New-York tribune., 1908-03-05


began TO gather and the work of identifying the |
blackened and mangied bodies began
The grewsome task of taking out the black
ened torsos and bits OF human remains was
one OF horror A line of rescuers was formed,
backed by half a dozen ambulances- As the
bodies were untangled from the debris they
were passed along 20 the stretchers and thence
loaded in the ambulances. Mercifuiy covered
with blankets. the pitiful sights were veiied
from, the crowd that stretched about the en-
trance to the structure AS fast as load was
obtained it was driven away to the improvised
,slorsr,e. to be succeeded by another within a
short time
The sights of the human charnel house caused
the men delvng into the mass of burned hesh
TO hesitate. but the work had to be done ana
done quickly, their feelings had TO be smoth-
cred fer the time being they tenderly nam
died all that was left of the children
At :he temporary morgue in the Lake Shore
shop the scenes became fourfold in the intensity
of human suffering fathers. mothers. bro'hers
and sisters passed up and down the lines formed
of one hundred and sixty bodies. 10 make
Identification easier the bodies were numbered
as they were received at the morgue- The hrst
identification was made by the mother of Neis
and Tommy Thompson aged six and nine years
respectively The heads and arms had been
burned from both bodies, but the mother recog-
nized the shoes her children's feet And SO
the disheartening work went on, accentuated
now and then by a piercing shrek or plaintive
moan as a loved one was recognized by clothing
or token. such ring necklace
MOTHERS EFFORTS FUTILE.
About The burned schoolhouse there few
residences In one Of these Mrs. Clark Sprung
lived. Her little boy, Alvon, aged seven was a
pupil in the second grade. When the hre
started the mother ran over to the school, arriv-
ing when the first floor mass of flames
At a window on that floor she the face of
her boy. He recognized her and pleaded for help.
Rushing across the street. Mrs. Sprung OBJ
tained a stepIadder and placed it against the
window Climbing up she reached for her boy.
She caught him by the hair. II burned off in
her hands and the lac fell back into the flames.
Desoation unspeakable hangs over the neigh
borhood OF the school, and the whole village Of
Collinwood. The school board met in special
session at the temporary morgue late this after
noon TO discuss the calamity. while the coroner
prepared hold inquest TO determine the
cause and place the responsibility for the fire.
The statement that the hack door Of the
building was locked was made by Walter c.
Kelley. the editor Of the sporting department of
The Cleveland Leader two of whose children
were killed.
AS soon the alarm given Mrs. Kelley
ran from her home, which is not far from the
schoo1house, the burning building. The front
part Of the structure was mass OF flames, and,
frenzied by the screams Of the fighting and
dying children which reached her from the
deathtrap at the of the first flight of stairs
and behind the closed door, Mrs. Kelley TO
the rear. hoping TO effect entrance there and
save her children She Joined by man
whose name is not known, and the two OF them
tugged and pulled frantically ar the door. They
.r1rah n slightest and
there was nothing hand by which they could
hope break ii down In utter despair Of saw
ing any Of the children they turned their atten
tion to the windows, and by smashing some OF
these they managed to save a few OF the pupils.
THE LOCKED DOOR,
They could have saved many more said Mr..
Kelley tonight, IF the door had not been
locked. Nobody knows how many Of the chill
dren might have made their way before my
wife reached there if the door had not been
locked II half dozen men had been there
when my Wife and her companion arrived the
school perhaps 1hey might have broken down
the door, but the two could do nothing, and the
flames spread so rapidly that it all in
few minutes
The suburb Of Collinwood contains about
eight thousand people, and within half hour
after the outbreak OF the fire nearly every one
Of the schooIhouse. hundreds Of parents fighting
frantically with the policemen and firemen who
were busily engaged in saving the lives Of the
children caught IN the burning building and
doing their best to extinguish the fire.
The police were utterly unable. through lack
or numbers, 10 keep away the crowd that
pressed upon them, and the situation soon be
came 50 serious that number of the more cool
headed men in the throng took it upon them
selves TO aid in fighting back the crowd while
others worked TO help the fremen and the
police
Among these latter men was Wallace UPTON
who reached the building shortly after the
front door had caved in and disclosed to the
horror stricken crowd the awful scenes that
had been enacted there. Just in front Of Up
tons eyes was his ten-year-old daughter
helpless in the crush, badly burned and
trampled upon, but still alive. The fire was
close upon her, and if she could not be saved
at once she could not be saved at all. Upton
sprang 10 help her and with all his strength
sought TO her from the weight that was
pressing her down and from the flames which
were creeping close. Although he worked with
the desperation OF despair, his strength was
unequal TO the task. He fought on until his
clothing partly burned from him and the
skin OF his face and hands was scorched black.
Other men attempted induce him to move.
but he refused until he saw that his girl was
dead and that he could save her life by sac
rifcing her own. He then withdrew from the
schoolhouse. and although seriously injured
that he may Gle fingered about the place for
several hours refusing 10 90 to a hospital
TO seek medical attention