The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-09-30
FATAL ACCIDENT.
Ten Little School Girls Are suffocated
In Vault.
OTHERS NARROWLY ESCAPED.

OTHERS NARROWLY ESCAPED.
All of the Vioti Were From the
Primary Gre :. The Acct
dent Occurred at the
Recess Hour.
A dispatch from Cincinnati, Ohio,
says school closed Friday at Pleasant
Ridge, seven miles north OF Cincin-
natl, with the first quar- or of the ses-
sion when nine, possibly ten girls
were suffocated In vault during the
forenoon recess, and 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 Friday night those openly charg-
ing the calamity to Official negli-
gence are making serious threats,
amcng them being many women.
The large building Is used for a
high school as we'll as for all lower de-
partmentS. All the victims were
from primary grades. On opposite
sides OF the spacious ground in the
rear OF the school building are two
outhouses. When recess was given
about 30 Of the smaller girls were in
the ou house assigned to them when
suddenly the floor gave way, precipi.
tating them into the vault. This
vault is II feet deep and walled up
with stone like we'll. There was in
1T four feet OF water that would have
been over the heads OF the children
falling in it singly, but those falling
foremost filled up the vault partially
so that others were not entirely sub.
merged.
The girls fell eight feet from the
flooring and the struggles of those
who were on top kept at least nine
underneath until they were dead
The frame sheds of these vaults were
about 20 feet square without windows
and only one narrow doorway, SO that
only one girl escaped from the door.
She ran into the school building and
! told the teachers what had happened.
The principal and other teachers rush.
ed 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 re cued. The
| teachers were soon reinforced by the
entire population OF the town, the
police and fire departments rendering
most effective service.
DRAINED THE VAULT.
The tiremen drained the vault so a.
to be sure that the rescue was com
plete.
Among the first to come to the
relief OF Principal Zimmerman were
Rev. l. D. Lambert OF the PreSbyter
ian church and Frank S. Johnson OF
The Herald and Presbyter OF Cincin.
| natl.
James Smith, aged il, one OF the
pupils climbed to the roof Of the
school house, united the flag and ran
to the vault BY means of this i'm.
promptu rope several were rescued.
Marshall Wood had great difficulty in
keeping the crowd back and from in
terferring with the reScuers. The i'm
portunites OF friends, especially of the
weeping mothers, we're almost beyond
the control OF the officers. DrS. U G.
Senour and p. Il. Shank, with their
assistants, used the school building
as hospital and morgue until after
the dead and the rescued were taker
TO their homts.
Frank S. Johnson said: II was
standing across the street talking t(
DR.. Lambert when little girl came
crying for help. We found Principa
Zimmerman saving lives. The smaller
girls were being forced to the bottO 4
by the movements and terrific stug
giles OF each other in the vault. Up the
ladder climbed the little ores, drench
ed, gaSpng for breath and fainting as
soon as taken out into the fresh air
AS fast as they came within reach OF
the door those who stood at the door
way reached down and lifted then
from the ladder and passed them ou,
to waiting friends. 1t was not posi-
ble to go down into the vault at frs
for the reason that one would impede
the little ones who were climbing out
Finally the last girl that could ge,
to the lader got out and then the mer
went in and rescued those who re
NAMED"
VIM. j. Card of Mccullough s. Son.
in Cincinnati had three daughters in
the place, Of whom CHAIRMAN and
Fausta lost their lives. 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 Of tie hOol
occurred.
Reports about the floor having giver
way last year are denied by the schoo
trn ,teeS
A corrected list Of the dead follows
| Loretta E'inke, aged -; daughter
of Henry Finke OF the Schroth Pack.
ing com pany, Cincinnati.
Emma Steinkamp, aged l3; daugh.
ter OF John Steinkamp
Amelia lIesse, aged 8; daughter of
Herman ID. lIesse, dairyman.
Martha Buhr, aged s, father dead
mother, Ella BGhr.
Edna Thee, aged 10; daughter OF
John Thee, blacksm
Hazel Glover, aged 8, parents dead;
lived with grandmother, Mrs. Wolf.
tauSta Card, aged IL, and Char
mian Card, aged .; both daughters OF
VIM. Card OF the firm Of Mccullough
q Sons, Cincinnati.
Lillian Witham, aged -; daughter
OF w. ~. Witham, farmer
SyprpiuD