Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1908-03-12
100 CH|l9 REN
LOSE LIVES IN
FIRE IN OHIO
Mad Rush for Safety Chokes
Exit; Many Trampled to
Death.
PERISH IN AWFUL AGONY
Floor Falls, Throwing Helpless Little
Ones Among Burning Embers in
Basement-Factory Men in
Heroic Rescue Work.
PERISH IN AWFUL AGONY

Cleveland. Ohio. March Gin
A fire which completely destroyed
the common school building in
Collinwood, a suburb, this morn
ing, more than $50 children lost
sheir lives.
At 2:2O o'clock 146 bodies had
been taken out of the ruins. 1t is
now believed the loss of life will
reach if not exceed $50.
At 9 o'clock 12l bodies had been
recovered. The missing then
numbered So.
The blaze was started by an
oyerheated furnace. The flames
spread quickly. A panic ensued
when the building filled with
smoke and over 400 children at
tempted to escape. There were
but two available exits in the
building. One of these was used
freely by the children, but the
other soon became chokcd with
the children, who nladly dashed
Tor the open air.
Those who fell in the doorway
were trampled upon by those be-
hind. Soon the doorway became
impossible. Panic stricken the
children turned to escape by the
windows, or any other means that
could he found. Their escape was
cut off by flames, which by this
time had spread throughout the
rOOmS.
Heartrending Scene.
The building was OF brick, yet
this did not retard the progress of
the flames. In IA few minutes the
lower floor fell, precipitating
scores of children into the base
ment among burning embers. The
scene about the building was
heartrending.
Quickly the news of the terri
Bile disaster spread throughout the
village, hundreds OF parents
crowding about the building in
search of their girls and boys.
In a few minutes 20 bodies We're
taken from the ruins. The with
ing forms of dozens of others
could be plainly e in the base
ment. Nearby factories dismissed
men and instructed them to as
sist in the rescue. They braved
the fire and made heroic efforts to
save those not dead.
Of the nine teachers of the
school, seven are accounted for.
Principal Frank +. Whitney es-
timated the number of dead from
IS to $50. The pupils were mostly
very young children, ranging from
8 to IL years.
Scores to Hospital.
At 1880 % bodies hadbeen recovered
from the ruins and taken to the shops
of the Lake Shore railway, where the
company's physicians are attending the
injured.
Practically every ambulance in the
eastern part Of Cleveland was called, as
well as every available physician.
Many children rescued are believed to
be fatally injured. Scores of children
have been taken to city hospitals.
Three Girls Jump; Killed.
Three little girls met instant death in
attempting to jump to safety from the
third door of the burning building.
They were Mary Ridgeway, Anna
Roth md Gertrude Davis.
A mar named Dorm. who arrived
upon the scene early and mt the time
the children were crowded in front of
the door discovered his little girl among
the mass of injured and crushed.
He caught her by the hands and in
frantic efforts to a v her pulled her
arms from her body.
Door Loses Many Lives.
-Four children of the janitor of the
building lost their i've together in
h fire.
The greatest loss of life was caused
by one exit being closed, to which
pe cores of children rushed. Their
vas blocked by a door that
award. In this manner they
4yed in reaching the outer
4 windows.
said that as a result of this
sta 4,ede alone. scores of children lost
their lives.
To the Rescue.
The panic, that had worked such
fearful results inside the building.
spread to the helpless crowd outside,
Inf On1V FIR n hp5of time. OrOanizod