Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-06-12
Nine Persons Hurt by Fall
ing Walls Of a School
House.
WAS WILD. EXPERIENCE
Buried In the Ruins Of Brick Building
at Some Distance from Human Hab-
Itation With Rain Falling In Tor.
rents.

b y r.
For the first time in two days COM
munication was established today
with Washington where nine high
school pupils were injured in the
storm Tuesday evening when brick
school house, located between Cop
pock and Washington, blew down
burying the students in the ruins.
This afternoon telephone communh-
cation with Washington was secured
and it was said that all the injured
would get we'll. The story is thrill
fng one and shows beyond doubt
that nine young men and women mar
rowly escaped death beneath falling
walls at some distance from a human
habitation, with the rain falling in tor
rents about them and with the wind
shrieking about their ears. 1t was
wild experience and was peculiarly
fortunate considering the nature of
the accident.
The Injured.
Mildred McAtlin was badly injured.
Her left shoulder and chest were
crushed, and she received many cuts
about the face Five stitches were
taken in two deep cuts on the lower
part of her face. Her lips were badly
cut and over both eyes she received
deep gashes. Her eyes are filled with
sand and mortar, and she has been
unable to get them open. She is IN
very critical condition.
Charles Chance received serious in
juries. His collar bone was broken in
several places, and one bone at the
elbow was dislocated. He also re-
ceived injuries about the head, and
was delirious all night and most Of
the morning. The attending physi-
clan says he will recover.
Blanche Stewart had her head bad
ly cut and her right shoulder was dis
located. Her face was badly bruised.
Myrtle Shields received a deep
flesh wound in the lower limb expos
ing the bone She was badly bruised
about the face.
Jessie Klein received several inju-
ries. Her back was sprained and she
was bruised.
Mary Jerrard received painful inju-
ries. Her ankle was dislocated.
Myrtle Stewart received several
bruises on the hand and face.
Gertrude Reeves received slight in
juries. She was bruised about the
face.
Lou Harmeier escaped with slight
injuries. He received several slight
bruises.
How It Occurred.
The young people, who are gradu.
ates of the high school here, had long
planned to have a class picnic Their
hopes had been realized and they
were returning from Coppock when
they were caught by the storm. Their
vehicle was overturned and the occu-
pants, nine in number, were precipi-
tated into the flooded road. BY the
light Of recurrent flashes Of lightning
they distinguished the school house
near at hand and crawled to it, The
door of the school house was fastened.
Building coiIapses.
While these nine young people were
huddled against the south side of the
school, the boys forcing an entrance,
storm and buried the party IN the de-
bris. Not one escaped injury and sew
eral are seriously hurt. Fortunately
Lou Harmeier, one of the party, was
not so deeply Embedded in the brick,
mortar and timbers Of the fallen build
ing as were the others and he man.
aged to work himself out and then
ran up to the McKune's home near
by, and told them to telephone for
doctors at once. Mr.. McKune hasten
ed to do this while Lou, and the boys
who had been in shelter in the Nc
Kune home, rushed back to the scene
Of the disaster to offer all possible
help to those who were still under the
wreck Those who were with this
crowd of rescuers report that when
they first got to the building, they
could not see any of the eight impris-
oned perosns. Their groans could be
heard, however, and. the boys went
TO work with all their strength to re-
move the debris and get their fellow
students out of danger.
The construction of the building ac-
counts for the fact of the party being
so completely buried under the ruins.
The party was standing. at the south
side of the building and the partition
wall fell upon them, crushing them
down and burying them from sight.
It was necessary to lift this wall off
the unfortunate young people in order
to give them their freedom. This was
done as speedily as possible by the
boys, who worked as IL for their own
lives and finally they were able to lift
/ the partition and were overjoyed to
find that none of the students had
been killed. Seven of the eight, how
ever, who had been pinned under the
wrecl had to ha carried I'm m Mr. Mo
Z. kune's home, where everything posi-
BILE was done to relieve the sufferers
Unroofed a School House.
Muscatine, June 12. Especial. ] -.
The storm here unroofed the West
Hill school house, Uttered the streets