Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1908-03-06
Three Girls Running from
Basement Notified
the Janitor.
VIEWS OF A SCHOOL OFFICIAL
Positive in His Assertion That
the Holocaust Was Of In
cendiary Origin.
Death List Is Now Placed at 175-
Many Bodies So Badly Dis
figured That Identification
Is impossible.

Cleveland, o., March 6.-Did three
girls start the fire in the basement cf
the public school in North CoIlinwOOd
that cost the lives Of 175 children? 1t
was at first supposed that the fire
came from an Overhcated furnace or
an exploded boiler in the basement Of
the schooIhOuse.
1t has been established that there
was no explosion, and the jantor Of
the school, Fred IIcr!er. three of
whose children died within arms
length of their father, declares that
II could not have come from the fur
mace. 1t was comparatively warm
and Herter declares that he main
tanned the fires at Il lower heat than
usual during the morning
Girls Told Him of Fire.
Fearing he had not sufficiently
warmed the building he was, accord.
Ing to his story, on his way to open
the furnace drafts and increase tho
heat when he was met by three little
girls running from the basement, who
told him there was a fire below. These
three girls are now being sought by
the police and by the fire commission
ers. 1t is considered possible by GER
tain members of the COlinwOOd school
board that through careIessness they
may have started the blaze that cost
the lives of 50 many children.
J.. X, Gardner, a member of the
school board, is positive in his asser-
tion that the fire was Of incendiary
origin. IN that portion of the build
ing where it was discovered there
were no electric wires, there were no
waste or rags, there was no direct
means of creating heat. 1t is, there
fore, believed by Mr.. Gardner and by
others that the three little girls may,
If they are ever found, throw some
light on the cause of the awful
tragedy.
Identity fOS of the Dead.
OF the 165 bodies recovered 10S
have been positively identified, and
ffty-seven still are unknown. The
bodies are so blackened by fire and
smoke or so battered and bruised by
being trampled on that there is little
chance of their being identified. 1t is
only by some small article of wearing
apparel that it may be possible to
identify the owners. Several children
are still missing and their bodies may
be in the ruins. 1t may be several
days before the exact number of dead
is known.
There were in the building at the
time the fire was discovered between
$40 and 325 pupils. They were under
the control of nine teachers. Two of
the teachers are among the dead that
lie in the temporary morgue in the
warehouse of the Lake Shore and
Michigan Southern railroad at Collin
wood.
List of Known Dead.
Following Is a list of the known
dead, all being children between six
and fifteen years of age, except two
teachers, Miss Weller and Miss Fiske:
Henry Kujat Willie Welsbarth
Edward KohIten Bernice Schubert
Walter Kelley - Meyers
Richard Kelley Two Buschman girls
Fannie Kapudzya Thos. Thompson
Herbert Leonard -- RoSt0ck
Louise Leonard Woodmcyer girls (2)
Elma Merrinech Hugh McIlrath
Otto Markoshott Harold Sandersou
Elsie MarkOShott Mary Ridgeway
Catherine Niesseck Irene Davis
Gladys Miller Mabel Sigler
Russell Newsbury Lucy Zingelmann
Paul Newbaker Harry Zingelmann
Frank Parah Katherine Weller
John Ponask - Kelly
John Potisky Werner Herter
Norman Quirk Martha Herter
Louis Quirk Helen Herter
Jennie Phillips Walter Herter
Daniel Rush Gertrude Davis
Fern Robinson Anna Roth
Harry Reeves Angeline Zupan
Mary Sapar Edward Myert
Mildred Schmitt Frank Widmar
Norman Sheppard John Widmar
Madge Skelly Lillian Rostock
Harry Skeily Emil Rostock
Gilbert Skelly - Schaefer
Glenn SaDderSon Floy Brown
Morris Shepard Luella Baldwin
aIDS1t sprung Aneua BURROWS
Tony Sampson Norman Bell
Mary Sampson Claud Clayton
Edwin Schwan Lester Ceptner
George Schafer Nellie Carlson
Ella Stuart Media Depner
Fred swanson Percy Day
Edwin Swanson Matilda Dresha
Edward Scholl Arnold Depner
Julius Scholl Albert Eichelberger
Clara Wendorf Lena Efferly
Eva WachGuS Grace Fiske
Mary Wacnaus Ray Gould
Henry Weichart Emma Gervic
Annie Woouman Ruth Gordon
Robert Wicket Cath. Classmere
Emma 1ankel Mary Grushuge
Louis Zimmerman Edna Heckler
A rigid investigation is promised