The Detroit times., 1909-06-01

Blaze in St. Casizaiz ) e.
Panic in Nsishhou1
Scarcely : 1iDDls =
building. N
Wild Story Of Inoendiazisn
ploded, Defective wiring !
Held Responsible.

Fire which broke out - c.
mfrs school on Twenty-thlt1 ~
south Of Myrtle-st., q e:18 IT.
morning. created almost Z panic "a
the residents Of that uo1Ehbor
who feared for the safety
children. The little onao wrro
cooler, and the teacher Had oCnc
ficulty at first In getting ~
boys out into the yards and RI
the children seeing no reason 1br
ing the building.
No permanent damago wao
the building, although e VIII
about $500 to repair the walls omG
Ing, which had to be torn 9ov
some places to get at the IRA e.
redecorate the rooms whioh
drenched with water. M;
The fire is believed "a hnXG
caused by defective electric With
first there was rumor that ~
might be due to an iEOoudiotI
this theory was dropped aftef
investigation by FIR. 0utoW0kt
others. A boy who had beon -
school late the previous might
suspected, but he told . stIafGhl(
ward story and the fact that = tl&
would hardly have smoldered @ RI
before bursting into flame Wa r.
taken into account In dismissing q
rumor. b
II am sure that the fire wa
started by anyone stated Sitter -
munda, sister superior Of the FetleI0
who are In charge Of the teaching
was due to the wires"
There are 795 children In the eenQ1
but it fortunately happened thnf
fire occurred at the recess time. 49,
most of them had been sent ou1
their rooms. The blaze was n0<1C/
under a stairway leading up from 4.
second story to the attic at the frcl
of the building.
Sister Rose, who has the 'sbon1
room OF girls. was the first to 0buG<
II as she led her charges into
hall on their way doWnGk&1xC>
sme11ed the fumes Of burning
and flames coming through 3 hoJo
the woodwork. The little girls V
cred, but Sister Rose Quieted the
and saw them started down thu m1I
safely. Their CHATTER AZ they hastQn
aroused the attention Of Sister ~
munda, who was in the hall. and G.
latter Immediately made her w1Y5
the other rooms and hurried the
pills out.
There was no panic, for the chill
had been used to fire drills. and
filed out OF the numerous exits
down the fire escapes without Gt0
crowding Some Of the little O.
were jostled as they marched out, L.
none was injured. The janitoy ~
seen a wisp of smoke coming from @
OF the upper windows and hastenod 4
side to help in getting the childro
out
Most of the children did not - q
fire at all until they were outSid9 q
large number did not even lmC
that there was a IRE.
Il told the boys In my room 70 tnN
their books and 60 Cuts but o0uze
them objected because they could -
no danger" said one- or the aioer
who teaches In a downstairD room.
TIE clang of the fire engines brol
everyone In the neighborhood c.
however, and there was soon Wild =
Cltomcut III tuo CfOWOo 0wXUSt ~
school. Mothers ran here 6n6rtnol
looking for their children, digtfocco
at the thought of danger to then
was hard for the drivers Of the -
fire engines to get through the cnou
without injuring someone In
crowded street. IN
When the firemen got up to the e.
ond story they found that the IRE IL
eaten along in the walls and abQ|
the plaster of the ceilings IN q
rooms. II was necessary. therefore,
tear out this work to get water on q
flames. The fire was q stubborn G.
on account OF the location. and q
amount of water required to put
out drenched the walls and floors
the whole school Even after the {
was out the children remained a.
the school In hundreds. "a,
1t Is possible that the IRE may he1
been caused by spontaneous combiz
ton among some rags and paints ito
ed under a stairway.
The school Is an old one. with WOO
en- inner walls and partitions. and q
consequences might have been ve1
serious had fire started in the low
| portion.