Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-03-04
INJURED.

The panic that had worked such
fearful results inside the building
spread to the helpless crowd outside.
but only for a brief time. Organized
efforts at rescue were soon under way
Firemen pleyed streams upon the
piles of bodies in the doorways and
tried TO drag out bodies with rakes and
other implements.
Ambulances and automobiles We're
soon available to take the injured TO
the hospitals.
BODIES FIVE FEET DEEP.
After the fire had been reduced some
what, piles of chaIred little bodies
were still visible In the doorways, In
the rear door bodies burned beyond
recognition lay piled five feet deep.
A man who reached the school build
ing shortly after the fire broke out de-
clared that the back door was locked.
He attempted to break down the door
but failed to do so. He then smashed
in the windows with the aid of some
others and secured some children by
dragging them out.
The flames shot UP through the
central halls with terrible rapidity. 1t
is stated the children We're terrified
beyond all control and the teachers,
although they struggled bravely to
marshal their charges out of the build
ing in something like order, were ut
terly helpless.
BAD DISCIPLINE.
Those who We're familiar with the
building and were early on the scene,
believe that most of the loss of life
was due to the fact that all of the
rooms were dismissed at once. Pu-
pills pouring down the stairs made for
the doorways, already full of children
escaping from the lower floors. The
exits We're soon choked The desper-
ate ones behind pushed and struggled
for their lives, driving the human
wedges in them tighter In place.
Neighbors living across the street,
who were the first to reach the burn
Ing building, said the lower halls
were already filed with flames when
they arrived. They helped out such
children as they could reach, but they
were forced to see many perish be-
yond their aid.
The doors and windows were
packed with terrified little ones, whose
panic left them helpless TO escape
Many children descended the fire
escape, but feared to jump, reaching
the bottom. They were pulled down
to make room for others.
PANIC AMONG PARENTS.
Fearful scenes we've enacted around
the burning schoolhouse. Fathers and
mothers raved, cursed or prayed. Many
tried to break through the crowd and
some got so far as to dash toward the
flaming doorway. One big man In over
ails and jumper was restrained by
force. Explaining in broken English
that his 'kinder' were in the build
ing, he struggled desperately with the
three men who held him. Finally they
threw him to tho ground and sat on
him, forcing his great form down In tho
ankle deep mud. The building was
completely destroyed only the outer
brick walls remain standing The floors
and roof fell into the Interior early In
the fire making the rescue of INTACT
bodies absolutely hopeless
SCENES OF HORROR.
AS soon as flremen and volunteers
could get close enough attempts We're
made To pluck bodies from the death
heaps at the doors. 1t was found that
the flames had practically incinerated
the bodies. Firemen with rakes, forks
and shovels. turned up bdackened
bodies, little blackened skulls, masses
OF charred flesh, but bodies recognizable
as such We're no longer to be found. a
fearful stencil added to the horror OF
the scene.
Miss Anna Moran, principal of the
school, who escaped, says that the chill
dren made mad rush for the door as
soon ms tho alarm OF fire was sounded.
but were driven back by the choking
smoke. Later the flames prevented the
escape OF many from the burning build
ing.