight 20 see them lying there with Their
blsnched faces, their mouths and eyes
wide open, and their dresses ell in dis
order, One little girl, Minnie Truh, was
still alive. She died, however, on the
way to the station house 1t was the
most ewful scene l ever happened to see.
The dead were then taken TO the police
station on Fifth street, and Fret avenue,
where they were laid on the floor in the
back room. They were all quickly
identified By sorrow stricken mothers and
little brothers and sisters, sud removed
to the sfflicted homes of their families,
who we're promptly assisted by the anthc-
rites. The scene in the class rooms aud
in the halls after the panic was almost
indescribsble. Torn and broken school
apparatus. and fragments of torn clothes
were scattered upon the foors, q terrible
evidence of the wild struggle of the
children to escape from the building.
Father Hespellin is the school direc-
tor. Five hundred girls under IL years of
age and zoo boys attended the school,
and thsy were ell in their classes when
the fire occurred. A survey shows that
every rule and precsution for safety in
the school was disregsrded. On the
four floors, were nine class rooms open
into two hall ways, with stairs running
east and west reaching either end of the
building. Through the class rooms &C
cess can be had TO either stairway, but
halls and stsirs were separated. In
nearly every room the doors open IN
ward and there is only one door in a
room for egress for from thirty to eighty
children, mostly young girls, and the
doors only two ard half feet wide. The
stairwsys are likewise narrow, and at the
top Of the highest flight there is q stout
wooden gate not easily moved. Actual
opening door came within eleven inches
of the end Of the nearest benches, there
being hardly room to squeeze through.
The backs Of the benches were within
tWeRty-four inches of the rear wall and
the stove blocked all progress at the
junction Of the passage way and centre
aisle between the row of benches,
From the heap Of children in the west
halls six dead girls from 9 TO 10 years Of
age were taken out carried into the
church and laid in front of the sanctuary
where attempts to resuscitate were made.
Mothers forcing their way in despite OF
the large force of police filed the sacred
building with pitiful cries. One
recognizing her child dead, fell upon it
with agonizing shrieks Policemen and
monks turned away, dazed 1T the spec-
taele. Conveysnces arriving the bodies
were taken up by officers in their arms
and carried out. A clsmoring, shrieklng
meaning throng of women, with upiitted
hand; and streaming eyes, followed.
Mothers finding missing children living
fell upon their knees in the mud and
snow giving thanks. Ia the station
house frantic shrieks proclaimed the
Identification of each little dead one.
New YORK, Zl.-1he coroner, ibis
morning, selected a jury to Investigate
the causes of the fatal school disaster,
yesterday. Crowds to-day visited the
place and discussed the terrific affair.
Many were loud in denuncistions Of the
clergyman in permitting the staircase
which they say has been in frAil con-
ditiOn for some time past, to remain
without being properly strengthened.
Those injured will recover. The bodies
of the dead children will be brought to
the church of the Most Holy Il deemer
to morrow morning where the fu- eral
services will be conducted.
The church will b. drsped in mourn
ing. The bodies have bsen enclosed in
neat rosewood baskets, bearing on silver
plates the names and ages of the little
unfortunEtes. 1t is thought they are all
to be Inferred in CalVsFy Cemetery.