Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1908-03-07


door at this side Of the building was
never fully opened, But dense pile
Of little bodies that lay In the black
enOd wreckaso beneath this point, tae
feet, the hands, the limbs and the
skulls that were scattered about form
cd a complete index to the horrors
that had taken place.
Formed Fire Drill,
When the teachers were informed
Of the existence Of the fre tney
promptly formed the pupils in columns
It march, according to the IRE drill,
and started them for the door, When
the head Of the column was nearing
the front door q rush OF flames met
II. Some Of the children dashed at
the door in the EFFORT to open II while
others turned and fed Wildly up the
stairs. The doar was = double one /,
and one side was held by . spring,
The column above. knowing nothing
Of the are on the stairs below, kept
pressing Gown and within . few sec
ends there was jam, panic and struG
gle ON the stairway and behind the
half closed front door that nothing
could stop and which cost the lives
Of ell who were caught in II.
Door Opened Inwards.
A far worse tragedy, however, was
enacted at the door in the rear. This
II Is claimed ay many People, opened,
Hike the front door. toward the lnteri'
| or OF the building.
In order 10 reach this entrance the
pupils were compelled TO march down
q stairway, make q sharp turn In a
aarrow hall and then pass through
the doorway. II was the lack OF space
in the hall and the quick bend at the
foot OF the stairs that cost 80 many
lives az this point. When the first
! children, fleeing from the fire in front
appeared at the door, II was closed &.
] Later II was opened, despite the ter
rife Jam that took place behind It..
This would indicate that the door
opened outward but the assertions
TO the contrary are many and positive
and II will probably require an ON
cial investigation to determine the
! facts.
Fled In FpnEy Of Terror.
Fleeing from a fire in front, the
children came rushing and tumbiinE
down the stairs In frenzy OF terror. .
The stairs themselves we're broad. at
fording passage TO more children In
one second than could pass through
! the hallway, around the sharp turn,
and then through the narrow yestIbule
OF the door In ten seconds. At the
bottom OF the stairs. right on the
turn, somebody tripped aud fell. 10
another instant others we're down. and
In less time than II can be told, the
doorway, the hall and the foot OF the
! stairs we're packed With little bodies /.
They we're Wedged 20 tightly that OF
those anywhere below the top OF the
mass, none could BE- novel By the
utmost strength Of, two mea com
blnod
unUovsbIo Pile 81 Bodlss.
This was prOvsa again aAa again
for the rascuSFs struggled and sought
until tier own hGnts were SeOgched
almost 70 eindors, and sill they oonld
mDyS 10 chilA from ous ~ tae pile
and could save no lives beycuA . feu
TIA, tAsy haa llftsA er0n the top ~
fore the aRmes cane roartng avn
UpOa them.
The local are department, . volun'
! ter organization with httio Grill and
inferior apparatus, came hnrrytng "a
the sosns. bit Il vas poserisas ron
ne nrss. The AAmes bad gained too
great a hsadway 90 be checked b. tbs
| aromsn's mAehiRsry.
For al mat. boWossF. shsy usre
wresesedly inadequate n The oceasion
/ They could n0t force q stream above
the second aoOf GsA thsy dis sot pos
s.age, a lAador that wAs soog cnoaEa
40 reach the notion Of ne ere escape
| or the rear u Ne bgIlding. Do
cause Of tAis iaOk ~ SFsn ordinary
procautioas more tran . dossa hvs'
we're bSSs IN this place aioas.
asys Attempt - ssVs Lives.
Huah MOurAth. = sOurtesnTsaF
I "a Aov soa OF sss shiaf q the o.
I Hnxrood polscs socos - a iins q
l panieSrfckeu eait4gun s9vu tee -
ssos 70 q polns Bhsss 9 laAfsr Wopsa
! -. s.vsS tsess an Mar ~ skeM