The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-03-04
School Building in Cleveland
Destroyed by Fire.
Contained Four Hundred Little
Ones When Blaze Started.
WERE SOON In PANIC
Massed in One of the Two
Available Exits.
Those Who Fell We're Tramnled
Upon by Others.
LOWER FLOOR FELL
LOWER FLOOR FELL
Precfpitating Many Into Live
Goals in Basement
Where the Flames Originated
From an Overheated Furnace.

Cleveland, O., March 4-Oyer $50
school children lost their lives today
In a fire which destroyed the three
story brick school building on Cola
mer avenue, in Collinwood, a suburb
just outside the city limits.
At 2 o'clock this afternoon 14s
bodies had been recovered and it
was then believed that the loss of life
would exceed $50.
The fire started in the basement of
the building, about 10 O'Clock, Just af-
ter school convened 1t was caused
from an overheated furnace
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
culng the children They rushed peII
nell for the doors and windows
waiter c. Kelly, 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 was soon jammed
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 were sun
posed to have been killed in this man
ned. Those behind turned and made
for the windows Some upon the Sec
ond and third floors jumped from the
windows and escaped In this way
were more fortunate and escaped with
slight injuries
Blinded by Smoke.
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 writh-
ing IN their last struggle. Bodies were
taken TO the morgue at the Lake
Shore & Michigan Southern Railway
company's shops.
Factories in the immed neigh
i borhood dismissed their men, who
went to work in an effort to rescue
the little ones.
A few minutes after the building
was known to be on fire the school
was surrounded by parents, 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 to II years.
Two or three of the teachers also are
thought to have perished.
The fire from the basement in ad-
dition to filling the school rooms with
smoke, which caused the first alarm.
leaped up the stairway to the first,
second and third floors. When the
children ran from their rooms to the
Railways they rushed into a fiery fur
mace. 1t was in the Railways and at
the main exit where the greatest
number met death. The Railways
were narrow and could not accom-
modate the large number that at
tempted to rush through them TO
reach the main door.
The Known Dead.
EDNA EAHNER, II years old
BERNIE SCHUBERT, 10 years old
WILLIE WEISBARTH, years old.
MEYERS, 6 years old
TWO BUSCHMAN GIRLS 10 and IL
years.
HUGH MCILRATH, 10 years.
THOMAS THOMPSON. years.
EDDIE KEHL, II years.
- ROSTOCK, 10 years.
TWO WOoDMYER GIRLS. 10 and 13
years.
HAROLD SANGERSON, 12 years.
MARY RIDGEWAY, 10 years.
ANNA ROTH.
GERTRUDE DAVIS.
WALTER HERTER
HELEN HERTER.
MARTHA HERTER.
WERNER HERTER
- KELLEY boy 10 years.
- KELLY, boy. years
KATHERINE WELLER. teacher.
HARRY SINGLEMANN, 10 years
LUCY SINGLEMANN, years.
MABEL SIEGLER, 10 years.
DON RUSH, IL years
IRENE DAVIS IA years.
ANGELENE ZUPAN, IL years.
EDWARD MYERT. 6 years.
FRANK WINDMAN, 10 years.
JOHN WINDMAN, 10 years.
Lillian ROSTERICK. 6 years.
EMIL ROSTERICK, 8 years.
- SCHAFFER, boy years.
Dragged Out With Rakes.
The panic that had worked sucn
fearful results inside the building
spread to the helpless crowd outside.
but only for brief time. Organized
efforts at rescue were soon under vav
Firemen played streams upon the niles
Of bodies in the doorways and tried fo
drag out bodies with rakes and other
implements Ambulances were SOON
available to take the injured to the
hospitals.
After the fire had been reduced some
Continued on Pare Ski