The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-10-28
SCHOOL HOUSE DOOR
TIGHTLY BRACED
CONTINUED from page ~


ers sobbing or falling in faint
ing fits.
The first twelve bodies re-
covered were found in the front
vestibule. They were the
youngsters who headed the
panic-stricken lines when they
bolted. They had raced down
against the doors in the first
wild dash. Closely pressed by
scores of other children, they
sought in vain to swing open
the door. Then they went
down beneath the crush of lit
tie human bodies behind,
squeezed to death.
Drawing death from the veerin3
flames, little groups Of firemen fought
their way through Tho entrances and
emerged with other burned, nanged
forms. Several firemen made vain ef.
forts to reach the third floor by a
cIinefne bit of stairway. Hot flames
belehed down upon them, blocking the
ascent. An instant later a dull roar
shook the interior Of the flame swept
building. The remnants Of the stair
way and the upper floors had gone
down, carrying, no one knew early
this afternoon, how many more chill
dren's bodies. II was then evident
that no more children would be. res.
cued alive. The firemen devoted their
efforts to attempts at bringing out
more bodies to save them from com
plete destruction by tho flames.
The flames were dying down al
noon. The heat Of the smolderine
! ruins, however, was 90 intense that II
was impossible to penetrate the cen
ter Of the burned building. Shells OF
walls swayine in the breeze, threaten
cd to tumble in at any moment. This
danger further hfndered the recovery
of more bodies. outside, crowds star
ed through the apertures at mounds OF
smoking debris inside the fire swept
structure, beneath which several more
bodies may lie. Early this afternoon
the fire marshal said It would be sew.
eraI hours before the ruins cooled suf
ficientIy for search. Half an hour after
, the firemen arrived, one Of the sixteen
sisters was rescued, badly burned and
| in hystericaI condition.
| She broke free from her reseuers
when carried into tho open air and
shouted franticalIy for some one to
: go to the aid Of the children trapped
! in tho third floor. Firemen made vain
efforts to learn how many children
were still on that floor. More ladders
were thrown against the building, bu,
again rolling sheets Of flame hurled
back the rescue parties.
| A squad Of police and a number Of
volunteers Joined the firemen who a,
| first were unable to batter their way
! inside. The police smashed In the
doors while firemen ran up ladders TO-
ward windows from which tiny armi
were still extended. The first gusts Of
air that rushed through the doorways
famed the flames to new fury and
drove back the rescue suqads They
rushed the doorways time and again
with streams Of hose before they
reached the interior.
While the flames were still Ieapina
through the Windows, Rev. Michael
Sherry, with the assistance Of Carmel
ita Marie, sister superior, began gath
erlna a list Of the names Of the sur
vivors. He found his task almost i'm
possible. Burned and bruised victims
had been hurried away In ambuianees
or taken to their own homes or to the
homes Of neighbors
PITIFUL PICTURE. -
PEABODY, Mass, Oct. 2s.-Moth
ers driven temporarily insane by ter
ror and grief. half naked children
rushing wildly in the midst Of crowds
crying for their parents and a seors
Of broken, charred little bodie:
stretched out In row on the ground
while the ruins Of St. Johns Paroehla
school still smoidered ard smoked.
Such was the scene here this after
neon as firen1en deived in the mids'
of charred timbers in search Of the
bodies Of children.
Every available ambulance answered
the call that followed the outbreak o
the school fire. Primarily they were
intended to carry away Injured chill
dren, but scores Of mothers required
zS