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

OTHERS NARROWLY ESCAPED.
All OF the Victims We're From the
Primary Grades. 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 a 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,
among them being many women.
The large building Is used for a
high school as well 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 GU house assigned to them when
suddenly the floor gave way, preclpi-
tating them into the vault. This
vault is y feet deep and walled up
with stone like we'll. There was in
it 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 happ p.ned.
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 as
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 II, 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
portunities OF friends, especially Of the
weeping mothers, were 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 a morgue until after
the dead and the reScu d were taken
to their homts.
Frank S. Johnson said: II was
standing across the street talking to
DR.. Lambert when little girl came
crying for help. We found Principal
Zimmerman saving lives. The smaller
girls were being forced to the botto u
by the movements and terrific stug-
giles OF each other in the vault Up the
ladder climbed the little ores, drench-
ed, gaSping 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 them
from the ladder and passed them out
to waiting friends. 1t was not posi-
BILE to go down into the vault at first
for the reason that one would impede
the little ones who were climbing out.
Finally the last girl that could ger
to the lader got out and then the men
went in and rescued those who re-
mained."
Wm. j. Card of Mccullough & Sons
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
Igirls rushed into the place Rotha was
knocked out Of the door into the yard
just before the collapse Of tie floor
occurred.
Reports about the floor having given
way last year are denied by the school,
trustees.
A corrected list OF the dead follows
Loretta Finke, aged -; daughter
of Henry Finke Of the Schroth Pack
ing company, Cincinnati.
Emma Steinkamp, aged l3; daugh-
ter OF John Steinkamp.
Amelia lIesse, aged .; daughter of
Herman ID. llesse, dairyman.
Martha Buhr, aged s. father dead
mother, Ella Buhr
Edna Thee, aged 10; daughter of
John Thee, blacks NTH.
Hazel Glover, aged 8, parents dead :;
lived with grandmother, Mrs. Wolf.
Fausta Card, aged IL, and Char
mian Card, aged .; both daughters Of
VIM. Card Of the firm or Mccullough
* Sons, Cincinnati.
Lillian Witham, aged -; daughter
OF w a. Witham, farmer.
"A Warming.