Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-05-30
iOleAoraous RESULTS FOLLOW
PARADE OF SCHOOL PUPILS IN
DIES MONIES
!, FOLK GAME FESTIVAL
HALTED BY TEMPERATURE
Automobilss and Patrol Wagons
Rusned to Drake Stadium to Caro-
Schools - Temporary Emergency
Hospital Provided.

Des Moines. May 31.-More than
fifty Des Moinee grade school children
were stricken by the heat as they
marched around the Drake Stadium
track yesterday afternoon in the open
ing number of the annual children 5
folk game festival
The event was INN edia ely called of
by 2. c. Thornburs. supervisors Of
grades. a call for physi clans was made
AID every availapl member Of the po-
lice force summoned. The unconscious
children were removed 10 temporary
hospital tent ard guards found II all
that they could DO 70 Keep from over
running the field the thousands OF
anxious mothers who had gathered 10
see their children in The open air
games that mark the closing OF the
! school year.
Yesterday was the hottest May day
in the history Of the local weather
bureau At o'clock, when the 5000
school children were passing in parade
before the 10000 cheering spec
tho temperature was IS degrees.
Hitch in Program.
Thare had neen & hitch II the ar
rangemen- for the event and the thou
sands of school children We're kept
waiting nearly two hours II the crowd
ed street cars in which they had been
conveyed to the Stadium.
The parade was delayed IN starting
by the school children who We're kept
in the street cars on switches IN East
Des Moines. The last section o. the
parade had started . Join The march
when It became evident that the guar
ter mile track march had proven too
much for the children. Schoo! co.ors
and standards, which had Haunted so
gaily at the head Of school companies.
waved less spiritedly. Feet Jagged and
there We're thousands OF appeals for
water. Buckets OF water were passed
among the schol children, but the cool
ing drink could not revive the hal.
Frustrated children. Then -he officials
began to learn of the number of heat
prostrations.
It took more than an hour TO clear
the field Of the school children, during
which time the mum Der Of victims OF
the heat steadily incr eased. Hundreds
of automobiles were sent TO the S-adi-
UNI by automobile firms and business
men in response to the frantic calls by
police They We're used in conveying
the children to their homes.
Crowd at Emergency Hospital.
At the emergency hospital tent the
scene was one of the most tragic ever
witnessed IN Des Moines. Frantic
fathers mothers and relatives fought
for position at the wire fence rha.
separated them from me tent IN which
lay half hundred unidentified school
children, among whom they expected
to find their loved ones. Many il their
desperation gained entrance 10 TIE en-
closed plot and pushed their way 70
the tent, only 10 be fo-cibly pushed
back by the police 10 give Better circu-
latton Of air for the suffering children.
The children were too exhausted to give
their names TO the small army Of doc
tors and nurses who worked over them
In their hysteria OF anxiety mothers
cried aloud the names Of their children
and begged that they might but give
one hurried look at the children 20
satisfy themselves that their children
were not among the number. Brothers
and sisters who had become separated
from each other sought their lost
among the sick
IN her sympathy for the frantic par
ents and relative. Miss Margaret Nc
Kee, supervisor of physical training for
the schools, who had charge Of the
festival, made her way among the re-
vivfng children and secured their names
and schools Almost exhausted from
excitement and heat, Miss Mckee read
the names Of the children 70 W G
Stevenson, who reported them By
~Aaphone RI rho anxious -hrnrg