The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1904-09-24
NINE GIRLS DROWNED.
SHOCKING DISASTER AT
SoHooL NEAR CINCINNATI.
Floor Of an Clubhouse Gives Way and
They Are Precipitated Into the Vault
Score OF others Narrowly Escape
Great Excitement In the Town--Of-
iciaI Negligence Charged.
Negligence Charged.

(
fetal Negligence Charged.
Cincinnati, Sept. 2s.-Nine school girls
were suffocated in vault during the
forenoon recess at a school in Pleasant
Ridge, seven miles north of Cincinnati,
to-day. A score of others narrowly es-
capped the same horrible death. All the
victims were from the primary grade
The school building is devoted to pupils
Of all grades from high to primary. On
the opposite side of the spacious
grounds In the rear Of the building are
two outhouses When recess was given
about thirty Of the smaller girls were
in the outhouse assigned to them, when
suddenly the floor gave way, prec1pitat-
ing them into the vault below. This
vault is twelve feet deep and walled up
with stone. At the time of the disaster
four feet of water stood in the vault.
The depth was over the heads of those
who were first precipitated into the wa
ter, but their bodies partially filled tn.
space. so that the others were not en-
tirely submerged.
The girls fell eight feet from the floor
ling and the struggles Of those who were,
on top kept at least nine underneath
until they were drowned. The frame
sheds Of these vaults were about tWen-
ty feet square, without windows, with
but one narrow doorway. Only one girl
escaped through the door and she hasti-
ly spread the alarm. The principals
and teachers rushed to the rescue, and
they were soon reinforced by the police
and almost the entire population of the
town. The f1remen Immediately drained
the vault.
Those engaged in the rescue work re-
cite the most CHASTITY experiences Even
the children rescued alive presented
such an appearance that many in the
crowd Of spectators tainted, but the
sight within the vault begarred all de-
lscription.
James Smith, aged fourteen years, one
of the pupils, climbed to the roof of the
schoolhouse, united the flag and ran to
| the vault. BY means of this impromptu
rope several were rescued. The city
marshal had great difficulty in keeping
L
rescuers The opportunities of friends,
especially of the weeping mothers, al
most allowed the people to get beyond
| the control Of the officers. Two physi-
lcians used the school building for q
hospital and a morgue until the dead
and the rescued were taken to their
4 homes.
William ]. Card, Of Cincinnati, had
three daughters in the place, Of whom
two, Chairman and Fausta, lost their
Hives. Rotha, the twin sister of Fausta,
narrowly escaped death. When the
crowd Of girls rushed into the place
Rotha was knocked out of the door into
the yard just before the collapse oc-
Cured.
Reports about the floor having given
way last year are denied by the school
/ trustees
"A corrected list Of the dead follows:
Loretta Finke, aged twelve daughter
] OF Henry FinlSe, Cincinnati; Emma
Steinkamp, thirteen daughter Of Joseph
Z Steinkamp; Amelia Hesse, nine, daugh-
4 ter of Herman d. Hesse, dairyman;
Martha Buhr, eight, daughter of Mrs.
ELLA Buhr; Edna Thee, ten, daughter
of John Thee, blacksmith; Hazel Clio
yer, eight, parents dead, lived with her
grandmother, Mrs. Wolf; Fausta Card,
eleven, and CHAIRMAN Card, nine, both
daughters of William j. Card, Cincin-
natl.
| Tonight the town is rife with mingled
excitement, sorrow and indignation, and
those openly charging the calamity to
official negligence are making serious
| threats among them being many wo-
men.