The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-09-24
OUTHOUSE FLOOR FALLS
Thirty Children Precipitated into
the Flooded Vault
Beneath.

GU at IedsdHt hldge, seven miles
north of Cincinnati, with the first
quarter of the session when nine. DOS
sibly ten, schoolgirls were suffocated
In vault during recess, and n score
of others narrowly escaped the same
horrible death. During the rest of the
day this suburb was wild with mingled
excitement sorrow and Indignation.
and those openly charging the calamity
to official negligence are making Sc
rious threats, among them being many
women.
The large building is used for a high
school as well as for all lower depart
ments. All Of the victims were from
primary grades. On opposite sides Of
the spacious grounds in the rear of the
school building are two outhouscs.
When recess was given about thirty Of
the smaller girls were in the outhouse
assigned TO them when suddenly the
loor gave way, precipitating them fato
the vault below.
This vault is twelve feet deeD and
walled up with stone like well. There
was in ii four feet Of water TINT would
have been over the heads of the child
ren falling in ii slngly, but those fall
ing foremost filed up the vault par
tally. 50 that others were not entirely
submerged. The girls fell eight feet
from the flooring, and the struggles OF
those who were oA Top kept Il, least
nine underneath until they were dead.
The frame sheds OF these vaults were
about twenty feet square, without win.
dows and only one narrow doorway,
so that only one girl escaped from
the door She ran into the school build
ing and told the teachers what had
happened. The principal and other
teachers rushed to the rescue. The
screams of the girls were dimly heard
while within the vault, and they were
most of them unable to speak when
rescued. The teachers We're soon re-
enforced by the entire population of
the town, the police and fire depart.
ments rendering most effective service
The firemen drained the vault so as
to be sure that the rescue was com
plete.
Those engaged in the rescue work re-
cite the most CHASTITY experiences
Even those rescued alive presented
such an appearance as to make many
in the crowd of spectators faint, but
the sight within the vault beggared all
description.
Among the first to come to the relief
of Principal Simmerman were Rev. l.
d. Lambert of the Presbyterian church !
and Frank S. Johnson of the Herald
and Presbyter of Cincinnati
James Smith, aged fourteen, one of /.
the pupils, climbed to the roof of the |
schoolhOuse, united the flag and ran to |
the vault. BY means Of this impromp |
tn rope several were rescued. Marshal |
Wood had great difficulty in keeping |
the crowd back and from interfering
with the rescuers. The opportunities
of friends, especially Of the weeping |
were almost beyond the con-
troll of the 1licers. Drs. u. G.. Senour
and p. J. Shank, with their assistants,
used the school building for hospital
"hu iiiNFSuN uiilil blNVl lht Nlcdu anu
rescued were taken to their homes
Frank s. johnson said:
II was standing across the street
talking to DR.. Lambert when a little
girl came crying for help. We found
Principal Simmerman saving lives The
smaller girls were being forced to the
bottom by the movements and terrific
struggles of each other in the vault.
Up the ladder climbed the little ones
lrenched, gasping for breath and faint
ng as soon as taken out into the fresh
air. AS fast as they came within
'each of the door those who stood ut
he doorway reached down and lifted
hem from the ladder and passed them
1ut to waiting friends. II was not pos
'ible to go down into the vault at first
'or the reason that one would impede
he little ones who were climbing out
Finally the last girl that could get to
he ladder got out, and then the men
went in and rescued those that re-
William ]. Card, prominent mer-
'hant Of Cincinnati, had three daugh-
ers In the place, Of whom Chairman
md Fausta lost theft lives. Rotha,