Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-03-05
ITO LITTLE TOTS MEET
DEATH I'M SCHOOL FIRE

(, work OF Removing Bodies Pushed.
! Within five hours practically all haI
been recovered. They were placed In
rows in the Lake Shore shops. Idcn-
| tihcations were made only by means
or clothing or trinkets. The fiirc
had swept away nearly all rescmb-
lance 10 human features.
! Distracted parents soon began to
gather and the work of Identification
of the blackencd and manglcd corp
ses began.
The grewsomc task of taking out
The blHckcned torsos and bits oil
human remains was one of horror.
a line of rescuers was formed. backed
by half dozen ambulanccs.
AS the bodies were untangled from
the delries. they were passed along
TO the stretchcrs and thence TO tho
ambulanccs. Merclfully covered with
blankets. the pitiful sights were veil
cd from the crowd OF curious. As
fast rs load was obtained IT was
driven away to the improviscd NOR.
que. TO be succeeded by another with.
in Il short time.
Tho sight of the human charnnl
mouse caused the men dclving into the
mass of burned flesh to hesitate. bu,
hey had to smother their feelings for
Tie time being a. they tenderly handl-
cd all that was mortal of the little
tots.
narrowing Scenes at the Moreue.
rs inc temporary morguc in tho
lake Shore shop tho scenes became
'onrfold In their Intensity of human
suffering rs fathers, mothers. brother,
ana sisters passed up and down the
lines formed of 16O.
10 facilitate Identification the bod
les were numbered as they were re.
ccivea al the morguc.
The first Identification was made
by the mothGr of Nelson and Tommy
ihonpjon, aged six and nine wears
respectively. The heads and arms
nad been burned from both bodies. IN,
the mother recognized tho shoes on
nor children's feet. And so tho
. disheartening work went on, accentu.
atcd now aud then by piercing
Snriek or plalntivc moan rs loved
one was recognized Ly clothing or
'oken' such as ring or necklace.
Hoont the burned schoolhouse there
are hui few residences. I'm one of
,nesc Mrs. Clark Sprung lived. Her
niue boy Avon. aged seven was pu-
pil IN the second grade. When the fire
started the mother ran over 10 tho
Scnoo! and arrived when the frs, floor
was mass of flames. At a window
on that floor. she saw the face Of her
boy. lie recognized her and plcadc.l
Ior help. Rushing across, the elreot
AirH. Sprung secured n step ladder and
placed 1t against the window. Climb
Ing up she reached for her bov. she
caught him by the hair. II burned
on In her hands and the lad fc,, .bocl,
into the flames.
Desolation unspea kablc hangs oyar
tho vicinity of the school ma Mo
whole village of CollInwooa
The school board met In snecya,
session at the temporary morc,,n to.n
ms afternoon TO discuss the calamity
mnne .hc coroner prepared to hold mn
inquest to determine the cansc and
p''1' ,ne responsibility for the fire.
Back Door Was Locked.
ne statement That the back door of
OF the building was locked Is made
oy walter G. Kelly. the editor of tho
sporting department OF the Glove
land Leader, two OF whose children
were killed. who says when Mrs KeI-
~ ran from her home TO the burning
oui'ding, the front portion of the
structure was mass of flames ana
irehzled by the screams OF the fight
ing ana dying children which reached
her from the death trap mt The foot of
lnc stairs and behind the closed doors
AIRS. hflly ran to the rear. hoping 10
erect an entrance there and save her
cniidren She was joined by woman
! whose name is not known and tho two
together pulled frantically at Tho
door.
ncy We're unable TO move ii In tho
slightest and there was nothing nj
hand by which they could break II
down. In despair of saving any of tho
children they turned their attention
10 the windows and by smashing
some OF these they managed To save
fow of The pupils.
They could have saved many
more. said MIR. Kelly tonight "if tho
door had not been locked. Nobody
knows how many OF the children might
have made their way out befo.e INV
wife had reached t;erc IL tho door had
not been locked. II half dozen men
mad been there when my wife and her
companion arrived ut the school house
perhaps they might have broken down
Inc doc but the two women could
DO nothing and the flames spread so
rapidly that IL was all over in few
minutes
The suburb of ColIiuwood contains
ahont 5000 people. and within half an
| hour after tho nr,fhro ,,oo,.t..