The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-03-05
PARENTS, HELPLESS,
SEE CHILDREN PERISH.

The supreme horror of the disaster
was that the fathers and mothers of
many of the little victims stood before
the doors and saw the flames creep up
and blacken the faces of the screaming
children.
The rear doorway was massed to the
top with white faces. Little hands
stretched out in supplication, the
doomed ones begging to be saved.
Mothers tainted where they stood.
Others tried to get to their dying chill
dren. Volunteer firemen and policemen
held them back. Then the fire crept up
through the mass and sllenced h
cries. Nothing could be done to save
the children, although cue were at
the doors many minutes before the fire
reached that point.
When Herter sounded the fire gong
Mrs. Moran, principal of the school,
and the other teacher supposed 1t to
be the call to a fire drill. The teachers
marshaled their charges in good order
and started for the stairs. There was
no panic at first. The children on the
first floor passed out safely. They, too,
supposed 1t was only the regular prac-
tise until they came into h halls.
Then they saw the smoke rising from
the front stairs. They gave frightened
chances at it. but maintained order.
Teachers save Many.
MANY of the children on the third
floor were saved by tho presence of
mind of their teacher. The flames
spread so quickly that by the time they
had come into the hall the smoke and
sparks were coming up the stairway
in great puts.
Miss Laura Bodey, who had charge
of the single room on the third floor.
kept her head and started the children
down the stairs. When they reached
the second floor the flames were MAX
ing Roadway fast.
Miss Bodey called to them to follow
her. She led the way to the fire-escape'
through a room on the second floor.
Most of the children obeyed her and
were saved. Some, however. broke away
and fled down the stairs. They were
caught in the death-trap.
Nearly all the children of the second
floor persisted. Their teachers led them
to stairs in the rear that were en-
yeloped in flames. Vt sight of the fire
the children took fright at once They
started pell-mell down the stairs ano
into the narrow passage that led to the
outside doors. The first few escaped
Some of those following tripped on the
stairs and rolled to the bottom. Others
behind them trampled owe the tanglt
at the bottom of the stairs and crowded
into the passageway, fell over prostrat'
bodies and made the confusion greater
Wedged in Passageway.
Then the children began droppins
over the banisters to get to the pas
sage. Those who had fallen on the
stairs began to get up. and in an in
slant the entrance to the passage wa:
blocked.
Not yet had the flames spread to thu
passage. The children, wedged in 1t
were all standing, but as Others surgeC
behind and they struggled to free them
selves from the jam, they fell forward
upon their faces. Those behind clam
bered over the fallen, only to fall for
ward In tupn until the passage wa
blocked to within a foot of the ceiling
Only the faces of the children coul'
be seen from the outside. Behind tn
human partition were scores of othe
children, crowded against the barrier II
a struggling, screaming mass.