The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-06
School Fire Horror Is. Increased. MANY LITTLE BODIES
 NOW AT TIE HOMES Officials Prepare for Rigid Invsstis
 gztion.
 ---s--- oss Man Positive Fsrs was of rnesn- diary origin ana sesreA is Made For Lattis eiris whe Were
 In Basement.

Cleveland, O., March 5.-Twen- ty-four hours after the disaster which swept into eternity approxi- nnately one-fhfrd of the school children Of North collinwood. the death roll numbered 16t.
 Of these 1s7 had been identified at the Lake Shore morgHes while thirty bodies remain there in a condition Of mutilation probably forever beyond the chance Of being recognized:
 The work Of digging in the ruins of the Lakevtew school house in further search for remnants of children still rnissing began with the break of day. Dawn found mothers and fathers walt ing about the fire-ruined building af- ter having spent the night in an effort to Ind their chiidrena' remains at the temporary morgue.
 But little was brought forth during the day that would satisfy their long, fnaAfan 1t Is believed tonight that all the bodies that can be removed from the ruins have been taken out.
 Burial of the dead is the burden now confronting those in authority in the little village. Arrangenents for the funerals of the victims were discussed tonight at meeting attended by the Mayor of CoIIinwood. members of the Board of Education the clergy and undertakers The idea of having a public funeral of all the dead has been
 
 where ft can be done. bodies will be grouped in one church.
 The burial day was fixed for Mon- day The intsrments will be individ- gal and [. not concerted except the uni n. expenses of funerals.
 Boslies Seat Home.
 Tonight the work of removing the identified bodies 70 their former homes was completed and the undertakers set Ne.r TNu Inf d on the morrow. In the homes Of the ailsIekad cikizena of fhe vllia6es the weeping parents were sustained by the presence Of visitlng nurses and wonep who volunteered te lend such comfort as lay within their power.
 tea hy the CblllBwooa Board of Trade and Town Council today iH also de- sfKned to care for the bodies of the unidentifed dead ast well as nssisting the bereaved parenta. Should any parent desire to undertake the inter- isaent of one of the unrecognizabie bun- dIes of human flesh and bones heliev- ing it may be his or her child, they will be permitted SO te do. The re- Inaknder of the bodies will be laid side by side In the cemetery.
 Tn an effort to fix the cause and re sponsibiIity for the holocaust. various tnvestlgations were set under way to- 
 for the seven surviving teachers of the I4alxeview School. The inqueat was be- gun this morning when 6 number ot witnesses were examined, without however. developing any testimony that was beyond mere opinion.
 Facts Ax9 Developed.
 An investigation conducted by the Collinwood school Board which lasted far Into the night. at which number of survivors of the horror told theiI stories. brought forth theae facts: That one of khe inner doors at the west entrance of the school was closed and fastened while children were pill ing up asatnat it in the passage; wing partitions in the westibule narrowed the exit by at least three feet. The flames came first from a closet below the stairway ct the east entrance; the closet contained lime and aawdust three little girls haa been found hid. ing in play ln the closet earlier in thu morning; that there was but one frs escape and that it's use never wal taught as a part of tho fire drill"
 Survivors among the teachers esti mate that only two or three minutes passed between the time of the alarm until all escape was cut om.
 i The building was a fair sample of thu kind of school eonstruction In use 1T small towns. The halls and stairway, were enclosed between interior brici walls forming a huge fue througl which the flames shot up with grea raptdity..
 whether the doors opened inward ol outward. Fire Marshals Brocket ant Feixenbaurn examined the doorway to day and stated later that they wer' convinced that they opened outward whether they were locked they havl not been able to determine. They havl r..tT mff1 EYnr ter still insists that the doors wer' open.
 The oficials are applying their of forts to obtain the names of the thre' girls who are reported to have been iI the basement at the time the ire start ed and who are said by the jAnitor t have first notified him of the fire, whici ing instrument.
 Much depends. 1t is thought upon tn stories these girls may be able to tell
 ProhHems Before OniciaEm.
 These are the problems that are con fronting the officials. The latter de sire to learn the exact reason for tn holocaust. not only because it may b. the means Of preventing a repetition Q the calamity in the future. and stan' as a warning to other schools through out the country, but will In 6 sense appease the anxiety of the afflicted pa rents ana the pupHc An general. this connection. the janftor has bee made to bear the major portion Of tn blame While the Janitor practicali has cleared himself. upon his own tes timony yet the feeling against him high In Collinwood.
 Yesterday one father, erased by hi wrief. made an. attempt upon the life Q Hartsr. but waa restrained with difh cuity. Herter 6 being guarded by th police Tn addition to the blam' upon hirn. Herter ia Broken down wit erief ossts the loss of his own thre children In the fire.
 D. R Gardner. a member of the schoe board. Ine positive fin his assertion the X fhe fire waa- of incendiary origin that portion of the building where was discovered, there are no eiectri vvires, there was no waste or rag ehsye was no direct means of ereatin