Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-03-12
School Building at ColIinwood, o.,
Burns and One Hundred and
Fifty Pupils Cremated.
CROWDED FLOOR coLLAPSEs.
Victims Are Trapped and Their Dead
Bodies Are Trodden Over in
the Mad Rush.

ably fatally, in the fire which attacked
and burned down the Lakeyiew Public
School at North COllinwood. Ohio. a
Cleveland suburb. Wednesday Nothing
but the four charred walls of the build
ing remain standing.
The fire broke out so suddenly that
the children were trapped in their
rooms In the terrible panic which fol-
lowed the little ones were knocked
down and many were tramped TO death
and others injured so that all chances
OF their escape were taken from them.
The fire was started by an overhead
ed furnace. The flames quickly spread.
\ panic ensued when the building
filled with smoke and the 400 children
attempted to escape. There were only
two exits in the building that were
available. One of these exits was used
freely by the children. but the other
soon became choked with the children,
who dashed madly for the open air.
Those who fell in the doorway were
trampled upon by those behind, and
soon the doorway was impossible.
The frightened and panic-stricken
children turned to escape by windows
and any other means that could be
found. Escape was cut off by the
flames which, by this time, had spread
throughout the rooms. The building
was of brick. yet this did not retard
the flames.
The ColIinwood fire department had
no extension ladders and could not
reach the entrapped children on the
third floor of the building. Some Of the
children jumped. Their fate was as
terrible as the little students who went
down envelOpad in flames.
Pupils in Panic Forget Fire Drill.
At the first alarm Of fire the high
school pupils on the lower floor were
panic-stricken and fought for Il means
of egress, many being trampled at the
doors. Boys fought with their weaker
classmates in an effort to Chamber over
their shoulders to the light showing
through the doors above the struggling
mass of arms and legs as the children
fought for freedom.
The crush at the exits was appalling.
The fire drill instruction which the chill
dren had received was forgotten as the
flames licked the stairs and the draft
from above carried the smoke and flame
after the fleeing pupils, driving them
in panic to the street. Many escaped
the flames only to be injured in a mad
rush for safety. When they ran to the
head of the stairs they were beaten
back by the flames. They we're caught
like rats in a trap. Many dashed i'll
wild frenzy into the bank of fire, only
to stagger back exhausted
Above, as the firemen battled with
the fire-fringed frame without the chill
dren, little, weak five-year-olds and
playmates, appalled,, terrOr-stricken,
wept and screamed in a frantic appeal
for aid.
Frantic Parents Fight for Bodies.
AS the news of the fire spread
through the town frenzied parents, hat
less, their hair waving free as they
ran, rushed for the fire scene Fran
sically the agoniZed parents fought
with the police and firemen in their eff
fort to make their way into the struc-
ture Immediately the fire had ceased
to be a barrier to their entrance. Tear
stained, wild-eyed mothers fought with
the police, fathers moaning quietly but
sObbing always, their hearts torn by
the picture of death before them, strug
Cling to throw themselves into the
flames in a mad rush to save their
offsprings or die with them in the fiery
tomb.
Houses in the neighborhood were
converted into mOrgues and the bodies
of the children were arranged III rows
as fast as they were removed from the
wrecked building.
In their frantic state. mothers sorted
over bodies, one after another, trying
to find their missing children. In most
instances Identification was impossible,
as the bodies were burned and tram
pied beyond recognition.
The building was of brick. yet this
did not retard the progress of the
flames In a few minutes the lower
floor fell. precipitating scores of chill
dren to the basement. among the burn
ing embers.
The scene about the building was
heartrending. Quickly the news of the
terrible catastrophe spread throughout
the village and hundreds of parents
We're crowding about the building in
search of their girls and boys. Plainly
the writing of stilled forms of dozens
of others could be seen in the base
ment. Nearby factories dismissed their
men and instructed them to assist in
the rescue. They braved the fire and
made heroic efforts to save those who
were not dead.