Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-28
SCHOOL BUILDING
SWEPTBYFLAMES;
CHILDREN PERISH
Twenty Pupils of Parochial
School in Peabody, Mass,
Meet Death.
MANY OTHERS INJURED
IN FLIGHT TO THE EXITS
Cry of Fear From the Throng Starts
Panic and Destroys
Discipline.
TEACHERS MAKE THEIR ESCAPE
Frantic Parents Surround the Burn
ing Structure and Make Vain At
tempts at Rescue-Police
Searching for Bodies.


twenty pupils of St. John S
Parochial School lost their lives
in fire that started in the base
ment a few minutes after the
morning session had opened to-
day and that swept through the
three stories of the brick and
wooden school building in less
than five minutes.
Nineteen of the boys and girls,
none of whom was out of their
teens, were crushed or burned to
death while attempting to escape.
A score of others were injured,
some dangerously. Of the latter
one, Mildred Mead, aged sixteen,
died after having been removed to
a hospital.
The bodies of the dead were
frightfully burned, and of the nine
teen at the morgue only two,
Elizabeth Nolan, aged seventeen
years, and Mary Sullivan, six
teen, both members of the senior
class, had been identified this after
noon. Other bodies were believed
to be in the ruins, and it was
thought that twenty-five had
been killed or fatally injured.
The students, who ranged In years
from seven to thirteen, were in charge
of sixteen sisters When the fire broke
out the sisters marshaled their charges
as for a fire drill. and started them
from the building. The professions
were orderly until those from the third
floor joined others pouring from the
classroom on the second floor.
Children Panic-Stricken.
Suddenly there was cry of fear from
one of the throng. 1t was taken up by
hundred others and panic ensued.
The sisters made frantic efforts to
stop the pushing, struggling mass. but
to no purpose. The smaller children
fell under the feet of those behind
them and soon the vestibule was 80
jammed with living and dead that the
The sixteen sisters escaped.
The flames, it Is supposed, started in
the basement and, according to some,
were caused by the explosion of a
was heated. There Is doubt. however.
as to the exact origin of the fire.
large percentage of the pupils were
children of foreign parentage- In the
number were many of Irish and Italian
descent The f1remen fought the fire
from ladders raised to the windows.
while the police cleared the vestibule.
The bodies of the dead generally were
burned beyond recognition.
Mary Leeds and Marion Hayes were
found in the crush badly burned but
alive, and were removed to a hospital.
Located on Chestnut Street.
st. Johns Parochial School stands on
Chestnut street near St. Johns Catholic
Murphy. the pastor. Opposite is St
Johns Convent
The first alarm brought hundred dis
tracted mothers to the school yard. where
soon they were Joined by other relatives
of the pupils. until the building was sur
rounded by a great crowd Of hysterscal
men and women who rushed the police
lines in a wild effort to reach their chill
dren. The police were powerless to stop
accomplished presently by the flames
which, shooting from the windows of the
building. held back the unhappy throng.
The school building was erected a
few years ago at a cost of about $780,
900. 1t was square shaped with wood
fittings lining the interior OF the brick
frame There were sixteen class rooms
on the three floors. At each end Of the
building wooden stairways led down
from the two upper floors
The head of the school is Mother Su-
perior Sister Aldegon. who was as
sisted by fifteen sisters. The mother
superior detected the odor OF smoke
few minutes after the school chill
ed an alarm which started the chill
dren to the street.
Pupils Rush to Wrong Exit.
According to the version of the sis
ters, the pupils were marching out in
an orderly manner until the leaders
who had reached the ground floor made
bule at the front exit instead Of going
out at the rear door as they had been
trained to do. This caused confusion
among those who followed, and con-
gestion in the vestibule.
Meantime the flames had reached the
statrways and caught the struggling
children. Within five minutes flames
were shooting from all the windows
and exits. The local flremen. unable
to control the blaze. summoned aid
from Salem. Danvers and Marblehead
but this came too late.
Police and firemen bent their energies
chiefly to pulling children from doors
and windows. The mother superior
dropped twenty-five of her charges
from a window on the second fioor and
they were caught In overcoats and
blankets improvised as fire nets.
Two hours after the fire started
twenty bodies had been taken from the
ruins and others were being sought.
| There were no fire escapes on the out
side of the building.
Deeds of heroism were not wanting