Omaha daily bee., 1915-10-29
MANY CHILDREN
DIE IN FIRE AT
PEABODY,
Panic Starts Among the Pupils of
Parochial School as They
March from the Burning
Building.
TWENTY BODIES RECOVERED
Vestibule of Big Building is Soon
Filled with Dead and Living
Children.
FIRE STARTS IN BASEMENT

FIRE STARTS IN BASEMENT
PEABODY. Mass. Oct. 2S.-
Twenty pupils of st. Johns Paro-
chial school lost their lives in fire
that, starting in the basement a few
minutes after the morning session
had opened today, swept through the
three-story brick and wooden school
building in less than five minutes.
Nineteen of the boys aud girls,
none of whom was out of their teens,
were burned or crushed to death
while attempting to escape. A score
of others were injured, some danger
ously. or the latter one 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 had
been identified this afternoon. other
bodies were believed to be in the
ruins and It was thought that twenty
five had been killed or fatally in
| jured.
There were zoo children in the
building when the fire started. Its
origin is in doubt Angus Mcdonald
of the state police thinks It origi-
rated in a closet near the stairway
and was caused by hot air explo-
sion.
The police had estimated the dead as
high as fifty. Many others were injured
in their flight down the stairways and
a few jumped from the windows OF the
third floor.
The students who ranged in years from
I to Is, were in charge OF sixteen sisters.
When the fire broke out, the sisters mar
shalled 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 class rooms on the second floor.
Cry OF Fear starts Panic.
Suddenly there was a cry OF fear from
oneipf the throng. II was taken up py 9
4 100 Utherg Una panic ensued the sisters
made frantic efforts to stop the pushing
struggling mas, but TO no purpose.
The small children went down under
the feet OF those behind them and soon
the vestibule was so tammed with living
and dead that the firemen could not
force an entrance. The sixteen sisters
escaped,
The flames. It is supposed. started In
the basement and according to some,
boiler from which the building was
heated, There is doubt. however. as to
the exact origin of the fire.
A large precentage of the pupils were
children of foreign parentage. In the
number were many of Irish and Italian
descent. The fremen fought the fire
from ladders raised to the windows while
the police cleared the vestibule.
BOdies Are BadIy burned.
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.
The first alarm brought 100 distracted
mothers TO the school yard, where soor
they were Joined by other relatives OF the
pupils. until the building was surrounded
by a great crowd of hysterlcal men and
> women who rushed the police lines in q
1 wild effort to reach their children. The
5 police we're powerless to stop the rush
but what they failed to do was accom-
phnhGu pICbCnNig ny lit lihiIltbs WHICH
shooting from the windows OF the build
ing, held back the unhappy throng.
n Mother superIor Turns In Alarm.
The school building was erected few
, years ago at a cost OF about 10000. There
4 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-
n perior Sister Aldegon. who was assisted
; by fifteen sisters The mother superior
a detected the odor Of smoke a few minutes
! after the school children appeared. Sh'
Immediately sounded an alarm. which
n started the children to the street.
: According to the sisters. the pupils Wer'
: marching out In an orderly manner unit
the leaders. who had reached the grount
. floor, made he mistake OF rushing int
\ tho vestibule at the front exit instead o
a going out at the rear door, as they ha'
been trained to do. This caused confusion
"a among those who followed and congestion
3 IN the vestlbJle.
> Flames Reach stRirways.
Meantime tine flames had reached tn
d staifways ami had caught the struggling
children. Within five minutes flames wer
l. shooting from ali the WindoWs ana exits
l. The firemen. unable tc control the blaze
II summoned aid from Salem, Danvers an
d Marblehead. but this came too late.
Il Police and firemcn bent their energie
chiefly to pulling children from doors an
3 windows. Tire mother superior droppe
~ twenty-five of her charges from a wlndo'
iCn the second floor and they were cauGh
in overcoats and blankets improvised q
. firenets.
" Two hours after the fire starte
~ twenty bodies had been taken from IN
- ruins and others were being sought.
!. Chicago PublicanS