The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-12-23
A JUVENILE
HOLOCAUST.
Little Girls We're Preparing For
Christmas Entertainment,
AND ELEVEN BURNED TO DEATH


Quincy. MS. Dec. 90 While the
school children of St Francis Paro-
chisl school Seventeenth and Vine
streets, were rehearsing yesterday af-
ternoon for a Christmas entertainment
20 be given next TUESDAY evening one
of their dresses caught fire from a
gas JET and ten minutes later four OF
them were burned to death. two died
an hour later and FIVE others died be-
fore midnight Half a dozen others
were burned more or less severely.
The dead irena Freiburg May
Wavering, Mary Althoff. Bernadina
Freuud. Colatta Middendort. Mary
Hickey, Wihelmina Guttendorf, OLIVIA
Timpe. Addie Futterer. Josephine
Bohme and Margaret Warner All
these were between . and II years OF
age
Helen SoebOing and several other
teachers, Father Nicholas and Profess
sor Frank Mushold were painfully
burned in trying to save the children.
The fire started in little dressing
room Three or four little girls were
there dressing for the rehearsal anG
laughing gayiy among themselves. a
dozen others were grouped in this
wings OF the stage near the foot Of the
stairs descending from the dressing
room The girls in the dressing room
had nearly completed their costumes
when one Of them brushed against a
gas Jet but which one it will never
be known. a touch of the flame was
sufficient. and In an instant her dress
of cotton and light cloth was in a
blaze. She screamed and ran out Of the
room, communicating the blaze to the
others as she ran.
One of the LIrls. with her dress in a
blaze. jumped out of a small window
into the stairs leading to the stage
and then down the stairs. A flaming
torch she was. as she almost fell down
the stairs and rushed into the groups
of children standing in the wings
They we're all clad like her, in fancy
costumes OF C tton, lace and silk. and
the fire spread with incredible rapidity
from one TO the other. There were
IA children in the cast of the Christ
mas entertainment and only a few es-
capped, II was all over in ten min
utes. and in that time four perished,
seven were fatally burned and others
more or less severely injured.
The children we're panic stricken and
rushed this way and that. screaming
with pain. But the agony was brief.
Only a few minutes and then four of
them sank to the floor dead. Others
fell too, but they still lived, suffering
excruciating agony.
The school nall was filled with chill
dren. and many more would have been
killed i'm the panic which followed had
it not been for the prompt efforts Of
the teachers and sisters who were in
charge of the entertainment The
children were in a panic for a few
minutes and rushed for the doors, but
prompt efforts quieted them and no
one was hurt IN the rush.
The shrieks and screams OF the in
iured were agJniZing The little ones
lay helpless and imDotent on the floor
and writhed aBout in their agony. The
dead were ChJUred in most cases be-
yond recognition. The home of peace
full pleasure had IN az instant become
a charnel house The doctors hitted
about on their missions OF mercy. seek
ing to supply soothing lotions to those
who were still alive and seeking also
to cover the charred bodies of the dead
with blankets or other covering.
The excitement inside the building
was soon intensified with the situation
without. The crowds congregated in
an instant. and parents soon came
searching anAIously for their little
ones The landing at the third floor
was a combination OF hospital and
morgue. Besides the many patients
within the smoke stained walls. there
were dozens Of fain.tng End heart
broken women without They scream
ed as some Of the scenes came to them.
nd