The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-03-05
CLEVELAND, FIRE.
tcOntInued from First rase)


sorrowing homes. White. huttering
crepe appeared on doorways through
out the village With the suddenness
OF mushroom growth.
The people OF the afflicted commun-
fty. benumbed yesterday. this morn
ing awoke TO a graver condition. Trag-
edy's stab was with a ragged blade
and pains all the more because OF the
age OF the victims-their helplessness
in danger. their dependableness on
protection that was no protection. and
the horrible nature OF the fate that
overlook them.
Strikes Sorrows Keynote.
AS one old man, looking at a row
OF small bodies. said this morning.
I'VE know what we, who have run
the race, amounted 10 In the world and
a few years less is OF little moment
to the world. The death OF a child
makes mystery. II closes a book too
quickly"
II is this feeling that is wracking
the hearts In bereaved homes today.
The sorrow. however. deep as II Is,
doesn't block out the natural. infurfat-
ed speculation OF who Is TO blame?
Fires with the consequences OF yes
terday's should not occur and the Of
ficiais OF the town are trying TO ind
out who was at fault.
The real cause of the fire will prob
ably never be known. unless some
one who knows comes forward and
tells.
Talk of lncendiarisnn.
There is talk Of incendiarism--a nat
ural indulgence of sensational specula-
ton. always to be heard after such q
tragedy. but with no known foundation
OF fact. The rumor can be regarded
as an idle one.
Some tell OF an overheated fur-
mace, the only logical accounting Tor
the origin OF the fire.
why the fire was not discovered
until IL had made great Roadway Is
the important question. 1Ais cannot
be looked into until the cemeteries
about North Collinwood have opened
and closed, and the little charred'
mangled bodies have been laid away
Whether the fire in the cellar was
discovered long before II attained sucn
great Roadway and en- attempt was
made to extinguish 1t without the ala
of the fire department. Is the question
being discussed today. The failure 10
call the Are department could be bas-
ed on two reasons. one or tne.n the
desire to avoid alarm In the scnooi
rooms and the other an impulsive or
fort to quickly smother the blaze,
which could Het-eFisinate without
fault and thus do away with an In
yestieation which would result II the
FIRE department had been called.
AS II was, the fire could not De
smothered out. 1t tose until caught
In the heavy draught OF the halls, then
swept through the building like the
fame in a blast furnace. Then death
danced with the FIRE.
Coroner Blames Construction.
County Coroner Burke made a terse
statement today:
The construction Of the school
house was an outrage he said.
1.-THE Railways were narrow and
there was practically only one
mode Of exit. The children were
caught like rats In q trap.
The people don't care much about
this Just now. They are interested
finding which among the little charred
bodies belongs to them.
That the school house was death
trap is now apparent otherwise such
an accident could not have happened
at 1O:30 o'clock in the morning. Why
II was a death trap Is another mattor.
Those who built tho school should
have known the requir ements OF q
building of this character. Those
who locked one OF tho two exits PROB
ably never thought OF the possibility
of fire and panic.
who Is to blame?" will be the ques-
ton IN the little suburb as long as
visitors TO the cemetery see little
mounds over the graves of the IRE
victims.
Even today, after many hours of
discussion with eye.w illnesses, 1t Is
impossible TO learn the details OF the
calamity. As close az IL Is possible to
get to the facts, there was an alarm
OF f,re.
The children, as well as their teach
ers. thought a FIRE drill had been or.
dered and were unconcerned for the
time being.
Closely following the sound waves
OF the alarm bell were heat-waves. and
back OF them the flames. Any one who
has witnessed Are drill knows that
In amazingly short time the children
are In the Railways. in orderly line.
marching in uniform step toward tho
exits.
When the little ones In the North
Collinwood school got to the halls.
they shifted smoke. they felt heat and
they felt danger. Their step quicken
ed. Three or four boys broke for the
door.
Door Opened Inward.
This door opened inward. On such
a detail hung scores Ct lives. Had the
door opened outward, those with ter
ror In their legs would have bounded
through and the others, who were
marching. would have gone on to safe
ty. with the precision OF regiment
on parade.
One boy. as nearly as can be learn
ed. tried to pull the door toward him.
Another thought. IN his terror, he
could do SO more quickly. There was
a scramble.
One OF them went down. then an
other and another until there was .
heap at the door.
The line, excited by cries. the strug-
gle and the danger Involuntary I'm
pressed upon them, could hold to-
gether no longer. 1t would have boon
a miracle IL they could have done So
Then what followed can only be I'M
agined. Girls and boys fought with
each other. Some went down and
rose az others went down II was like