Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-05-20

up the steps, down the wrecked stairs,
and tore at the timbers which covered
the living and dead like madmen. They
even climbed to the windows, tore down
the blinds, and smashed the glass in or
der to enter the building. Their very
anxiety to reach the imprisoned children
prevented the work of rescue being
pushed rapidly. Soon, however, police
men and firemen arrived, and in a few
minutes the first injured child was taken
out. As fast as the children were taken
from the debris they were carried to the
natatorium, where the living were cared
for by half dozen physicians, who vol
unteered their services. The injured
bore their suffering with fortitude that
was heroic and allowed their wounds to
be dressed without fiinching. They even
tried to cheer their weeping parents,
who bent above the improvised cots.
The crowd became so great that the door
had to be closed against all save those
who had dead or injured children living
in the room. Men half-crazed with grief
struck the door with their fists and
pleaded for admittance.
The Lathrop School Building occupied
a prominent site at the corner of Eighth
and May streets. 1t consisted of main
building, to which an art wing had been
added. The building was surmounted
by tower, which for some time had
been considered unsafe 1t had been
twice condemned; once within a few
weeks, but no action had been taken in
the matter. The wind swept midway
across Broadway from the west and
seemed to concentrate its force in a de-
scent upon the tower, which yielded with
a crash, and, carving down the heavy
bell, plunged through the intervening
floors to the basement. The main build
ing is mass of ruins within shattered
walls which still stand. The falling
| floors precipitated the terrified children
to the basement, where masses of bricks
and beams crushed them to the ground
and buried them from view.
Many heroic scenes were enacted dur
| ing the rescue of the wounded children.
Some of them seemed to have greater
control than their elders. One little girl,
half buried in the debris, over whom
rescuers were busy, begged them to
leave her to leave her and help boy be-
side her because, she said, he was only 5
years old. Several of the children be-
longed to prominent families in the city.
| AT THE OVERALL FACTORY.
Probably the most distressing accident
occasioned by the storm happened at No.
10 West Third Street. The storm had
been under way for some time and the
people in that neighborhood were not in
the least alarmed, when suddenly the
building situated at the above number
was torn from its foundation, and in less
| time than it takes to tell it was in ruins.
The building was only three stories high,
the third story being occupied by the
Kansas City Overall Factory, while the
Graham Paper Company made use of
the first and second floors. At the time
the building was struck, as near as
could be aScertained, there were about
fifteen girls working in the overall fac
tory and about five men in the paper
warerooms. The people located on the
third floor Immediately rushed to the sec
ond floor, while the men employed by
the Graham Company had barely time
to gain the street entrance, with the ex-
ception of the shipping clerk. The latter
was not seriously hurt, however Inre-
ply to questions he said: Il was busily
engaged in wrapping up goods and had
not been paying much attention to the
storm, thinking it would soon pass over,
when suddenly there came crash and l
knew that our building had been struck.
| at once rushed to the ground floor, but
was struck by falling timbers, and have
received internal injuries"
do you know the number of girls
employed by the overall-factory people?"
was asked.
Il suppose that there must have been
at least twenty girls in the building at
the time of the accident, although | am
not prepared to state as to the exact
number"
As soon us the storm had ceased to
some extent the department that could
be spared was on the scene, and hun
dreds of ready hands set to work at once
to clear away the debris and if possible
save the lives of the unfortunates slowed
away beneath the mass of rubbish. The
wounded and dying were at once carried
to adjacent buildings. where the best of
care was given them. The cries and
means of the injured women were heart
rending to hear, while mothers and
friends ran to and fro in hopes of hear
ing encouraging news from their rela-
tives One poor mother caused tears to
flow from the eyes of many by her dis
tressing cries: Can anyone tell me
where is my child?"
Generous citizens at once ordered car
riages and the girls were removed to
their homes as soon as they were res
cued
Another Cyclone.
Last Wednesday n cyclone struck the
town of Odell, H., doing great damage,