The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1908-03-05

Cleveland, March Sin the most
terrible holocaust in the history of
this section of the country over $50
school children lost their lives in a
fire which destroyed the three-story
brick school building on Collamer
avenue, in Collinwood, a suburb, just
outside the city limits. -
Fire started in the basement of the
building just after school convened.
1t was caused from an overheated fur
mace.
The smoke from the fire quickly
filled the building and alarmed the
children and teachers. A panic en-
sued. No fire drill was used in res
cuing the children. They rushed pell-
nell for the doors and windows.
Walter G. Kelley, a newspaper man,
two of whose children were in the
building, was one of the first upon
the scene. He stated that the rear
door, one of the two exits, was locked.
The children rushed for the front and
rear doors. The front exit soon was
damned full of fighting and panic
stricken humanity. Many who reached
the exit first escaped, but those, the
greater number, who followed, choked
the doorway. Those who fell were
trampled upon and many are sup
posed to have been killed in this man
ner. Those behind turned and made
for the windows Some upon the
second and third floors jumped from
the windows and escaped. In this way
three or four were killed, while 9th
ers were more fortunate and escaped
with slight injuries.
The greater number of those who
met death were cut off from escape
by the smoke, which blinded them.
Caught in this manner they fell
with the lower floor, amid the blazing
timbers, to the basement below. There
the little bodies could be seen in their
last death struggle .,
Bodies were taken to the morgue
at the Lake Shore and Michigan
Southern Railway company's shops.
Factories in the immediate neighbour
hood dismissed their men, who went
to work in an effort to res cue the lit.
tie ones. ," ~
Frantic Parents Surround School.
A few minutes after the building
was known to be on fire the school
was surrounded by fathers and
mothers, who were frantic in their
daZed efforts to rescue their children.
Very few were saved from among the
children who were behind the jam at
the front door. The others escaped
with slight injuries.
The school was of the common
grade and contained $50 children,
ranging in age from six years to four.
teen years. Two or three of the teach
ers also are thought to have persisted.
The fire from the basement, in addi-
ton to filling the schoolrooms with
smoke, which caused the first alarm,
leaped up the stairway to the first,
second and third floors. When the
the Railways they rushed into fiery
furnace. 1t was in the Railways and
at the main exit where the greatest
number met death. The Railways
were narrow and could not accommo-
date the large number that attempted
to rush through them to reach the
main door.
County Coroner Burke Immediately
after the fire said:
"The construction of the school
house was an outrage The Railways
were narrow and there was practically
but one mode of exit. The children
were caught like rats in a trap.
The school building was supposed
to be practically modern, although
erected three or four years ago. The
school children had been given fire
drills and were supposed to be in
training for just such an emergency.
When the crucial moment arrived the
drill was forgotten and there was not
the slightest effort to effect an orderly
or prompt escape. Instead the chill
dren jumped from their seats and
rushed for the schoolroom doors.
When they encountered the flames
in the Railways many rushed back to
escape by the windows. Many jumped
to the ground. Those who continued
through the Railways either met death
in the flames there or, escaping this,
continued to the main exit, only to be
blocked by those wedged in the door
way and consumed by the flames
which were crowding them onward.