The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-03-05
ONE HUNDRED AND
SIXTY PERISH in
CLEVELAND fire

door The front dour though unlocke
opened inward and when the childre
rushed In that direction the door
i were pushed shut ald the childre
were wedged tightly between ther
and tho stairway
4 Awful to Contemplate.
| What happened at the foot of tha
might OF stairs will never be know
Ifor all of those who were caught /.
the full fury Of the panic were killed
After the flames had died away, how
ever hughe heap Of little bodies
| thjngsburned by fire and tramples
INTO things of horror told the tale Al
well as any need to know It.
Back Door Was Locked!
A statement that the back door was
locked is made by Walter c.. Kelley
editor Of the sporting department oi
the Cleveland Leader two of whose
children were killed.
Soon as the alarm was given Mrs.
Kelley ran from her home nearby to
the burning buildin. The front por.
tion was mass of flames, and fren-
zied by the screams Of the lighting
and dying children which reached
them from the death trap at the foot
Of the first fight or STAIRS and behind
that closed door. Mrs. Kelley ran to
the rear, hoping to effect an entrance
and save her children. She was
joined by a man w.lose name is not
known. and the two tugged and pulled
frantically at the door. They were
unable TO move 1t in the slightest and
there was nothing at hand by which
they could hope to break it down. In
utter despair of saving any of the
children, they turned their attention
to the windows aud by smashing some
or t.lesn managed 10 save few of
tho pupils.
Many Would Fave Escaped.
They. could have saved many
more" said Kelley tonight, If the
door had not been locked Nobody
knows how many children might
have made their way out before my
wife reached tnere If the door had
not been locked
If half dozen men had been there
when NV wife and ner companion ar
rived at the school house, perhaps
they might have broken down the
loor. but the two could do nothing,
ind the flames spread so rapidly that
t was all over in a few minutes"
3 Parents Were Frantic.
Collinswood contains about 5000
,eopie and within half an hour after
he outbreak of the flre nearly every
me of them was gathered around the
,lazing rrins. hundreds of parents
lighting frantically with policemen |
md fireinen, who We're trying to save
he lives of the children and doing
heir best to extinguisa the fire,
Police Handicapped.
The police were utterly unable to
-eep Saway the crowd that pressed |
Ipon them, and the situation soon be, |
anne SO serious that a number of the
more cool-headed men in the tbroDg
ook its upon themselves to aid In
lighting back the crowd while others
worked to help the iiremen and the
olice.
Tried to Save Daughter.
Among these latter was Wallace
1pton, who reached the building
hortly after the front door had caved
E and disclosed to the horrorstricken
n III hot haI |
natced there. Just in front of Up-I
on's eyes was his own 10-year-old
aughter, helpless IN the crush. badly
urned and trampled upon. but still
live. The fire was close upon her
nd IL she was not saved at once she
ould not be saved at all. Upton
prang to help her. and with all his
trength sorght TO TEAR her from the
'eight pressing her Gown and from
ne flames creeping closer. Although
e worked with the desperation Of
espair, his strength was unequal to
he task. He fought on until his
lothing was partly burned from him
nd the skin of his face and hands
corched black.
other men attempted TO induce him
, move. but he refused until he saw
if girl was dead and that he could
OF save her life oy sacrificing his
wn. He then withdrew from the ,
chool house.. and although sol
injured that he may die.
gered about the place several hours
sfusing to go to a hospital or to seek
ledical attendance.
Lasted Thirty Minutes.
The flames snrea: with such ter
fc rsniditv that within thirty min
tes from the time the fire was dis
lvered the school house was RethiDg +.
ut blsckened walls surrounding a
sllar filed with curses and debris
None Rescued Alive.
The fremen dashed into the blazing ,
reckage with raSes. forks. shoyels ,
nd bare hands aud worked frantic
ly with the ho9- of saving few !
ore lives. They were unsuccessful
" none was takea alive from the =,
,ins after the floors collapsed.
Fragments Of incinerated limbs.