The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-05-18
"A PERISH
IN FRAME
TRAP

door and thus held up escape for
many people.
The superintendent of schools,
on the stage with diplomas in
his arms, made a futile attempt
to stem the tide of panic. He
shouted that all could get out
safely if they took their time,
but his voice was lost in the
screams of the women and the
children.
Flames Spread Rapidly.
The superintendent and those of
the graduating class furtherest from
the one stairway, are believed to
have persisted.
The flames spread through the
dry, wooden building with almost
unbelievable speed Within a few
moments after the explosion, the
whole rear portion was blazing
high, and the flames. famed by
stiff wind, began to 'eat into the
flooring.
Then the second floor collapsed,
and down into a raging inferno
went all who were left-estimated
at around seventy persons.
The first Of those who escaped
by jumping out of the windows
dashed across fields for the near
est farmhouses for telephones by
which to sumon aid. Practically
the whole countryside was at the
Schoolhouse, however, and many
houses were locked. Telephones
are scarce anyway, in the com.
munity.
Camden finally was notified and
chemical fire apparatus was sent
on the run, but it arrived too late
the school house was a mass of
embers, smoking and black-the
funeral pyre of half this little
community.
Find School in Ruins.
When the Camden firemen
arrived they looked upon a scene
that almost defied description. The
schoolhouse was mass of ruins.
around which stood weeping
mothers, frantic fathers and wailing
children, looking for their loved
ones.
There were score CT persons ly.
ing groaning on the ground, suffer
ing from broken limbs and frac-
lures suffered in leaping from the
windows.
The darkness was lighted only by
the rudy glow of the smouldering
fire, and in the intense heat and
amid terrible confusion, the work
Of finding out who had escaped and
who had died continued throughout
the night
Dawn this morning found a
wearied. bIackened crowd of men
working feverishly still. At s
~ h.A Ao6 in
Ing seventy-four bodies from the
ruins. The. work of Identification
has not been completed, because of
the confusion and the stunned con-
dition of those who escaped.
Several whole families, however,
have been wiped out.
Hold No One to Blame.
There was no one to blame"
said the Chief of Police here. '1t
all happened so quickly, and the
panic was natural"
All of the victims were either
graduates, students of the little
school. or parents and friends.
One man threw his wife bodily
through an open window and then
ieaped after her. She was severe
y injured, and he hurt his legs in
the leap. Afterward he blamed the
fact that the stairway door opened
inward for most of the panic and
deaths.
Those nearest the platform
pushed those ahead toward the
narrow doorway" said Chief of
Police z. G.. Whitaker. 1.-THE jam,
of course, became terrific. and then
in some unexplained manner prob.
ably because of the jostling and
straining, the door became closed,
and the people behind pushed those
ahead into the door, keeping it
shut.
This left only the windows and
they were soon choked, too.
THE explosion of the lamp and
the overturning of others threw
the place into semi-darkness, and
this coupled with the smoke added
terror to the confusion.
Becomes an Inferno.
ALSO. the first explosion had
scattered burning oil over a number
Of people near it, and their clothing
Immediately became mass of
flames. Between trying to fight
the flames that were consuming
them, and trying to get to the
doors and windows, it can readily
u3A