Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-03-11

csiyed that Governor Harris had or
dered the state officers to make a
prompt and searching investigation
into the cause of the Collinwood fire
He also directed the examination to
extend to public schools generally.
Cseyeiand, O., March 5.-Death In
one OF its most terrible forms
claimed between 100 and ITO school
children of the North Collinwood
school. in Collinwood, an eastern
suburb, yesterday, when the build
ing, catching fire from a defective
furnace in the basement, was wrecked
in half an hour
The building being inadequateIy
protected by fire escapes, the chill.
dren were unable to make their way
TO the lower floors in time to escape
the DANES as they shot up from the
basement and cut of egress.
Starting at about $50 in the base,
meE from an overheated furnace
the FIRE gained tremendous Roadway
before its presence was noted. A
fire driH was inaugurated at once
and tAOse on the lower floors quick,
ly moved out of the building, but
when the panie-stricken little ones In
the upper rooms attempted to make
their way to the stairway, the jam
OF uncontrolled and fear-stricker chill
dren grew until but few were able
to extrtcate themselves and they per
ished almost within reach of safety.
Various and unconfrmed state
ments are made as to the cause OF
the fire and also that the doors had
been locked at the front entrance
while but one door of the rear entry
was Unfastened. The janitor, Fritz
Herter. himself bereaved of three
children, says the doors were open,
according to custom. At any rate
the congestion of fleeing children in
the hallway below effectually barred
the way. and the little ones went to
their death totally unable to evade
the flames.
Within three hours after the start
of the fire it had burned itself out,
and the work of recovering the bod
les proceeded.
Overcrowded; Used Attic.
The school was a two-story and
attic brick building and so over
crowded with pupils that it was nee
essary TO utilize the attic for some
of the ages of six to eight. Nearly all
the children were killed ia a mass AT
Athe FIRST floor door, which finally was
opened by men from the Lake Shore
railway shops, who hurried to the
scene. A wall of flame had formed
across it and most of the children
already were dead by the time the
doors swung open.
5anitor Sees Daughter oe.
Janitor Herter told of discovering
che fire and turning in the alarm.
Then he ran to open the front and
Cear doors. He said:
Il cannot remember what hap
pened next, except that I saw flames
shooting ali about and children run
ming down through them screaming
Some fell at the rear entrance and
others stumbled over them. / saw
my little Helen among them. | tried
to pull her out, but the flames drove
me back. / had to leave my little
child to die"
Herter was badly burned about the
head
Children Panc-Stricken.
Miss Catherine Weller. one of the
teachers. lost her life in a vain eff
fort to marshal the pupils of her
class and lead them to safety. She
marched the little ones into the hall
on the second floor, in good order
but--as. soon as they saw the smoke
the children became panicstricken
and in their frenzy plunged into the
struggling mass ahead of them. Miss
Weller attempted to stem the rush
but went down under it and her body
was found an hour later piled high
with those Of her pupils.
Miss Fish, another teacher. was
taken out alive, but cannot live.
Floors Fall in Flames.
Burning through the supports OF
the hrst floor. the flames passed up
wards until all three foors CRASHED
into a smouldering pile ia the base
ment The work IF rescuing the bod
les was Immediately begun by fire
mea and railroad employees from ths
Lake shore shops
Railroad Building q Morgue.
The railroad company turned oseI
pne u its buildings nearby to be
pissed as a temporary morgue, and
FhitaeV the charred and broken little
Bodies were removed as fast as they
could be dug from the ruins. With
IA Eve hours practically all had beer
resco4 cred and v,ere placad IN rows