The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-09-29
SCHOOL GIRLS
MEET AWFUL FATE
PLUNGED INTO VAULT OF FILTH
BY COLLAPSE OF FLOOR IN
AN CLUBHOUSE.
Of Thirty Little Ones Who Took the
Terrible Fall, Nine Are Taken
Out Dead-Frightful Disaster Near
Cincinnati.

Cincinnati, Sept. 24.-School closed
Friday at Pleasant Ridge, seven miles
north of Cincinnati, with the first quar-
ter of the session, when nine, possibly
ten, schoolgirls were suffocated in q
vault during the forenoon recess and q
score of others narrowly escaped the
same horrible death.
Floor Collapses.
On opposite sides of the spacious
ground in the rear of the school build
ing are two outhouses. When recess was
given about 80 of the smaller girls were
in the clubhouse assigned to them when
suddenly the floor gave way, precipitat-
ing them into vault of filth. This vault
is IL feet deep and walled up with stone
like we'll.
The girls fell eight feet from the floor
ing before striking the filth, and the
struggles of those who were on top kept
at least nine underneath until they were
dead. The frame shed over these vaults
were about 20 feet square, without win
dows and with only one narrow door
way, so that only one little girl escaped
from the door. She ran into the school
building and told the teachers what had
happened. Principal T. L. Simmerman
and the seven other teachers rushed to
the rescue. The ladies gave the alarm
about the vicinity, while Principal Sim
norman secured a ladder, on which the
drenching girls climbed out, most of
them fainting as soon as they reached
the surface. The teachers were soon re-
inforced by the entire population Of the
town, the police and fire departments
rendering most effective service. Those
able to climb out on the ladders them
selves were rescued by Principal Sim
norman, whe finally tainted. Then 9TH
ers went into the vault and kept bring
ing out dead bodies until the vault was
cleared. The firemen drained the vault,
so as to be sure that the rescue was COM
plete.
A Terrible Sight.
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 descrip-
ton. The children who were on top of
the writhing heap were rescued first.
While they were getting out of the vault
their feet crowded relentlessly down on
others who were meeting with a most
agonizing death. 1t was noticed that
the older ones were on top and rescued
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 were rescued. '-rrshal Wood
had great difficulty in kt the crowd
back and from interferi. ths s.
cuers.
The Victims.
The dead are:
Loretta Finke. aged IL, daughter of
Henry Finke, of the Schroth Packing
company. Cincinnati
Emma Steinkamp. aged 10, daughter
of John Steinkamp.
Amelia Hesse, aged nine. daughter of
Herman d. Hesse, dairyman.
Martha Buhr, aged eight. father dead,
mother, Ella Buhr.
Edna Thee, aged ten, daughter Of John
Thee, blacksmith.
Lillian Witham. aged 10, daughter of
w. A. Witham, farmer.
Hazel Glover, aged eight, parents
dead; lives with grandmother, Mrs.
Wolf.
Fausta Card. aged II. and CHAIRMAN
Card, aged nine, both daughters of Will
liam Card, of the firm of Mccullough &
Sons, Cincinnati.