The Detroit times., 1909-06-02
SCHOOL IN FLAMES;
CHILDREN SAFE
Blaze in st. Casimir's Causes Near.
Panic in Observation-Disclosures
tive Wiring Blamed.

Fire which broke out in st. CAST
mfrs school on Twenty-third-st., just
south OF Myrtle-st.. at 9:25 Tuesday
morning, created almost panic among
the residents of that neighborhood,
who feared for the safety of their
children. The little ones were much
cooler, and the teacher had some diff.
hculty at first in getting the older
boys out into the yards and street,
the children seeing no reason for leav-
ing the building.
No permanent damage was done
the building. although It will cost
about $500 TO repair the walls and cell
ing, which had to be torn down in
some places to get at the fire. and TO
redecorate the rooms which were
drenched with water.
The fire is believed to have been
caused by defective electric wiring. AT
first there was a rumor that the fire
might be due To an incendiary, but
this theory was dropped after some
investigation by FIR. Gutowsh and
others. A boy who had been in the
seheeE late the previous night was
suspected, but he told straightfor-
ward story and the fact that IA blaze
would hardly have smoldered so long
! before bursting into flame was also
taken into account In dismissing this
| rumor.
Il am sure that the fire was not
started by anyone stated Sister Ray
munda, sister superior OF the Fehclans.
who are In charge of the teaching. 1T
was due to the wires"
There are 795 Children in the school,
but it fortunately happened that the
| fire occurred at the recess time, when
most of them had been sent out OF
their rooms. The blaze was noticed
under stairway leading up from the
second story to the attic at the front
of the building.
Sister Rose, who has the baby
room of girls. was the first TO observe
il as she led her charges into the
hall on their way downstairs. she
smelled the fumes of burning wood
and flames coming through hole Ia
the woodwork The little girls wav-
cred, but Sister Rose quieted them,
and saw them started down the stair
safely. Their clatter as they fastened
aroused the attention of Sister Ray
munda, who was in the hall, and the
latter Immediately made her way to
| the other rooms and hurried the pu-
pills out.
| There was no panic. for the children
had been used to fire drills, and they
| filed out of the numerous exits and
down the fire escapes without great
crowding. Some of the little ones
were jostled as they marched out, but
none was injured. The janitor had
seen a wlsp of smoke coming from one
Of the upper windows and fastened in
side to help in getting the children
out.
Most OF the children did not see the
fire at all until they were outside and
large number did not even know
that there was fire.
Il told the boys in my room to take
| their books and go out. but some OF
them objected because they could see
| no danger" said one of the sisters
who teaches in downstairs room.
TIE clang of the fire engines brought
everyone in the neighborhood out
however and there was soon wild ex-
element in the crowds about the
school. Mothers ran here and there
looking for their children, distracted
at the thought of danger to them. 1t
was hard for the drivers of the later
fire engines to get through the crowds
without injuring someone in the
crowded street.
When the flremen got up to the sec.
ond story they found that the fire had
eaten along In the walls and above
the plaster OF the ceilings in two
rooms. II was necessary, therefore, to
tear out this work To get water on the
| flames. The fire was a stubborn one
on account of the location, and the
amount of water required to put IL
out drenched the walls and floors OF
F, the whole school. Even after the fire
was out the children remained about
the school in hundreds.
( 1t is possible that the fire may have
been caused by spontaneous combus.
tion among some rags and paints stor-
ed under a stairway.
The school is an old one, with wood
en- inner walls and partitions, and the
consequences might have been very
/ serious had a fire started In the lower