The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-03-09
FEARFUL WORK OF FLAMES.

AOE 4I19W&u 6UEWSU 10 WG8tW 4Ga
a School T Ouse In OhfO-PInn-
ed I'm Narrow Hallvays-~Bodi-
les Charred and BHackened Be-
yOna Recognition.
c eVeland, Ohio, Dispatch. 4th.
Penned in narrow Railways,
jammed up against doors that
only opened inward, between 16O
and ITO children in the suburb of
North Collinwood to-day were
killed by fire. by smoke and be-
meath the grinding heels of their
panic-stricken play mates.
The awful tragedy occurred
this morning in the public school
of North Collinwood, 10 miles
east of this city. At 10 o'clock
tonight 16S corPses were in the
morgue at Collinwood, six childen
were still uncounted for and all
the houses for two miles around
contained aus bers Of children,
some fatally and many less Sc
riously injured.
All the victims we're between
the ages Of 6 and Is years. The
school contained between $40 and
325 pupils, and of this entire
mum Der only about eighty are
known to have left the build
ing unhurt. 1t will be several
days before the exact number
of killed 10 known as the ruiRs
may still contain other bodies,
and the list of fatalities may be
increased by . number of deaths
among the children who are now
lying in the hospitals lowering
between life.an death.
ONLY ONE FIRE ESCAPE.
The schoolhouse was Of brick
two stories and an attic in height
The nuAesr of pupils was NOR
than normally large, and tn
smaller children had been place.
in the upper part of the building
There was but one fire escape an,
that was ia the rear Of the build
ling. There we're two stairWays
one leading TO a door ia front, an
the other to a door in the real
Both of these doors opened iH
ward, and it is claimed the rea
door was locked as well.
When the flames were discoV
cred the teachers, who through
;out seem to have acted wit
courage and elf-possession an
to have struggled heroieally 70
the safety of their pupils, mar
shalled the little ones into columl
ere dFill," which they bad OF
ten practiced.
! Fortunately the line Of marc
ia this exercise had always le'
TO the front door and the chi
drsn had not been trained t
seek any other exit. The fir
to-day came from a furnace stu
ated directly under this part {
the building. When the Chi
dran reached the foot of th
stairs they found the fame
I close npoa them. and SO swift
! rush was made for the door th'
in an instant . tightly packe
mass of children was piled I
: against 1t. From that secor
none Of those who were upon ar
porti0n of the first flight of stat
had a chance for their lives. TT
Il children at the foot of the stai
. attempted to fght their vi
back to the floor above, VIA
i these who were coming dov
' showed them mercilessly ba
~ into the flames below. In an
q slant there was a frightful PAL
q with two hundred of the pup
y lighting for their lives. Most
l these who were killed died he
. The greater part of those "
escaped managed to turn ba
IL and reached the ere escape a
80 the windows in the rear.
"a
s Later reports give the numt
d. burned as 1854. The fire v
Vi caused by an over-heated f
pa mace.
" At the meeting Of the Nebr
ka State Democratic State C
- vention at Omaha Thursday ev'
" mention of thename or princiE
- Of v ilIiam Jennings Bryan '
CO greeted with applause, and
ne proceedings were filed wit
, spirit Of loyalty to Bryan t
he left 40 doubt as to. the attitI