The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-10-28
Panic Ensues When Sisters
Try to March Pupils, Out
of Building.
| 4 TRAP
Smaller Children Tramplea
Under Foot in Mad
Flight.

PEABODY. Mass Oct ss.-Firs
swept through three story brics
building occupied by tie 81. Johr
Parochial school today, burning OF
driving to deathlinithelpanlc which fol.
lowed the alarm probably 80 of the 600
boys and girls who's few minutes be.
fore had assembled for their daily lcs.
son.
An hour lateral2 bodies we're remoy.
ed from the vestlbaie where the lam
Of terrified little ones had resulted in
the greatest loss Of life! The police
had estimated the dead as high as
%. Many others were injured In
flight down stairways and a few jump
ed from windows on the third floor.
The students who ranged In years
from seven to- 10, were In charge Of
16 sisters. When the FIRE broke out.
the sisters marshalled their charges
as for fire drill and started them from
the building. The procession was or.
derly until those from third tioor join.
ed others pouring from class rooms
on the second floor! Suddenly there
was cry OF fear from one Of the throng.
II was taken up by hundreds of Others
and panic ensued ~
The sisters made frantic efforts tc
stop the pushing struggling mass. bui
TO no purpose! The smaller children
fell under theyfeet Of those behinc
them and soon the yestibuie was SC
tammed with living and dead that the
iremen could not force an entrance
The 16 sisters escaped.
The flames. Il is supposed. started
In the basement, and according IA
some, were caused by the expiosiop
OF steam boiler from which the
building was heated. There is doubt
however, as to. the exact origin OF the
fire,
A large percentage OF pupils were
children Of foreign fparentage.
The first alarm brought 100 dis
tracted mothers 10 the school yard
where soon theyswere Joined by other
relatives Of the pupils until the build
Ing was surrounded by great crowd
OF hysterical men and women. who
rushed the policellin In q Wild effort
TO reach their children The police
we're powerless TO stop the rush but
what they. failed to twas accomplish.
ed soon by the flames. which. shoot
ing from windows, held back the un
happy crowd. According TO the version
OF the Sisters. the pupils were march.
ing out in order; until the leaders.
who had reached the ground door
made the mistake OF passing into the
yestibule in front instead OF eoin,
out the rear door as they had beer
trained to do.
This caused confusion among those
who followed and congestion in the
vestibule. Meantime the flames had
reached the stairway and caught the
struggling children. Within Ave min.
;utes flames were shooting from all
windows and exits. The local fremeu
unable to control the blaze, summor.
ed aid from Danyers and Marblehead.
but this came too late.
Police and sfiremen spent their en-
ergies 4 chiefly to pulling children
from doors and windows. The Mother
Superior dropped 25 OF her charges
from a window onlthe second floor and
they we're caught In overcoats and
blankets fimproyised as tire nets. Two
hours after the FIRE started 20 bodies
had been taken from the ruins and
others were being sought. There
were no fire escapes on The outside
Of the building. Deeds of horoism
were not wanting. Among such Incl
dents were the acts OF Maurice Hnr.
'ris, aged 10 years. who carried lis
one:legged chum, Thomas O'Shes
aged s SSyears, on his back down the
smoke choked stairway TO safet-.
AT noon only two bodies, those OF
Lizzie Nolan. aged IL years. and Mary
Sullivan, 16, had been Identified.
Both were to have been graduated this
year. +
The origin Of the fire remains In
doubt Michael Dunn, who lives near
the school said he heard the muf-
fed explosion in the building just be-
fore It was Fenyeloped In flames
Catherine NJ. o'Conlell. aged 13.
was about first TO escape, but when
she reached the outside and found her
two. little brothers were missing. she
broke away from the crowd and ran
back into the building. The brothers
were Safterward reported safe. but no:
trace Of Catherine could be found AZ
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