The Irish standard., 1908-03-07

second and third floors. When the
children rushed from their rooms to
the hallways they rushed into a fiery
furnace. 1t was in the Railways and at
the main exit where the greatest num-
Der met death. The Railways wero,
narrow, and could not accommodate
the large number that attempted to
rush through them to reach the main
door.
Terrible Scenes Enacted.
Fearful scenes were enacted around
the burning schoolhouse. Fathers and
mothers raved. cursed or prayed.
Many tried to break through tho
crowd and some got so far as to dash
toward the flaming doorways. One
restrained by force. Explaining in
broken English that his kinder" were
in the building he struggled desper.
ately with the three men who held
him. Finally they threw him to the
ground and sat on him. Forcing his
great form down in the ankle-deep
mud.
The building was completely de-
stroyed, only the outside brick walls
remaining standing The floors and
roof fell into the interior early in the
fire, making the rescue of intact bodies
absolutely hopeless.
Victims Practically Incinerated.
AS soon as 'firemen and volunteers
could get close enough, attempts we're
made to pluck bodies from the death
heaps at the doors. It was found that
the flames had practically incinerated
the bodies. Firemen with rakes, forks
and shovels turned up blackened
bones. little blackened skulls and
masses of charred flesh. but bodies
recognizable as such were no longer
to be found. fearful stencil added
to the horror Of the scene.
Miss Anna Moran, the principal of
the school, who escaped. says that the
children made mad rush for the door
az soon as the alarm of Are was
sounded, but were driven back by the
choking smoke. Later the flames
prevented the escape Of many Of them
from the burning building.
Neighbors living across the street
who we're the first to reach the burn
ing building, said the lower halls were
already filled with flames when they
arrived. They helped out such chill,
dren as they could reach, but. were
forced to see many beyond their aid.
The doors and windows were packed
with terrified little ones. whose panic
left them helpless to escape. Many
children descended the fire escape, but
feared to Jump on reaching the bot
tom. They were pulled down to make
room for others.
County Coroner Burke Immediately
after the fire said: d;
"The construction of the school.
house was an outrage. The Railways
we're narrow and there was practically
| but one mode of exit. The children
we're caught like rats In a trap"
Fire Drill Is Forgotten.
The school building was supposed
to he practically modern. although
erected three or four years ago. The
school children, had been given fire
drills, and. we're supposed to be ir
training for just such an emergency
When the crucial moment arrived the
drill was forgotten and not the slight
est effort to effect an orderly OF
prompt escape availed.
For some unaccountable reason prao
! tically all Of the pupils OF the third
or top, floor. escaped with slight in.
4 iuries.
Three little girls met instant death
in attempting to jump to safety from
the third floor of the burning building
They were Mary Ridgeway, Anna
Roth and Gertrude Davis
A man named Dorm. who arrived
upon the scene early. and at the time
the children were crowded in the front
door, discovered his little girl amone
the mass of injured and crushed. lie
caught the girl by the hands, and, ir
his frantic efforts to save her, pulled
her arms from her body.