The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-03-05


Death in one of its most terrible
forms claimed between 160 and 10
school children of North Collinwood
school in Collinwood, an eastern su-
burb, when the building, catching fire
from a defective furnace in the base
ment, was wrecked in half an hour.
Inadequate Protection.
The building being inadequately
protected by fire escapes, the children
were unable to make their way to the
lower floors in time to escape the
flames as they shot up from the base
ment and cut off egress. Starting
about $3.50 yesterday morning in the
basement from an overheated furnace
the fire gained tremendous Roadway
before its presence was noted.
Fire Drill Failed.
Fire drfrf was inaugurated at once
and those on the lower floors quickly
moved out OF the building. But when
the panic stricken little ones in the
upper rooms attempted to make their
way to the stairway the door became
jammed and few were able to extri-
cate themselves and they persisted al
most within the reach of safety.
Various Statements.
Various and unconfirmed 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 tho
hallway below effectually barred the
way, and the little ones went to their
death totally unable to evade tn.
flames.
Within three hours after the start
of the fire it had burned itself out
and the work of recovering the bodies
proceeded.
Was Oyercrowded.
The school was a two story and
attic brick building and so overcrowd-
ed with pupils that 1t was necessary
| to utilize the attic for some of the
ages of six TO eight. Nearly all of the
children were killed in mass at the
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 and most of the children were
dead by the time. the doors swung
lopen.
Janitor Tells Story.
Janitor Herter told of discovering
the fire. turning in an alarm and then
ran to open the front and rear doors.
He said: 81 cannot remember what
happened next, except that l saw
flames shooting all about and chill
dren running down through them
screaming. | saw little Helen among
them. | tried to pull her out, but the
flames drove me back. had to leave
my little child to die"
Was Badly Burned.
.Herter was badly burned about the
head.
Miss Catherine Weller, one of the
teachers, lost her life in vain effort
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 chill
dren became panic stricken and in
their frenzy plunged into a struggling
mass ahead of them. Miss Weller at
tempted 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, an
other teacher. was taken out alive,
ibut cannot live.
Rescue Begins.
Burning through the supports OF
the first floor, the flames passed up
ward, and all three floors crashed into
a smoldering pile in the basement.