Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1908-03-06
AWFUL FIRE IN CLEVELAND, Ohio.
OVef Seventy School Children Burned
to Death at That Place.

cleveland D.. Mar. 4:-Between
fifty and seventy FIVE school child
ren were burned to death today in
a hre in the Lake View school
building at CoIlinwood. a suburb
OF this city. following a panic
among the half thousand children
IN attendance at the school. Many
others were injured.
The fire was caused by an over
heated furnace, but the flames
quickly spread and a panic ensued
when the building filed with smoke
and the children attempted to es-
cape from the burning structure
There we're but two exits in the
building that where available.
One of these was used freely by
the pupils, but the other soon be-
came choked with children who
madly dashed for the open air.
Those who fell IN the doorway
were trampled upon and soon the
doorway became impossible.
Frightened and pauic stricken the
children turned 10 escape oy win
dows or other means that could be
found. Their escape was cut off by
the flames which by this time had
spread throughout',the rooms. The
building was Of brick. but this
did not retard the progress of the
flames. In a few minutes after
the panic started the lower floor
fell. precipitating scores Of child
rem into the easement among the
burning embers.
The scene about the building
was heart rending. The news of
the catastrophe spread quickly
throughout the village and hun.
dreds of parents crowded about tile
building searching for their child
rem,
In few minutes twenty bodies
we're removed from the ruins.
Plainly the writhing of the forms
of those not vet dead could,,be seen
among the ruins. in the basement.
Nearby factories dismissed their
employees who braved the fire in
a heroic effort to save those who
we're not yet dead.
REPORTS as to the number of dead
vary. The first estimate was plac-
ed at two hundred. but Judging
from the number of bodies recoy-
cred and the number missing, to-
gether with the number that can
be seen in the basement it is safe
O to determine that at least seventy
five have perished. The lists may
grow as the truth is revealed.
The pupils of this school we're
mostly children. ranging in age
from nine to twelve years. Up to
one O'Clock this afternoon,
sixty bodies had been recovered,
and of these thiry two had been
identified. The bodies of twelve
o boys and eleven girls are at the
morgue, burned beyond recogni-
tion.
Organized efforts at rescue we're
soon underway. The 6remen
played streams upon the piles of
bodies in the doorways and tried
to drag the bodies out with rakes
and other indictments. After the
fire was reduced somewhat piles
of chsrred little bodies were
visible in the doorways. In the
rear, bodies burned beyond recog.
milton, lay piled FIVE feet deep.
A man who reached the building
soon after the fire broke out de-
clared that the rear door was lock-
ed. The flames shot up through
the central halls with terrific rapi.
dity. The children were terrified
beyond control and the teachers
were helpless. The most of the
loss of life is due to the fact that
all the rooms we're dismissed at
once. Pupils pouring down stairs
made for the doorways already
choked with children. The des-
perate ones behind nnsha1 onJ