The Irish standard., 1908-03-07
SCENES ARE HEART.REEDlNG
Only Two Exits. One Of
Them Locked-Little
Ones Trapped.
Factories Aro Closed and Workn,sn
Aid In the Rescue-VIctims
Burned to Crisp.

Cleveland, O., Mar. SIN the most
terrible holocaust in the history of
this section of the country over $50
school children lost their lives
Wednesday In q fire which destroyed
the threestory brick school building
on Collamer avenue, in Collinwood,
q suburb. just outside the city limits.
Some estimates place the dead as high
as 200. At six p. m. 1877 bodies had been
taken out of the ruins and 1t was be-
Neved there were still more to be
taken out.
Practically every ambulance in the
eastern part Of Cleveland was called,
as we'll as every available physician.
The fire started in the basement OF
the building about ten o'clock, Just
after school convened. 1t was caused
from an overheated furnace. The
smoke from the fire quickly filled the
building and alarmed the children and
teachers. A panic ensued No fire
drill was used in rescuing the chill
dren. They rushed pell NELL for the
doors and windows. ,-D ., g.,
One Of Two Exits Locked.
Walter G. Kelley, a newspaper man,
two of whose children were in the
building, was one Of the first upon the
scene. He stated that the rear door,
one of the two exits. was locked. The
children rushed for the front and rear
doors. The front exit soon was
jammed full of fighting and panic
stricken humanity. Many who reached
the exit first escaped, but those, the
greater number, who followed choked
the doorway. Those who fell were
trampled upon and many are sup
posed to have been killed in this
manner. Those behind turned and
made for the windows. Some upon the
second and third floors jumped from
the windows and escaped In this
way three or four were killed. while
others we're more fortunate and es-
capped with slight injuries. Tho great
er number of those who met death
were cut of from escape by the
smoke, which blinded them.
The panic that had worked such
fearful results inside the building
spread to the helpless crowd outside,
but only for a brief time. Organized
efforts at rescue were soon under way
Fremen played streams upon the
piles of bodies in the doorways and
tried to drag out bodies with rakes
and other Implements.
Bodies Visible In Doorways.
After the fire had been reduced
somewhat piles of charred little bodies
were still visible in the doorways. In
the rear door bodies burned beyond
recognition lay piled Ave feet deep
Tho flames shot up through the cen
tral halls with terrible rapidity. II
is said the children were terrified be
yond all control and the teachers, al
though they struggled bravely to mar
shal their charges out Of the building
in something like order, we're utterly
helpless.
Those who were familiar with the
building and were early on the scene
believe that most Of the loss Of life
was due to the fact that all Of the
rooms were dismissed at once.
Pupils pouring down the stairs made
for the doorways already full OF chill
dren escaping from the lower floors
The exits were soon choked. The des
perate ones behind pushed and strug
gled for their lives, driving the human
wedges the tighter in place.
Caught like rats in this manner
they fell with the lower floor. amid tn,
blazing timbers. to the basement be
low. There the little bodies could b.
seen writhing in their last deatl
struggle.
Bodies were taken. to the morgu,
at the Lake Shore G. Michigan South
ern Railway Company's shops.
WorkInamen Aid In Work Of Rescue
Factories in the immediate neighbol
hood dismissed their men, who went t,
work in an effort to rescue the littl
ones. A few minutes after the build
ing was known to be on fire the schoo
was surrounded by parents; father
and mothers. who were frantic in thei
dazed efforts to rescue their children
Very few we're saved from among tn
children who were behind the jam a
the front door. The others escape
with slight injuries.
. The school was of the commo
grade and contained 300 children ranf
Ing in age from six years to II. Tw
or three OF the teachers also ar
thought to have perished.
: The hre from the basement, in q.
dition TO nlling the school rooms wit
| smoke. which caused the first alarm
] lsapsd up the stairway to the frs