The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1904-09-28
Most Horrible Fate Befalls
Nine School Children
PLUNGED INTO CESsPOOL
While FroIlckIns in Clubhouse on
school Grounds Floor caved in :,
and Revolving catsspro-
,~u phe Occurred.

An appalling horror closed the pub
nc school at Pleasant Ridge, village
seven miles north of Cincinnati, Fri
day. with the first quarter Of the SEES
sion, when nine, possibly ten school
girls we're suffocated in VAULT during
the forenoon recess, and over score
Of others narrowly escaped the same
horrible death.
During the rest of the day the lit
tie town was wild with mingled ex-
aitement, sorrow and indignation, and
those openly charging the calamity TO-
6f1cial negligence are making serious
threats.
On opposite sides of the spacious
ground in the rear of the school build
ing ar etwo .outhouses. When recess
was given, about thirty of the smaller
girls. all from the Rrimary grades,
were in the clubhouse assigned TO
them, when suddenly the floor gave
way. precipitating them into vault
of filth. This vault is twelve feet
deep and walled up with stone Ike
well,
There was four feet of water or filth
that would have been over the heads
Of the girls falling in it singly, but
those falling foremost filed up the
vault partially, so that others were
not entirely submerged. The girls fell
eight feet from the flooring before
striking the 7lth, and the struggles OF
those who were ON top kept at least
Zine underneath until they were dead.
The frame sheds over these vaults
were about twenty feet square, with
out windows, and only one narrow
doorway, so that only one little girl
escaped from the door.
She ran into the school building and
told the teachers what Lad happened.
The teachers we're soon reinforced by
the entire population OF the town.
Those able to climb out on the ladders
themselves were rescued by Principal
Simmerman, who finally tainted. Fhen
Others went into the vault and brought
dead bodies from the filth until the
vault was cleared. The fremen drain
ed the vault so as to be sure that the
rescue was complete. Those engaged
In the rescue work recite 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
description. The children who were
on top of the writhing mass were res
cued first. While they were getting
out of the vault their feet crowded re-
Ientlessly down on others who were
meeting with a most agonizing aeath
in the filth. 1t was noticed thar me
older ones were on top and rescued
The opportunities of friends, especial-
Iy of the weeping mothers, were ali
most beyond the control OF the ON
GERS. DR.. U. G. Senour and p y.
Shank, with their assistants, used the
school building for hospita and a
morgue until after the dead I'D the
rescued were taken to their ZONES.
Reports about the floor haE ag CIV
en- away last year are denied by the
school trustees. They state aat the
floors were repaired during tie sum
mer vacation and nothing was wrong.
Janitor Smith states that he had told
members of the board that the place
was not safe. Coroner Viewer hdu
the wrecked Orders preserye d. 1t is
claimed that as soon as Trey were
dried out that the timbers re found
to be rotten, and it is reported that
one of them was spliced.