Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-11-30
MANY LIVES SAVED
BY HEROIC EFFORTS
Of LADY TEACHER
Seventeen Pupils Suffer
Broken Bones W he n
Thrown From Second
Story Window of School !.

CONVICTION, Ga, Nov. GA
rareful check of the SO children at.
tending the High Point Community
school, i've miles from h4'n. when
It was burned to the gtJurd short.
ly after o'clock Tue Gay after.
noon. revealed that only two boys
been accounted for AMI identified,
The two dead are: James. Steele,
the little son of John y. Steele, and
the eight-year-old son of Charles
Bachelor.
These two pupils were in Mrs.
Oscac' Grants room or the second
floor. Sixteen of their comrades
were dropped 20 feet to the ground
by Mrs. Grant, but she was unable
to save the two remaining( although
she CROPPED for them in the smokc
until the floor gave way and she
herself was engulfed in flames.
Seventeen children are suffering
from broken limbs as result Of the
fire. Four of the children swal
lowed flames, and much anxiety is
felt concerning them. The total in,
jured is fixed by physicians and
school authorities at SO.
Miss Howe's Heroism
T'he name Of Hiss Mary Howe,
home demonstration agent, today is
linked with that of Mrs. Grant as a
heroine of the tragedy. She helped
rescue children from the burning
fralle building until she was ex-
hausted. Without waiting to rest,
she Jumped into her automobile and
dashed five miles to Covington to
summon medical aid there being no
telephone in the community.
Mrs J. II. Wagner, principal of
the school, today is nursing the two
injured children of Mrs. Grant while
| their mother lies in a critical condi
ton at an Atlanta hospital.
Led by DR.. S. L. Waits and DR..
Luke Robinson, Covington and New.
ton county doctors and nurses today
are working to alleviate the suffer
ings of the children injured in the
fire. Scarcely home in all the
High Point section but is ministering
to a victim of the cruel blaze, and
feeling of intense sadness pervades
the entire county because of the
worst tragedy of it's kind in the
county's history.
According to best informat ton, the
fire started at the foot of the mar
row stairway. The door at the head
of the stairs was shut and the flames
had gained Roadway before Mrs.
Grant discovered the plight of her
self and pupils.
County school officials are on the
scene trying to determine the cause
of the fire.
Practically all of the children most
seriously burned are under ten years
Of age, it was said.
There were 1928 pupils enrolled in
the school. Yesterday, ninety-nine
of them were present.
Teacher Saves Pupils
"Oh, look at the pretty white
DUST" exclaimed one of the children
in the room of Mrs. Oscar Grant, To-
Gated on the second floor of the build
ing.
The dust" was smoke. It came
from the direction of the door, the
single egress from the room.
Mrs. Grant ran to the door and
opened it. A burst of smoke drove
her back. The hallway was in
flames. The stairs had already
crumpled.
Inside the room were eighteen chill
dren, none Of them old enough to
exercise calm Judgment. Mrs.
Grant locked the door and clam1y
walked to the window and told the
children to line up. They became
panicky, but she soon got them un
der control. The ground was about
twenty feet below. The drop meant
almost certain injury, but to stay
meant death to them all.
The teacher pushed her own
child, Mary Pearl, back from the
| window and then began lowering
the other children. One, two,
three, four, until sixteen dangling
little forms had been dropped to the
ground below The flames entered
the room. They licked rapidly toward
the window.
Mary Pearl Grant was next in
line. Her mother threw her bodily
out Of the window. Burns, a frac-
tured limb and internal injuries are
alongside of the childs name on
the injured list.
Flames Engulf Teacher u.
, Chokingly Mrs. Grant reached
back. She grasped the small form
Of Minnie Sue Meadows. Like Mary
Pearl, the little pupil was hurled
out of the window. Two more
children remained in line.
There was a sag in the floor:
flames engulfed them as Mrs. Grant
reached for their bodies. The
teachers clothing caught on fire
as she grappled in the flames for
the tots. She next appeared at the
window her clothing burning fierce
ly and the flames leaping towards
her head. She jumped to windo1
sill. hesitated and then hurled her
self through the air.
Doctors say she is suffering from
broken bones, internal injuries, and
| So badlv burned that if she survives