Daily Kennebec journal., 1904-09-24
INTO VAULT.
School Girls Suffocated
Near Cincinnati.
At Recess Floor of An Clubhouse
Gives Way.
Nine Are Dead and Many Narrowly
Escape.

Cincinnati, O., sept. 23.-Nine school
girls We're suftOcated in a vault during
the forenoon recess at a school in
. Pleasant Ridge. seven miles north of
Cincinnati, today. A Score of others
narrowly escaped the same horrible
death. All the victims We're from the
Primary grade. The school building is
devoted to pupils of all grades from
High to Primary. ON opposite sides Of
the spacious grounds in the rear of
the building are two out-houses.
When recess was given, about 80 of
the smaller girls We're in the out
house assigned to them, when sudden
ly the floor gave way, precipitating
them into the vault below This vault
is II feet deep ana 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 water.
but their bodies partially filled the
space 50 that the others We're not en-
tirely submerged. The girls fell eight
feet from the flooring and the strug-
giles of thos, who We're on top kept at
least nine underneath until they were
drowned The frame sheds of these
vaults We're about 20 feet square with
out windows, with but one narrow
doorway only one girl escaped
through the door and she hastily
spread the alarm. The principal and
teachers rushed to the rescue and they
were soon reinforced by the police and
almost the entire population of the
town. The tiremen Immediately drained
the vault.
Those engaged in the rescue work
Even the children rescued alive pre-
seated such an appearance that many
in the crowd Of spectators tainted, but
the sight within the vault beggared all
description.
james smith, aged IA. one of the pu-
pills. climbed to the roof of the school
house, united the flag and ran to the
vault. BY means of this impromptu
rope several We're rescued. The city
marshal had great difficulty in keep
ing the crowd from interfering with the
rescuers. The opportunities of friends,
especially of the weeping mothers, al
most allowed the people to get beyond
the control of the officers.
Two physicians used the school
building for a hospital and morgue
until the dead and the rescued were
taken to their homes.
Frank s. Johnson said: Il was
standing across the street, talking to
DR.. Lambert. when little girl came
crying for help. We found Principal
Zimmerman pulling the children from
the vault. The smaller girls were be-
ing forced to the bottom Ny the terri
fic struggles of the others in the vault.
Some of the children climbed up the
ladder drenched. gaspng for breath.
and fanting as soon as taken out into
the fresh air.
'As fast as they came within reach of
the door those who stood at the doorway
lifted them from the ladder and passed
them out to waiting friends. 1t was not
possible to go down into the vault at first
for the reason that one would impede
the little ones who We're Scra milling out.
Finally the last girl that could get to the
ladder got out and the men went in and
rescued those who remained
William J. Card of Cincinnati had three
little daughters in the place. OF whom
two, Chairman and Fausta. lost their
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 occurred.
Reports about the floor having given
way. last year, are denied by the school
trustees.
A corrected list of the dead follows:
Loretta Fincke. aged 12 daughter of
Henry Fincke of Cincinnati
Emma Steinkamp, aged Il, daughter of
Joseph Stcinkamp.
Amelia Tcsse, aged O. daughter of Her
man ID. HesSe, dairyman
Martha Buhr, aged .. daughter of Mrs.
Ella Buhr.
Edna Thee. aged TO- daughter of John
Thee. blacksmith
Hazel Glover. aged 8. parents dead, lived
with grandmother, Mrs. Wolfe.
Fausta Card. aged II.
Chairman card. aged 9, both daughters
of William Card of Cincinnati.
Tonight the town is rife with mingled
cXcitrmcnt sorrow and Indignation, and
those openly charging the calamity To Of
Hcial negligence, are making serious
threats among them being many women.