Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-03-04

Cleveland, O., March 4.-Iu the (
most terrible holocaust in the history
of this section of the country nearly
200 school children lost their lives
today in a fire which destroyed the
three-story brick Lake View school
house in Collinwood just outside the
city limits At O'Clock this after
noon LAG bodies had been recovered
and it is believed the loss of life will
exceed zoo
The fire started in the basement
from an overheated furnace and al
though the flames did not spread rap
idly the smoke which quickly filled
the building caused a panic among
the 400 pupils in the school, and
scores were trampled under foot and
left TO die In the biazing structure,
The fire broke out shortly after
the children had been assembled for
the morning session. The janitor Is
said to have built big fire in one of
the furnaces which heat the building,
and then presumably went away and
left it. The furnace set fire to wood
work in the basement and thick
clouds of smoke rolled through the
building,
Children Panic Stricken
The smoke terrified the children
and although the teachers in several
rooms attempted to quiet them and
conduct them from the building, they
became panic stricken and rushed for
the exits Three of the four exits
quickly became clogged with human
bodies, and but one was available for
the escape of the 400 children. Find
ing that they could not escape by way
of the doors the children turned 70
the windows and scores jumped from
the second story to the ground. Those
on the ground floor could not all
escape by way of the windows, when
were also clogged with frantic pupils
scrambling to escape the thick smoke
and flames which began to appear
within a few minutes.
Hurled to Basement
Within a few minutes the floors
fell, preciptating dozens of children
to the basement, which by this time
was fiercely blazing. They were
roasted alive as they fell, and their
screams of terror as they died added
TO the cries of those trampled in the
halls while trying to escape, made
frantic the parents who were com
PEELED to stand and listen, unable TO
give assistance 10 their burning Off
spring.
Although the building was of brick
this did not seem to retard the flames
and within a half hour the building
was "a mass of ruins.
The scene was heartrending. Fran
tic parents crowded about the burn
ing building, searching for their boys
and girls. Many Of the children who
escaped from the building We're tram
pied and bruised, and as fast as pos
slble they were given medical atten-
tion.
Twenty Bodies Recovered
Several nearby factories were dis
missed and the men employed in
them hurried to the burning school
house to assist in the rescue. No one
was able to enter the building and a
score or more of children who were
trampled in the halls were left to
die i'm the flames. As soon as the
Flames died down the work Of taking
out bodies began and within few
minutes twenty forms were taken
from the ruins. 4 dozen or more
living i'm the basement could be seen
most of them horribly burned, but
an account Of the heat II was impoS-
sible to take them out.
\ Door Mas Locked
Walter G. Keuick, a newspaper man
who had two children i'm the bulld-
ing. was the first to reach the scene
He stated that one of the two rear
doors was locked and that it was I'M
possible for the children to escape
The front doorway was Jammed IN
minute, and then the children began
jumping from the windows, while oth-
ers. afraid to jump, stood until the
floors gave way, burying them in the
roaring flames.
OF those who jumped from th'
windows several we're killed and oth'