Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-10-28

Peabody, Mass, Oct. 2s.-Twenty
pupils Of st. Johns parochia1 school
lost tHe:. lives in a fire that. starting
in tho basement a few minutes aftes
the morning session opened today,
swept thru the three stories OF the
brick and wooden school building IN
less than Ave minutes.
Nineteen Of the boys and girls, none
OF whom was out Of their teens. were
burned or crushed to death while at
tempting to escape. A score OF others
were injured. some dangerously. Of
the latter one died after having been
removed to q hospital.
The bodies of the dead were fright
fully burned. and of the nineteen at
the morguo only two had been identi-
fed this afternoon. Other bodies were
believed to be in the ruins and it was
thought twenty-five or more were
killed.
There were TOO children in the build
inn when the hre started.
Angus Mcdonald. Of the state police,
thinks the fire originated in closet
near the stairway and was caused by
hot air explosion.
Peabody Mass, Oct. 2S.-F1re swept
thru the three story brlcb building oc-
cupted by the 81. Johns parochial d.al
schooi today. burning or driving to
death IA the panic that followed the
alarm, twenty Of the 100 boys
and girls who IN few moments be-
fore had assembled for their daily les
sons.
An hour later twelve bodies had
been removed from the vestibule.
Il where the jam Of terrified little ones
Il had resulted in the greatest loss OF
life. Twenty bodies hai been recovered
at II o'clock.
The police had estimated the dead as
high as fifty. Many others We're IN
iured in their flight down the stair
ways and few jumped from WINDOWS
OF the third floor.
Cry Starts Panic.
The students, who ranged in years
from to II, were in charge OF sixteen
sisters. When the fire broke out the
sisters marshaled their charges as for
. ftre drill and started them from the
building. ~,
The professions were orderly until
those from the third floor Joined others
pourine from the class rooms on the
second floor.
Suddenly there was a cry Of fear
from one Of the throng. 1t was taken
up by a hundred others and panic
ensued.
The sisters made frantic effort to
stop the struggling mass but to no
purpose.
veet;bule Jammsd With Bodies.
The smaller children fell under the
feet Of those behind them and soon
the yestibule was so jammed that the
firemen could not force an entrance.
The sixteen sisters escaped.
Tho flames. 1t Is supposed, started
in the basement, and according 10
some were caused by the explosion OF
steam boiler. There is doubt. how
ever. as to the exact origin OF the f1re.
The large percentage Of the children
were OF foreign parentage.
The nremen fought the fire from
ladders raised to the windows while
the police cleared the vestibules.
Frantic Mob Of Parents.
trha bodies Of the dead generally
were burned beyond recognition.
Mary Leeds and Marion Hayes were
found in the crushed mass badly
burned but alive, and were removed to
the hospital.
The first alarm brought a hundred
distracted mothers to the school yard,
. where soon they were Joined by other
relatives Of the pupils until the scfool
vas soon surrounded by great crowd
of hysterical men and women VINO
rushed the police lines in wild effort
to reach their children.
rho police were poWerlesS to stop
the rush but what they failed to DO
was later accomplished by the flames.
Origin Of Fire in Doubt.
At noon only two OF the podles-
those OF Lizzie Nolan. aged II years.
and Mary Sullivan, 16. had been iden-
!, tilted. Both girls were to have been
\ graduated this year.
A The origin Of the fire remained IN
!, L,doubt. Michael Dunn. who lives near
Iltho school, said he heard muffled ex-
Eplosion in the school building just be-
4 IiISore It was enveloped in flames.
Building inspector A. H. Mcdonald
\ and w, s. Murrel, of the state police.
y J made an investigation in the base
,ment, and later reported that the
n steam boiler which was reported to
N -g s:sgA4 ernlnded was intact.
The school building was erected .
New years ago ut q cost OF about $780,
a There were sixteen class rooms on
Ahs three floors. At each end OF the
sundinG wooden stairways led from ON
Aiha unDsg floors. H
Y SsFr n 81 ~ ~