The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-07
Hardly a Dry Eye in Collin.
wood as Victims of Holo-
caust Are Borne Away.
LITTLE CORPSESSILENCE
MUIRMUR AT JANIT0R
Muttering Crowd Gathers About
Hirter's Home, but When the
Bodies Of His Dead Are
Borne Out, Throng
Opens the
Way.

- LEVELAND, o., March 6.-Col-
linwood to-day came to a full
realization of her woe. Slowly
~ and solemniy the professions
of death began to wend their
way toward the cemeteries, bearing the
battered and charred remains of some
of the 167 children whose lives were
snuffed out In Wednesday mornings
in the Lake View school
From o'clock In the morning until
dusk there was no cessation in the
funeral corteges. Those who had nc
dead to mourn as personal loss stood
in the streets with barred heads as the
grim professions passed.
Little Corpses Silence MurInurs.
There was scarcely a dry eye In
Collinwood. One OF the sad funerals
was that of the three children of Jani-
tor Hirter. held Jointly with the SER
vices for three other little ones. Mutt
terinss against the janitor could be
heard about the village. as grIef-crazed
parents sought an object upon which
to wreak vengeance, forgetting as they
did that Hirter himself was walking
with bowed head and broken heart be.
hind the biers of three of his beloved.
A detail of police was placed about
the Hirter home when the hour for the
funeral came. Fully 500 persons had
gathered. but when the collins were
carried to the doorway the crowd
spread and opened the way for them
without protest or expression of hos.
tility.
Altogether there were fifty burials
to-day. and tomorrow the gruesome
task will be repeated. Sunday Will
witness the last of the Individual bur-
ials, and on Monday the remains of ali
hn nj Aar ,,,;lt =, a
to rest with one funeral. Tonight
there are twenty-elght of these bundles
of flesh that await claimants.
Mad Rush to Death.
Testimony describing the mad rush
to death of the school children was
given .o-day at the session of the
coroner's inquest. Stories OF heroisn,
on the part OF the women teachers
Were recited. T. p. Whitney. super
intendent of the Collinwood schools,
stated his belief to be that no fire de-
partment could have done any effective
work after the fire had started. Two
of the teachers told of their unavailing
attempts to open one of the double
doors at the rear, which they said
was locked. The inquest also devel-
oped the fact that after the wild
rush for the door 1t was beyond human
possibility to aid or save those whom
the tongues OF fire We're deyourIng in
the charnel house. The inquest will be
resumed Monday.
In statement to-day. Chief Wal
lace. Of the Cleveland Fire Department,
after an examination of the ruins Of
the Collinwood school. said 1t was his
opinion that the loss of life would not
have been SO great had there been no
partitions at the sides of the storm
doors at the rear entrance Two feet
eight inches had been taken off either
side OF the hall for the partitions
His examination developed that the
doors opened outward. Chief Wallace
doubtless will be witness before the
coroner.
Cleveland Takes Warming.
Drastic steps were taken to-day by
the Cleveland School Board to place all
the Cleveland educational buildings In
condition that will preclude any loss
of life from fires. Easements will be
tireproofed and special fire escapes in
closed in towers installed. Inner doors
in vestibules also will be removed
With the appropriation OF $4,000
to-day by the Ohio Legislature and the
funds subscribed locally. there will be
plenty OF financial relief for the strick-
en- families.