Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-11
FOR SCHOOL SAFETY
TAKEN IN A NUM-
Der OF CITIES.

l.
lations of the Chicago fire ordinances
the two upper floors of the St Agnes
were closed summarily yesterday by order
of Acting Building Commissioner Knight
Three other buildings out of the fifty or
more Inspected during the day were de-
clared by members of the fire department
to be in condition which menaced the
safety of their occupants. Two of these
were public schools which have been re-
ported as safe by school officials.
Locked doors. which had to be pried
open with chisels, barred windows and in
adequate exits were among the conditions
FOUND by the investigators. EXCEPT in the
case of the st. Agnes school, however
the persons responsible in each case es-
capped with nothing more serious than a
warning.
Danger in London Schools.
LONDON, March 1.-THE recent dis
aster in the Cleveland public school was
mentioned before the meeting of the Lon
don county council yesterday afternoon
by Walter Reynolds.
He declared that within the last three
days he had visited many of the county
council schools in London and found con-
unions similar to those that contributed
TO the heavy death roll at Cleveland
lie mad seen many school buildings the
doors Of which opened inward. The COM
mlttee on education promised to conduct
an investigation.
Action in Rochester.
ROCHESTER. n. Y. March l1.-Mayor
Edgerton, after a conference with the
president of the board of education, SUPER
intendent of city schools and the COM
missioner of public safety, has ordered
that all of the third stories of the Roches-
ter public schools be abandoned so far as
the reception of pupils is concerned This
affects five school buildings Changes
were also made in heating apparatus of
many schools and all inside opening
doors are to be changed to open toward
the outside. Fire drills twice week
hereafter have been ordered.
Blame for School Fire.
CLEVELAND, March 1.-After thor
ough investigation of the Collinwood
school disaster. Coroner Burke said YES
terday that the loss of the lives of the
little children was wholly inexcusable.
The poor little children were caught in
a verltable trap and held and crushed un-
til burned to DEATH he said. Some one
is responsible f1r this and should be held.
| am not prepared yet to say upon whom
the blame should be placed 1t Is a mat
ter so serious that must take full time
to consider.
fire by being placed too close to the wood
en- JoiSts. There is no doubt in nv mind
that the overheated pipes caused the fire
But the children should have escaped and
would have done so had it not been for
the partition built in the hall at the foot
of the stairway. This is what caused
their DEATH
The coroner said that the building was
also deficient in the lack of automatic de-
vices for opening of doors. Coroner Burke
will render his verdict probably early in
the coming week
Another body was recovered from the
ruins yesterday, making the total 166
Dynamite Exploded.
CHEYENNE, Wyo., March ia car
load of dynamite exploded at Buford,
twenty-eight miles west of here, last night
The dynamite had been stored in abandon
ed barracks to be used in the gravel
pits of the Union Pacific railroad The
building caught fire and caused the dy-
Mantle to explode fifteen minutes later
The terrific explosion shook the earth for
miles around. No one was hurt. Tele-
graph poles and wires were torn down
and communication west was practically
suspended for time.
Almshouse Inmates Burned.
SAN FRANCISCO. March 11.-Three
persons lost their lives when one of the
buildings of the county almshouse burned
yesterday.
All the others of the III persons in the
building, chiefly patients. recently re-
moved from the City and County Hospital.
were removed to safety
The fire broke out on the second floor.
and is supposed to have been caused by
a defective fiue. 1t quickly spread to
the roof. and the whole building was
soon in flames.
Nurses and attendants formed brieades
and carried most of the old people from
the building. as many Of them on ac-
count of their extreme age and their
minds being dull, refused to leave their
rooms.
Chicago Fire Loss.
CHICAGO. March u.-Fire following an
explosion in a building at 1873 5th avenue
last night threatened neighboring build
ings and tied up street cars for two
hours. 1t was in six-story structure
occupied by the William Sumner Smith
Shoe Company and others. It started
from an explosion In the wareroom of the
Giazer Hoffman Company on the third
floor and resulted in the injury of several
firemen from showers of falling glass and
pieces of stone coping from the roof
The loss to building and contents is