Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-05-19
STATE T0EXTEND
FIRE VICTIMS AID
Death List in South Carolina
School Disaster Fixed at
Seventy-Five.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
CAMDEN. S. c.. May 19-The death
list in the Cleveland Schoolhouse fire
OF Thursday night today was def
nitely fixed at IS. Tom b. HUMPHREYS
of Camden died Of injuries in a hos
pital here during the night.
Approximately sixty bodies of un-
Identified dead late yesterday were
buried In the Beulah churchyard with
In few hundred yards of the scene
of the fire, and today most of the
identified dead will be inferred The
body of j. j. Johnson, jr.. son Of Rev
j. ]. Johnson of Camden, will ba taken
to Louisville. Ky. Two other funerals
were held in the same churchya-d
after the unidentified had been buried
Confusion Over Number.
Confusion over the exact number
Of dead occurred yesterday through
the condition Of the bodies of the
dead. it was stated here today The
committee in charge of the burial OF
the unidentified dead announced that
sixty-two bodies lad been buried in
the one big grave. including several
that had been identified. The under
takers said they could state posi-
lively that more than fifty bodies
were in the grave, with possibly
others.
The committee announcement
stated that sixteen women, forty one
children and seventeen men were
known to have persisted. making the
death hst. up to the time of the
HUMPHREYS death, seventv.four.
de- Rod
yesterday. just as the sun was set
ting. was an impressive affair. Six
ministers. including Bishop X. c.
Finley of the Episcopal diocese of
upper South Carolina. participated in
the ceremony. Gov. Thomas G. Nc
Leod spoke briefly.
Relief for Survivors.
With the dead accounted for and
most Of them buried, thoughts today
turned to the relief of the survivors.
Gov. Mcleod last night issued a
proclamation to the people of the
state asking that financial aid be
extended. Offers Of aid from
throughout the nation yesterday
were declined by Mayor Garrison of
Camden, who headed the committee
in charge Of this work. The Amer
that funds In any amount needed are
available. A total of $1,249 was
raised locally yesterday and several
newspapers throughout the state are
raising funds in addition to the fund
being raised as a result of the gov
errors proclamation.
The Cleveland schoolhouse, located
in the sparsely settled rural COM
munity. was one Of the best school
buildings in Kershaw county, accord
1r,e pt f.sr
Alan B. Murchison, county superin-
tendent of education He said that 1t
was to have been abandoned after
Thursday night in favor of a modern
constructed high school. Cleveland
was the superintcndents home dis
own relatives persisted in the blaze.
Other Schools Danxerous.
The superintendent said that 5000
out of the 10000 children in the
county attend just such schools, and
that II he could help 1t there never
would be another opportunity for
such an occurrence. II will never
permit. If can prevent 1T. the hold
ing of another such gathering in any
of the schoolhouses-and the Cleve-
land School was above the average
until adequate fire protection has
been provided" the superintendent
said. 'Three-fifths Of the school
to like dangers, and 1t will be my
purpose, as speedily as possible, to
remove or lessen SO far as possible
these dangers. Not another school
house will be built with my approval
that does not embody all modern i'm
provements."
Tales of HerOism.
Tales of heroism and personal ex-
perience were slow in coming ont Of
the situation created YESTERDAY nv
the fire. Virtually every person who
was In the building when an oil lamp
over the stage fell and started the
blaze, was more or less injured. With
CONTINUED On papa CoI,p,n Q