New-York tribune., 1908-03-05
I65 CHILDREN DIE IN
SCHO0LH0USE FIRE.
DOORS OPENED INU 1RD
md SOME HERE LOCKED.
Bodies Piled in Masses in Hopeless
Struggle to Escape from
Flames
Flames.


inward. between 160 and 10 children in the sub
1,-b Of North Coliinvood were killed to-day 6y
dro. smoke ana beneath the heels Of thei- panic
stricken payrlates-
The tragedy occurred this morn =us in tho pub
lie school os North Coilinvood. ten miles east
OF this city. At 10 o'clock tonight 165 bodies
were in the morgue at Collinwo1d- SIX children
were still slnaccounted for and all tire hospitals
and houses for two miles around contained num-
bers Of children some fatally ana many less Sc
riousIy injured
All Of the victims were between She ages -
siy and fourteen years The school contained
between SO and 80 pupils. and Of this entire
number only about eighty known 20 have
left the building unhurt II viii be several days
before the actual number Of killed is known. as
the ruins may still contain other bodies and the
list of fatalities may be increased By n1mber
Of deaths among the children who arc now lying
in tho hospitals lowering between life and death
The schooIhouse was of brick. TWO stories and
an attic in height The number of pupils vas
more than normally large. and the smaller
children had been placed in TIE upper part OF
the building There was only one fire escape and
that was in the rear Of the building There Wers
two stafrwavs one leading a door in front
and tie other to 2 door in the rear B0th 'r
these doors opened inward and it is alleged the
rear door locked as we'll
HEROIsN OF TEACHERS
When the flames we're discovered the teach
ars who throughout seem 10 have acted with
courage and seIf-possession and to have strug-
c1ed heroicaIIy for the safety OF their pupils,
11arsbared the little ones into column for the
fire driIr which they had often practised
Unfortunately the line OF march in this eT-
ercfse had always led 70 the front door ana Il-7
children had not been trained 70 seek any other
exits. The fire to-day came from furnace sit
uated directly under this part Of the building
When the children reached the foot OF the
stairs they- found the flames close upon them
and so swift rush made for the door mat
in an instant a tightly packed mass Of children
was piled UP against it. From that second none
/ of those who upon any part OF the nrse
I flight Of stairs had a chance for their IVeS-
/ The children at the foot OF the stairs attempted
! 10 fight their way back the floor above while
those who were coming down showed them
rne-cflesslv back into the flames below. In an
instant there was frightfuI panic with two
hundred Of the pupils fghtinS for their lIVeS-
/ Most Of those VINO were killed died here The
greater part Of those who escaped managed 10
turn back and reach the fire escape and the
windows in the rear
/ What happened at the foot Of that first fight
of stairs will never be known. for all OF those
who were caught in the full fury of the panic
+ we're killed After the flames had died away
however. A huge heap of little bodies burned
BY the fire, and tramped into things OF horror
told the tale as we'll as anybody need TO Know H.
Various and unconfrmed statements are made
as to the cause Of the fire, and It II also re-
ported that the doors Of the building had been
locked al the front entrance while only one
door OF the rear entry unfastened- The
fauftor. Fritz Fferter himself bereaved OF three
children saws the doors we're open according TO
custom At any rate the congestion Of fleeing
children in the hallway below eflectually barred
the way and they went heIpessly t. their death
Within three hours after the start Of the ire
It had burned itself out. and the work OF re-
covering the bodies proceeded
Word was received tonight that Governor
Harris had ordered the state officers TO make
rro1,pr and searching Investigation into the
cause If the fire. He also directed that the eN-
animation extend to public schools generally
The ColIinvood Council began an investigation
tonight
THE JANITOR.S STATEMENT
Eerter. the janitor. could remember little %
what happened after the fire started Z vas
sweeping in the basement" h said when
looked Up and saw Wisp Of smoke curling out
from beneath the front stairway. / ran 10 the
IRE alarm and pulled the gong that sounded
throughout the building. Then 1 ran first . the
front and then 70 the rear doors cant re-
member what happened next. except that saw
the flames shooting all about and The little
children running down through them, scream
ins Some fell at the rear entrance and others
stumbled over them. I saw my little Helen
among them tried to pull her out bur the
flames drove me back I had To leave my little
child TO de" Rerter was badly burned ABOUT
the head
Miss Catherine Weller. one Of the nine teach
ers il the school, lost her life IN vain effort 10
marshal the pupils Of her class and lead them %
safety She died in the crush "a, the rear door
Her room was on the second floor. and when the
fire alarm sounded she marched her pupils out
into the hall thinking il only fire drill
There the truth dawred upon botn teacher and
pupils and control was lost The children n
their frenzy plunged into the struggling mass
ahead Of them Miss Weller attempted 10 stem
the rush hut went down under lt. and her body
was found an hour later piled hiSh with those
of her pupils Miss Weller formerly lived n
Detroit and was educated in Toledo Miss
Fisk another teacher. was taken out mortaiIy
injured
Burning through the cross supports of The
first floor the flames passed upward until al
three floors crashed into snoIdering pile iuto
the basement After the dre had practically
burned itself out the work of rescuinE the
i bodies was begun by frenen and railroad en-
+ ployes from the Lake Shore shops The rail-
( road company turned over one Of is Buildings
! ny q, no ,1Se.i a rer1pf3-sry r7o~s.zs and