Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1908-03-06
DEATH LIST MAY
REACH zoo MARK
II is NOW KNOWN THAT 100
CHILDREN LOST LIVES.
FEW OVER HALF IDENTIFIED
Tendency to Blame Janitor Of Col
Iinwood SchooI--it Is Thought
the Boiler: Exploded.

Cleveland, O., March 6.-Twenty'
four hours after the disaster which
swept into eternity approximately
one-third of the school children OF
North Collinwood, the death roll mum
bered 1854 OF these, 1877 had been
identified at the Lake Shore morgue,
while q bodies remain there in condi-
ton of mutiation; probably forever
beyond the chance of being recog'
| nized.
The work of digging In the ruins
of the Lake View school house, In
further search for remains OF child
rem still missing, began with the
break of day. Dawn found mothers
and fathers waiting about the fire
ruined building after having spent the
night in an effort to find their child.
ren's remain at the extemporized
morgue.
Burial of the dead is the burden
according to those of authority in the
little village. The arrangements for
the funerals of the victims were dis
cussed last night at meeting at
tended by the mayor of Collinwood,
members of the board of education,
the clergy and undertakcrs. The idea
Of having a public funeral Of all the
dead has been abandoned, though 1t
is probable that where it can be done,
bodies will be grouped in one church.
Last night the work of removing the
Identified bodies to their homes was
completed and the undertakes set to
work to prepare for the interments.
In an effort to fix the cause and re-
spOnsibiity, for the holocaust, various
Investigations were set under way.
Coroner Burke issued subpoenas for
the seven surviving teachers Of the
Lake View school. The inquest was
begun yesterday morning, when a
number of witnesses were examined.
without, however. developing any
testimony that was beyond mere opin-
ion.
An investigation conducted by the
Collinwood school board. which lasted
far into the night. at which number
Of survivors of the horror told their
stories, brought forth these facts:
That one of the inner doors at the
west entrance Of the school was clos
ed and fastened. while the children
were piling up against it in the pass
age; wing partitions in the vestibule
narrowed the exit by at least three
feet; the flames came first from a
closet below the stairway at the east
entrance; the closet contained lime
and sawdust; three little girls had
been found hiding In play in the
closet earlier in the morning; there
was but one fire escape, and that its
use was never taught as a part of the
fire drill. Survivors among the
teachers estimate that only two or
three minutes passed between the
time Of the alarm until all escape was
cut off. The building was a fair sam.
pie of the kind Of school construction
in use in small towns. The halls and
stairway We're enclosed between in.
terror brick walls, forming huge fue
through which the flames shot up with
great rapidly.
1t is generally admitted that the
school building was of approved fire.
proof construction and that the calam-
ity could not have been averted. look
ed at from this standpoint. Also it
IS now believed that the fire did not
have its origin In the furnace or that
1t resulted from the explosion of the
heating boiler. From the testimony
50 far adduced the fire must have
started under the. stairway leading
from the basement to the first floor
of the building. The janitor, Fred
Herter, stoutly maintains that there
, was no waste rubbish there.