The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-05


 bers 1S.5oOOCO bales, and in the same year this crop was grown the sales for fu-
 
 teachers in the school, lost her life in a vain effort to marshal he<pupils of her class and lead them to safety. She died In the crush at the door. Her room was on the second floor and when the fire alarm sounded she marched her pupils out into the hallway thinking it was only a fire drill. There the truth dawned upon both teacher and pupils, and con trol was lost. The children in their fren- Zy plunged into the struggling mass ahead of them. Miss Weller attempted to stem the rush but went down under it and her body was found an hour later, piled high with those of her pupils. Miss Weller formerly lived in Detroit and was educated in Toledo. Miss Fisk, another teacher, was taken out alive, but she can not live.
 Floors Crashed In.
 Burning through the cross supports of the first floors, the flames passed upward until all three floors crashed into a smoldering pile in the basement. Alter the fire had practically burned itself out the work of rescuing the bodies was be- gun by fremen and railroad employees from the Lake Shore shops. The railroad company turned over one of it's buildings nearby 10 be used as a temporary morgue and thither the charred and broken little bodies were removed as fast they could be dug from the ruins. Within five hours practically all had been recovered They were placed in rows in the Lake Shore shop. Identiications were made only by means O. clothing or trinkets The fire had swept away nearly all re- semblance to human features in the na- Jerity of instances. Distracted parents soon began to gather and the work Of Identification of the blackened and man gled bodies began.
 The grewsome task of taking out the blackened torsos and bits of human re- mains was one of horr0r A line of res cuers was formed, backed by half dozen ambuances. As the bodies were untangled from the debris they were passed along to the stretchers and thence l. aded in the ambulances. Mercifully covered with blankets the pitiful sights were yelled from the crowd of curious that stretched about the entrance to tho structure. AS fast a load was obtained it was driven away to the improvised morgue, to be succeeded by another with in short time.
 Human Channel House.
 lHt SlSDlS Ol lut Cllti hOl uOuSC caused the men delving into the mass of burned flesh to hesitate, but the work had to be done and done quickly, so their feelings had to be smothered for the time being as they tenderly handled all that was mortal of the little tots.
 At the temporary morgue in the Lake Shore shops the scenes became four-fold in the intensity of human suffering as fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters passed up and down the lines formed of 16O corpses To facilitate identification the bodies were numbered as they were re- ceived at the morgue. The first ldentfica- tion was made by the mother of Nell and Tommy Thompson, aged and years, respectively. The heads and arms had been burned from both, but the mother recognized the shoes on their feet. And so the disheartening work went on, ac- centuated now and then by piercing shriek or plaintive moan as loved one was recognized by clothing or token, such as ring or necklace.
 Mothers Vain Efforts.
 About the burned school house there are but few residences. In one of these Mrs. Clark Sprung lived. Her little boy, aged ', was pupil in the second grade. When the fire started the mother started over to the school house and arrived when the
 
 window on that floor she saw the face of her boy He recognized her and pleaded for help. Rushing across the street Mrs. Sprung secured a step ladder and placed it against the. window Climbing up she reached for her boy. She caught him by the hair. It burned off in her hands and the lad fell back into the flames.
 Desolation unspeakable hangs over the vicinity of the school and the whole vil- lo of rJ in special session at the temporary morgue late this afternoon to discuss the calamity, while the coroner prepared to hold an in- quest to determine the cause and place the responsibility for the fire.
 Doors Locked.
 Deputy State Fire Marshal Nathan Fiegenbaum made an inspection of the ruins after the fire and tonight de- clared positively that the doors of tine school house opened toward the inside and that the rear door was locked when the children reached 1t. He de- clared that his investigation had so far failed to establish the cause of the fire.
 Word was received in Cleveland to- night that Gov. Andrew L. Harris had ordered the state officers to make prompt and searching investigation into the cause of the fire. He also di- rected that the examination extend to public schools generally. The Col linwood council tonight began an in- vestigation. Several witnesses were examined but no important information was developed.
 Back Door Locked.
 The statement that the back door of the building was locked is made by Walter C. Kelley, the editor of the sporting de- partment of the Cleveland Leader, two of whose children were killed.
 As soon as the alarm was given Mrs. Kelley ran from her home, which is not far from the school house. to the burning building. The front portion of the struc ture was mass of flames and frenzied by the screams of the dying children which reached her from the death trap at the foot of the first flight of stars, and behind that closed doors, Mrs. Kelley ran