The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1908-03-12

BURIAL OF FIRE VICTIMS
Mutterings Against the Janitoa
Could Be Heard on Every Side, Ths
Grief-Crazed Parents Forgetting
That the Janitor Himself Walked
Behind . Hearse Containing Three
Of His Loved Ones.

Behind . Hearse Containing Three
Of Bis Loved Ones.
Cleveland, O., Speeial.-Collins.
wood Friday came to a full fealiza.
ton OF her woe. Slowly and solemn.
ly the professions of death began Ia
wend their way toward the eeme-
teries, bearing the battered and
charred remains of some of the hun
dred and sixty-seven children whose
lives were snuffed out in Wednesday
mornings catastrophe in the Lake
view school. From o'clock in the
morning until dusk there was no
cessation in the funeral corteges.
Those who had no dead to mourn as
a personal loss stood in the streets
with barred heads as the grim process
sions passed. There was scarcely a
dry eye in Collinwood. One Of the
sad funerals was that of the three
children of Janitor Hirter, held joint
ly with the services for three other
little ones
Talk Against Janitor.
Mutterings against the janitor
could be heard about the village as
grief-erazed parents sought an OBJ
ject upon which to wreak vengeance,
forgetting as they did that Hirter
himself was walking with bowed head
and broken-hearted behind the biers
of three Of his loved ones A detail
of police was placed about the Hir-
ter home when the hour of the fun
eral came. Fully five hundred per-
sons had gathered, but when the cof-
fins were carried to the doorway the
crowd spread and opened the way
for them without protest or express
sion of hostility.
Altogether there were so burials
Friday and Saturday the grewsome
task was repeated. Sunday will wit
ness the last Of the Individual burials
and on Monday the remains of all
those who are yet unidentified will be
laid to rest with one funeral. There
are 80 of these bundles of flesh that
await claimants.
Stories OF HeTlolSm.
Testimony describing the mad rush
to death of the school children was
given Friday at the continued session
of the coroner's inquest. Stories of
heroism on the part of the women
teachers were recited. F. P. Whit
ney, superintendent Of the Collinwood
schools, stated his belief to be that
no fire department could have done
any effective work after the fire had
started. Two of the teachers told of
their unavailing attempts to open
one of the double doors at the rear
which they said was locked. The in
quest also developed the fact that, af-
ter the first crush at the door, it
was beyond human possibility to aid
or save those whom the tongues Of
fire were devouring in the charnel
house The inquest will be resumed
Monday.
In statement Chief Wallace, of
the Cleveland fire department, after
an examination Of the ruins, Of the
Collinwood school, said it was his op-
inion that the loss of life would not
have been so great had there been
no partitions at the sides of the storm
doors at the rear entrance. Two feet
eight inches had been taken off either
side Of the hall for the partitions.
His examination developed that the
doors opened outward. Chief Wallace
doubtless will be a witness before the
coroner
Cleveland Learns Lesson.
Drastic steps were taken by the
Cleveland school board to place all
the Cleveland educational buildings
in a condition that will preclude any
loss of life from fires. Easements
will be freproof, wooden stairways
replaced by iron and spiral fires es-
capes enclosed in towers installed.
Inner doors in vestibules also will be
rnnoved