The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-01-17
ORPHAN HOME HORROR
FIFTEEN BOYS AND GIRLS BURNED
TO DEATH NEAR DALLAS.
Nine Others Seriously Injured, Three
Probably FatalIy-First Report OF
Loss of Life Underestimated.

DALLAS. Tex, Jan. 16.-Fifteen little
girls and boys are dead as result of last
nights fire at the Buckner Orphan Home
and nine others are seriously burned and
crushed Three of the injured il is thought,
cannot recover. The extent of the disaster
was not discovered and fully realized until
to-day. The fire, which commenced about
10 o'clock Friday night and ragged until the
boysf dormitory was destroyed, aid not cool
enough for search for bodies in the ashes
until early this morning. At that time il
was thought that only five children had
been burned to death. When the ashes had
cooled enough to admit OF n search scores
of sympathzing friends and neighbors be-
gan the task of finding the bodies of the
five whom il was known had perished. The
search had hardly been instituted when the
terrible truth that there were more than
five bodies in the ashes appeared. The
search continued until dawn. when fifteen
bodies had been found. The dead are:
OSCAR JACKSON, aged 1S. of Dallas
BIRDIE BRITToN. aged 10. of Dallas
y MAfIoN iSIi6S ,l BRlTroN ON, and :, MILTON hG
CARLos JONES. aged 5. of Hunt county.
WILLIE RICHARDS, aged ), OF Collins
GROVER CLEVELAND YARBOR-
OUCH. aged Is. of Smith county.
PRESTON CRIBBS, aged 13, Of Fannln
WILLIAM MILLER, aged :, of Lamar
county.
EUGENE BLACK. aged 8. of Callahan
VIRGIL NELSON. aged 10. of Marion
RICHARD MARSHALL, aged TO- of Den
ARTHUR EDWARDS. aged 10. of Wise
OSCAR HOWARD, aged 5, of Cherokee
county.
RAY KING, aged 9. of Indian Territory.
THOMAS O'BANNON. aged 6, died at ]
o'clock this afternoon from his burns.
The seriously injured are: Dan Grace,
aged 5. fatally burned over two-thirds OF
his body: Earle Doodle, aged 6. badly burned
on back; Charles Boyd Friend, aged 10, Sc
| riously and probably fatally burned on
head. face. hands and arms and injured on
the head from jumping from the second
story; Richard Zurmwaldt. aged u. seri-
ousy burned on head, face and neck Sa-
| die Britton, aged H. hands burned and an
| kle sprained from jump from the second
story; Walter Blockington Marlborough, aged
| S, both hands burned; Bennie Ware. aged
| H. seriously injured, not expected TO live:
| Jim Scott aged 10, burned on both legs;
| Samuel Henderson, aged 10, burned about
| face, hands and arms.
| When the fire was first discovered the
| alarm spread through the dormitories, and
| 800 children rushed hither and thither In
the widest of fright and panic-stricken
confusion. The halls, porches and stairway
| landings were thick with hot scorching
smoke The building had stood for num-
| ber of years, and was as dry as kindling
and burned with fearful rapidity. The wind
was blowing from the southeast, which
| drove the fire into the building to the north
! west. 1t was eating into the three prin-
| cpal stairways almost soon as il was
! discovered, and the little fellows on the
| second floor of the west wing We're cut of
| from any avenue of escape except from the
| windows. There were about 10 boys be-
| tween the ages of six and fourteen asleep
! in these dormitories, many OF them being
| upstairs. but they were the largest ones,
and the six-year-old tots had been quar-
tered on the lower floor with view TO such
| an emergency. Even with this precaution
| some OF the smallest ones were burned 10
| death either not being awakened by the
| alarm or being in such a demoraliZed state
| from childish terror that they did not know
! how to make their way out Those with
/ most presence OF mind followed the larger
ones who raised the windows and jumped
! through them. a few had presence of mind
enough to save some of their clothes but
/ most Of them escaped in only their night
| garments.
! The panic-stricken little ones did not stop
| even after they were out OF the burning
/ building but fled in their wild terror as III
| some nameiess horror were pursuing them
| across mud and fields in every direction.
! Some went to neghbors' houses as far as
/ half a mile away. ana others were found
! staggering along the lanes in their sCant
| night clothes crying as II their little hearts
would break. seeking u place OF safety.
/ fegfss ffsF
! the little fellows who had not reached
shelter by their cries and brought them
back TO the home Those who had found a
/ house were accommodated, ana motherly
hands dried their eyes and washed them.
| Some OF them were supplied with warm
! clothing. The loss on building and contents
! h light about s. COO, with no Insurance.
/ The home will be rebuilt.