The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-09-27
FELL TO AWFUL DEATH
School Clubhouse Collapsed and 80
Girls Drop Into Vault.
NINE DEAD AND MANY INJURED
Children Fell Eight Feet, and Scene
In Vault Beggared Description, the
Smaller ones Being Forced TO Bot
tom BY Terrific Struggles.

Smaller ones Being Forced to Bot
tom BY Terrific Struggles.
Cincinnati. Sept 24-SchOOl closed
AZ Pleasant Ridge, seven miles north
OF this city. with the first quarter oil
the session. when nine, possibly w.
school girls were suffocated in a vault
during the forenoon recess. and a 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 those openly charging the calamity
to official negligence are making sefl-
GUS threats, among them being many
women. The ages OF the dead girls
range from S to 10 years.
The large building is used for a high
school as we'll as for all lower depart
ments. All of the victims were from the
primary grades. on opposite sides OF
the spacious grounds in the rear OF the
school building are TWO outhouses.
When recess was given about 30 OF
the smaller girls were in the Clubhouse
assigned to them. when suddenly the
floor gave way. precipitating them into
the vault below This vault is II fee;
deep and walled mp with stone like a
well. There was In IL four feet Of wa
ter that would have been over the
heads Of the children falling in IL
slngly. but those falling foremost filled
ND the vault partially so that others
were not entirely submerged. The girls
fell eight feet from the flooring. and
the struggles of those who we're on top
kept at least nine underneath until
they were dead The frame sheds OF
these vaults have 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 rushed 10 the rescue. The
screams OF the girls were dimly heard
while within the vault, and they were
most OF them unable to speak when
rescued The teachers were soon rein
forced by the entire population of the
town. the police and fire departments
rendering most effective service. The
firemen drained the vault so as 20 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 10 make many
In the crowd OF spectators faint but
the sight within the vault beggared all
description.
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. Marshal
Wood had great difficulty in keeping
the crowd back and from interfering
with the rescuers. The opportunities
OF friends especially Of the weeping
mothers. were almost beyond the con-
troll Of the officers.
Frank S. Johnson said: 81 was stand
ing across the street talking to DR.
Lambert. when little girl came cry
ing for help. We found Principal Sim
norman saving lives. The smaller girls
were being forced 10 the bottom by the
movements and terrific struggles Of
each other In the vault Up the ladder
climbed the little ones. drenched. gasp
ing 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 doorway reach
ed down and lifted them from the lad
der and passed them out 10 waiting
friends II was not possible to go down
into the vault at first, for the reason
that one would impede the little ones
who we're climbing out Finally the last
girl that could get 10 the ladder got
out, and then the men went In and res
cued those that remained"
William J. Card. Of Mccullough &
Sons, in Cincinnati. had three daugh-
ters 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 occurred