The Washington herald., 1908-03-05

vention at Columbus stopped work long
enough TO adopt a resolution Of sym
pathy, The House Of Representatives in
Washington sent sympathy and adopted
resolutions introduced by Representative
Harding, of the Thirteenth district.
Teachers story.
Miss Laura Borter. teacher Of the fifth
grade. on the third floor, said: When the
gong sounded l thought at once OF the fire
drill. 1 didn't think at first il was a real
fire. but formed my pupils just as we
have often done in practice. We had no
more than formed in line when smoke
began creeping into the rooms.
"Our practice taught the children 90 go
down the fire escape. but when the smoke
began coming in some Of the pupils cried
TO the others to go down the rear stairs.
Seven or eight broke from the line and
started for the stairs The rest were in
structed 10 keep cool. and I managed to
get them to the fire escape and to the
ground in safety.
The poor children who rushed down
the back stairway must have perished.
for I know they never came back TO the
room again. | was the last 10 leave. and
watched for them 70 return until the heat
and flames drove me down the fire escape.
had about fifty pupils in my room, and
all escaped but the few who left the line
and rushed for the stairs"
JnnItOr's Children Lost
Frederick Hirter, janitor Of the school,
lost three children in the disaster. Trying
10 save the little ones he was badly
burned about the head and hands. He de-
clares there was less fire than usual in
the furnace. because of the mild weather
Mr.. Hirter said: shortly before recess.
hour started 10 the basement 10 attend
to the FIRE in the furnace. On the stairs
met Three little girls. who said thers was
some smoke in the cellar. Hurrying down.
1 saw the fire under the front stairway.
What caused il I have not the slightest
idea. There was no rubbish there, though
there may have been some wires under
the stairs. that l did not know Of The
wires. I always believed, ran into the
building through the roof. When 1 saw
the fire at once ran and gave the alarm
Before l finished ringing the gong the
flames were pouring from the cellar. and
I tried 20 save the children. They were
in a panic when they saw the flames. 1
thought of my own little ones. but only
for an instant. as there were so many
others TO look after / did not get near
the doors. but do not think they were
locked. The flames finally drove me out
OF the building, but how 1 got out 1 do
not remember"
Hirter Almost Crazed.
Hirter was almost crazed with pain and
sorrow over the loss of his children. He
lives in new little home at AT Collamer
avenue. almost opposite the school His
dead children were named Walter, aged
fifteen: Helena aged thirteen. and Edna
aged eight. Two others, Werner. aged
twelve. and Ella. aged five, escaped
Every ambulance in the East End an
swered the general ambulance alarm fol-
lowing the discovery Of the fire. Twen-
~ wagons and drivers were engaged
from $40 o'clock in the morning until
after 5 o'claSk in the afternoon. Even at
o'clock tonight several drivers had not
tendants were exhausted physically by
the actual exertion of carrying away the
dead and dying
The first load was seven bodies These
were taken to the Logan Morsue in st.
clair street. Instructions were received,
however to take the bodies to the Lake
Shore storehouse One little dead girl was
taken 10 her home. FOrty-eight bodies
were carried to homes during the day.
At S o'clock tonight two wagons were
still busy taking the identified dead, to
their homes.
Haul Away lis Bodies.
At o'clock, us bodies had been hauled
TO the Lake Shore storehouse.
The supreme horror OF the disaster was
that the fathers and mothers of many Of
the little victims stood before the doors
and saw flames creep up and blacken the
faces of their children. The rear door was
massed TO the top with white faces. Lit
tie hands stretched out suppIcsting. beg
ing to be saved. Mothers tainted where
they stood. Others tried to get 10 their
dying children. Volunteer Ifremen and
policemen held them back.
Then the fire crept up through the
mass Of children and silenced their cries.
Nothing could be done to save the chill
dren. In their wild panic the children
had wedged themselves so tightly into
the passageway that the rescuers pulled
the flesh from the arms of some trying
20 draw them out.
First to See Fire.
The fire was discovered by three little
girls, who were in the basement. They
saw the flames eating up into the wood
of the front stairway They rushed
through the basement and told Fred
Hirter. the janitor, Of a fire. He struck
the school fire alarm gong. Miss Moran.
principal of the school, supposed it was
the regular practice fire drin. The teach
ers marshaled their charges in good order
and started for the stairs
There was no panic at first. The chill
dren on the first floor passed out safely.
They, too. Supposed il was only the resu-