Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1908-03-06
A75 CHILDREN PERISH
Terrible Holocaust Occurs
i'm Cleveland, Ohio,
School House

Cleveland, Ohio. March 5.-Penned
in a narrow hallway, jammed up
against doors that only opened
inward, between one hundred and
sixty and one hundred and seventy
children in the suburb Of North
Ccl]inwood yesterday were killed by
fire, by smoke. and beneath the grind
ing heels of their anic- stricken play.
mates
The awful tragedy occurred yester-
Gay morning in the public school of
North Collinwcod, suburb of this
city. At 10 clock last night one
hundred and sixty five corpses wee
in the moTgue at Collinwood, six
children were still unaccounted for,
and all the hospitals and homes for
two miles around contained numbers
of children, some fatally. snd many
less seriously injured.
All Of the victims were between
the ages OF Elk and fifteen years.
The school contained between three
hundred and ton and three hundred
and twenty. five pupil. and OF this
entire number only about eighty are
known to have left the buil1ing un-
hurt.
It will be several days before the
exact number OF killed is knowD, as
the ruins may contain other bodies,
aid the list Of fats lities may be
INCREASED by q number of deaths
IN the hospital between life and
death.
TIE children rushed for the front
A~
foot of the stairs they found the flames
close upon them and 80 swift rush
was made for the door that i'll an
instant q tightly packed wedge Of
children was piling up against it.
From that second none OF those who
were upon any portion of the first
flight OF stairs had chance for their
lives.
The children at the foot of the
stairs attempted to fight their way
back to the floor above, while those
who were coming down showed them
merci]ess]y back into tho flames
below.
In an instant there was frightful
panic with two hundred Of the pupils
sighting for their lives. Most of those
who were killed died here.
The greater part Of those who
escaped managed to turn back and
reached the fir Escape and the
windows in the rear.
What happened atSthe foot Of that
fight of stairs will Never be known,
for all of those who we're wau8ht in
the full fury of the panic Wore killed,
After the flames had died away, how
over, huge heap OF little boo les,
burned by the IRE, and trampled into
things of rorror, told the tsle as
we'll as any body need to know it.
The fremen dsshe d into the blszlng
Wreckage, and with rakes, forks.
shovels and their bare hands. worked
in the most frantic manner with the
hope of saving a few more lives.
They were unsu uccessful, for none
were taken alive from the ruins before
the floors collsps:d.
Fragments OF incinerated limbs,
skulls and bones were found almost at
every turn, and these things were
piled together in little hesp at one
side of the building.
The great majority of the little
bodies that we're taken from the ruins
were burned beyond all possible
recognition. And it 10 no small part
Of the sorrow which is beariag down
tho people of North Col1inw0od ttat
positive Identification of many Of tie
children Will never be made.
The school house was OF brick, two
stories and IN attic in height The
number Of pupils was more than
normally large, and the smaller
children had been placed in the upper
part OF tho building. There was but
one IRE escape, and that was in the
rear Of tho building. There were two
stairways, one leading to . door in
front, and the other to q door in thu
rear. Both of these doors openei
inward, and it is claimed the real
door was locked 40 well. When tt
flames were discovered the teacher
throughout seem to have acted Will
courage and self possession, and Il
have Struggled heroically for the
salty of their pupils and marshsllot
their little ones into columns for th'
fire drill which they had Otter
practiced.
Unfortunately the line Of march IL
this exercise had always led tn tn
front door and the children had not beei
trained to seek any other exit. Th'
fire yesterday came from q furnace
situated directly Under this part o
the building.
Born-To Mr.. and Mrs. job,
Klinger, Thursday, February ~.
daughter.
John O'Neil, who was quite ill tn
first of tho week, is reported ~ muc|
better. .
henry Jahr of Aitkin county AM
Miss Ella Spence, wero marrie
Wednesday Uy Judge 3. 2. shaw.
Alderman Enke OF the. First. War,
:. has allsd, :htss petition ef nominetio.
TOR re,slectirn i1it6 he city zcleEk.s;iii;s
Ernest Boudreau, for several year
a resldent Of this city, viii lsav
Sunday for the west, and expects T.
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