The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-03-05
NEARLY TWO HUNDRED
LITTLE ONES PERISH
Continued from Page I,

there wSs nothing at hand by which
they could nope TO break it down. IL
utter despair of saving any of the
children. they turned their attention to
/ the windows and by smashing some
of these they managed to save a few
OF the pupils.
Many Might Have Been Saved.
''They could have saved many more.
said Mr.. Kelley tonight. IF the doos
had not been locked Nobody knows
how many of the children might have
made their way cut before my wife
had reached there if the door had not
been locked. IL half a dozen men had
been there Whzn my wife and her com
paniOn arrived at the schoolhouse, per-
haps they might have broken down the
door, but the two could DO nothing
and the flames spread so rapidly that
it was all over in q few minutes"
Frantic With Horror.
The suburb of Collinwood contains
about 5000 people, and within half an
hour after the outbreak of fire nearly
everyone of them was gathered around
the blazing ruins of the schOOlhOuse,
hundreds of parents fighting frantical-
ly with the policemen and firemen who
were busily engaged in saving the lives
building, and doing their best to extin-
guish the fire
The police were utterly unable
through lack of numbers TO keep away
the crowd that pressed upon Them and
the situation soon became so serious
that a 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 fire.
men and the police.
Fathers Despairing Attempt.
Among these latter was Wallace Up-
ton, 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 enact
ed there. Just in front of Upton's eyes
was his 10-year-Old daughter helpless
in the crush, badly burned and tram
pied 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 to help her
and, with all his strength, sought to
tear her from the weight that was
pressing her down and from the flames
which were creeping close
Saw His Child Perish.
Although he worked with despera-
ton of despair. his strength was I'M
equal to the task He fought on until
his clothing was partly burned from
him and the skin of his face and hands
were scorched black. Other men at
tempted to induce him to move, but he
refused until he saw that his girl was
dead and that he could not save her
life by sacrificing his own.
he then withdrew from the school,
oil i.
jured that he may die, fingered about
the place for several hours refusing to
go to hospital or to seek medical at
tendance.
Fire Spread Rapidly.
The flames spread with such terrific
rapiaity that within thirty minutes
from the time the fire was discovered
the schoolhouse was nothing but a few
blackened walls surrounding cellar
filled with corpses and debris
The firemen dashed into the blazing
and, with rakes, forks, show
els and their bare hands. worked in the
most frantic manner with the hope of
saving a few more lives. They were
for none was taken out
alive from the ruins after the floors COL
apsed.
Fragments of moderated limbs. |
skulls and bones were found almost at |
every turn, and these things were piled
together in a little heap at one side of
the building.
Will Never Be Identified.
The great majority of the little bodies |
hat were taken from the ruins were |
burned beyond all possible recognition |
And it is no small part of the sorrow |
which is bearing down the people of |
North Collinwood that positive identif- |
,ation of many of the children will |
never be made.
Beside the children who were killed |
inside the building, three little girls, |
Nary Ridgeway, Anna Roth and Ger |
rude Davis, were instantly killed by |
Gaping from the attic to the ground.
At midnight there were 1856 bodies in /
he morgue, of which 10S had been 1
Identified and fifty-seven still unidenti- /
led.
1t is possible that other bodies may
,e found in the ruins, as ar least thir-
cen children are still missing and |
ave not been heard from since the
ire
Saved All but Three.
Miss Ethel Rose, a teacher on the
irst floor of the building, whose pu-
ills were the youngest in the school.
managed to get all but three of her
harges out of the building in safety.
Two of the smaller ones she carried
n her arms.
Miss Anna Moran, principal of the ]
chooI, and two OF the teachers. Miss
solner and Miss Rowley, escaped bvfl
ne of the windows in the rear They