The Bourbon news., 1904-09-27
THE FLOOR GAVE WAY.
Nine Little Girl Students Meet
Death i'm a Vault.
Twenty-Three Rescued Alive, Eight Be-
ing in Serious Condition-Some
May Die From Internal Poison
ing and other Injuries.

Cincinnati, Sept. 24.--With a crash
that struck terror to the childish
hearts, the flooring of a vault build
schoolhouse, on Montgomery pike,
suddenly gave way Friday morning,
sending nine children to an awful
death and causing injuries to several
others.
The children were at recess, short
ly after 10 o'clock, and score or
more of girls had crowded into the
brick building back of the school
house. 1t is supposed that the beams
holding the floor must have been
weak, although this was not suspected
until after the accident.
There was a creaking, tearing sound
as the floor suddenly began to give
way. This was the first intimation
the children had of danger. One be-
gan to scream 1t was taken up by
another, and then, as the flooring be-
gan to sink, the tots, their faces
blanched and voices lifted in cries to
be saved, began mad rush from the
trap of death.
At 11:30 nine bodies had been re-
covered. At that hour an estimate of
those missing placed the number of
those falling into the vault at over
80. 1t was stated that the joists. un-
der the flooring gave way and sud-
denly precipitated with all who were
in the outhouse at the time. The pop
ulation of the village surrounded the
school grounds while people fiocked
into town from the surrounding coun-
try. The excitement was intensified
by complaints of parents against
school officers, who say that the build
ing and grounds were inspected be-
fore the opening Of school, two weeks
ago.
Drs. Scheuck, Senour and Fabut at
tended such children as were rescued
alive. The first rescuers were Frank
s. Johnson, Rev. Lambert, of the
Presbyterian church, Principal Sim
norman, Mrs. Banning, Miss Anna
Page, Miss McGrew and other teach
ers. An awful scene was witnessed
as they searched for all sorts of uten-
sils with which to drag the bodies
from the vault. Men went into the
vault as soon as possible and carried
out the bodies.
After nine dead bodies had been re-
covered and IL were rescued alive the
vault was thoroughly dredged and
drenched and the rescuers abandoned
the search. All Of the victims were
girls. the oldest being II years of age.
They were precipitated into a vault
that contained over four feet of water.
Those falling foremost were drowned
in the filth of the vault. The nine
who were thus killed served to fill up
the vault so that the other IL were
not drowned. OF the IL who were res
cued, covered with the filth of the
vault, it was reported Friday after
noon that half of them will die on ac-
count Of internal poisoning. In addi-
tion to their internal sufferings, sew
eral of those rescued are reported to
have suffered external injuries in bro
ken limbs.
The following is the list of the dead:
Carmen Card, aged 8; Fausta Card,
IL; Marthe Buhr, 9; Lillian Within, 9;
Hazel Glover, 9; Edna Thee, 10; Flor
ence Foerste, 8; Emma Steinkamp, IL;
Emelie Hesse, 8.
Twenty-three were rescued alive.
The following are in a serious con-
dition: Elsie Schorr, Hazel Senour,
Onna Haines, Bessie Bauer, Jeanette
Thompson, Martha Schoor, Eta Nc.
Grew, Florence Foerste, aged 8.