Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1908-03-05
Ohio Public School Horror

children lost their lives yesterday in the
burning Of the public school at North
Collinwood, Ohio.
The scenes in connection with the ter
rible catastrophe we're most horrible,
and form object lessons to all upon whom
the responsibility Of conducting schools
is placed.
At 10 o'clock last night 1856 corpses
we're in the morgue at CollinwoOd, six
children we're still unaccouuted for and
all the hospitals and houses for two
miles around contained numbers of child
rem, some fatally and many less seriously
Injured.
all the victims we're between 6 and
Is years old. The school contained be-
tween $40 aud 325 pupils, and of this
entire number only about 80 are known
to have left the building unhurt.
The schoolhonse was of brick, two
stories and an attic in height. The
number OF pupils was more than nor
mally large, and the smaller children
had been placed in the upper part Of the
building. There was but one fire es-
cape, and that was in the rear OF the
building. There we're two stairways,
one leading to door 10 front and the
other to door in the rear. Both OF
these doors opened inward, and it is ss-
serted that the rear door was locked as
well.
When the flames we're discovered the
teachers, who seem to have scted with
courage and self-possession and to have
struggled heroicslly for the safety of
their pupils, marshaled their little
charges into columns for the sire drill, J"
which they had often prscticed.
Unfortunately the line of march in
this exercise had always led to the front
door, and the children had not been
trained to seek any other exit. The fire
yesterday came from a furnace, directly
under this part Of the building. When
the children reached the foot Of the
stairs they found the flames close upon
them, and 80 swift rush was made for
the door that in an instant tightly
packed mass of children was piled up
against it.
From that second none of those who
we're upon any portion Of the frat fight
of stairs had chance for their lives.
The children at the foot of the stairs at
tempted to fight their way back to tbs
hoor a owe, while those who were coming
down showed them mercilessly back into
the flames below. In an instant there
WAS a frlghtful panic, with 200 of the
pupils fighting for their lives. Most of
those who were killed died here. The
greater Part OF those who escaped man.
aged 10 turn back and reached the fire
escape and the windows in the rear.
What happened at the foot of that
tiist fight of stairs will never be known,
for all those who we're caught 10 the full
rush OF the panic were killed. After the
flames had died away, however, huge
heap of little bodies, burned by the fire
and trampled into things of horror, told
the tale as we'll as anybody need to know
il.
Various and uncon6rmed statements
are made OF the cause of the fire and
also that the doors of the building had
been locked at the front entrance, while
but one door of the rear entry wss ut
fastened. The ,nilor, Fnlz Herier.
himself bel eaved OF three children, says
The doors we're open, according to Gus
tom. AT any rate, the congestion Of
fleeing children in the hallway below
tfFectually barred the way, and the little
ones went to their death totally unable
10 evade the flames.
The school Was oyercrowded with
pupils and it was found necessary to
utilize the attic for those between 6 and 8
years. Nearly all the children were killed
in the mass at the first floor door, which
WAS fuslly opened by men from the
Lake Shore Railway shops, who hurried
to the scene. A wall of fame had
formed across il, however, and most Of
the children we're already dead by the
time the doors were swung.
Dispatches today show that about 100
children lost their lives in the fire.
In addition to this frightful list of
dead, fresh grief came to the suburb
today with the announcement that sew
ersl women, mothers of children lost in
the FIRE, have lost their reason. One
mother attempted to kill herself early
this morning.
At almost every house along the street
today white ribbons hosted from the
door knobs. At one, three bows of white
marked the number of dead. At the
table there at noon father sat silent
with eyes that stared ahead and saw
nothing. The food before him lay un-
tasted. At the side of the table we're
their three chairs. Ia The corner the
skates Of the younger boy. On the
rack behind the door hung the cap
and cloak of his little girl. All dead.
The baby 10 his chair pounded the tray
With his spoon. "Papa" baby cried in
childish prsttle, "Papa, when's Alice
coming homer 10 the front room the
bodies lay side by side. And there beside
them, crying, the mother knelt.
Fathers we're affected differently.
Some cursed, some gazed stony-eyed
upon the twisted, charred shapes before
them, the light Of reason having de-
gn.ta1 ,bof. o,oa Ion,,o.o .;lr. sor,a ra,ad
like madmen.
One hundred and sixty-two bodies
have been recovered from the ruins.
Material distress has existed in Col. |
Iinwood for months, due to the fact that |
many factories have been partially closed. |
Scores of families are without money or
food.
The victims viii be buried together
in one general funeral, probably to- |