Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-03-05
CHlLDREN'S LIVES WERE CRUSHED OUT
When School Children Who Had Started TO 90 Out in Orderly
Manner Under The Direction of Teachers, Saw Flames
They Became Panic Stricken and Made Mad Rush
for fhe DooFs-Teaeher Lost Her Life
While Trying TO Save Children.

killed inside the building. three liti.a
girls. Mary Ridgcway. Anna Roth an.
Gertrude Davis, were instantly killed
By lcapinG from the attic to ;ho
ground.
Miss Ethel Rose, teacher on the
first floor of the building. whose pa
pills were the Youngest in the school.
managed 10 get all but three of her
charge from the building in safety
Two OF the smaller ones she carried
in her arms.
Miss Anna Morgan. the principal oc
tho school and two of the teachers,
Miss Collar and Miss Rowlcy escaped
by ono of the windows In the rear.
They remained with the panic strick.
On children until they could do no
more for them and then sought their
own aafety.
Miss Laura Dodny, the only teacher
on the third floor. formed her pupils
In line and marched them down to the
second floor, where finding the flames
rushing up the stairway. she turned
them around and hurried them back
again TO the third floor. She here
broke window with chair and get
ting onto the platform of the fire cs-
cape slipped out her pupils. one by
one and sent them down. Four or
five children. who broke from the line
she had formed and ran down tho
stairway. were killed
This Little Girl Heroine.
One OF the heroincs of the catastro-
phe was little Marie Wilman. She
ran through the smoke filled halls
and graspcd her little brother whom
she managed to drag from the room
and take out through n window. both
of them being nearly strmglcd with
smoke.
A Teachers Narrowing Experience.
Miss Iciiar saiu. at was awful. 1
can see the wee tots in my room hold
Ing out their tiny arms and crying
to mo to help them. Their voices are
ringing in my ears yet. and / shall
never forget them. When the alarm
gong rang l started the pupils TO
marching from the building. When
we started down the front stairs we
were met H. solid wall of fame and
clouds of dense smoke. We retreat :
ed. and when VIC turned the children
became panic stricken andI could not
do anything with them. They became
damned In The narrow stairway. and
knew that the only thing for me TO
do was to got around to the rear door
of possible and help those who were
near the entrance. When got there
after climbing out OF window. /,
fonnd the children so crowded in the
narrow pasSa seway that could not
pull even one of them out. Those
behind pushed forward and Is stood
there the little ones piled upon one
another. Those who could, stretched
out their arms to me. and cried for
me 10 help them. tried with all my
might to pull them o. and staycn
there until the namcs drove me
away
At midnight there were 165 bodies
IN The moreuc oil which =. had been
Identified and 81 were still unknown
II is possible that other bodies may
be found in the ruins as at leas:
thirteen children are still missing AMI
have not been heard from since the
fire.
viii BE Thoroughly Investigated.
Word was received in Cleveland to-
night that Cove rnor Andrew j. Harris
has ordered the state officers TO make
prompt and searching investigation
into The cause of Tho ColinwooJ fire.
He also directed that the examination
extend 10 public schools generally.
The Colliuwood council tonight begau
investigations Several witncygcs
were examined bnt no important in
formation was developed.
Turning through tho cross supports
of the first floor the Games passed
upward until all three doors crashed
into a fmoldcring pile into the base
meut
After The fir. had practically burn
ed itself out, tho work OF rescuing The
lodie3 WAS bcepp by fircmen, and rail.
road employees from The Lake Shore
shops.
The railroad company turned over
one OF ~ buildings nearby to be used
rs temporary morgue. and thcrc the
charred and broken little bodies wore