The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-06-02

COLUMBIA. s. c. June 2.-Thc
" voice OF a woman. whose face n
young, but whose eyes were very
old. as II they had looked upon "A life
times agony and sadness. Is the
voice that moves South Carolina.
watch the scloolsi" Hys the
voice, Save your children!"
a governor listens And the ma
chlnery or the state moves 10 pre-
vent another such hchoolroom trag-
edy as the fire which recently Hacri-
feed 10 lives In the village school,
house az Cleveland.
Tho voice Of Ina Mac stephens.
principal OF that school. and sur
vivor Of the disaster OF doors that
were shut because they would only
open Inward. sounds 10 South Caro-
Ina like II dead chorus OF the voices
OF all her little pupils who periBhed
In tho commencement fire.
She has just recovered enough
from exhaustion and the emotion OF
horror TO tell her story. As she was
telling IL 20 ~. T. a. Service. Gov
Mcleod and j. II. Hope. state super.
intendent OF education, were In con.
ference discussing safety measures
for every school in tho state.
Superintendent Hope announced
that commencement exercises would
be prohibited IN every school build
Ing where there are not sufficient
fire escapcs--and that public build
ingB without doors opening outward
viii be condemned.
"All that can't bring back my little
ones" said Misa stephens sadly. For
them our safety rules are too late
But there arc other lives 20 be pro-
toc,ed. oh. those doorsi I'd rather
SEQ every school closed forever than
another aueh horrible hourl"
Miss stephens talked fechly M she
sat IN n rocking chair In the house
where she boards. scarcely 800 yarda
from The blackcncd spot where the
Cleveland schoolhousc stood. Thru
tho window she could see the little
hall where death one night wiped out
the 10Y Of commencement, oeicbra-
ton.
"our nice picnic gonoi" sald the
Eirl principal. drawing her eyes from
the magnet OF tho window "a fi-
neral instead Of plenici We were
all ready for tho mex, day 20 celc-
hraie tho end OF Schooi--wiih fried
chicken and baked cakes and all the
good things 20 eat ut picnic,
"oh. feel as II could never enter
a schoolroom agRlnl Always ! SEE the
faces OF my little pupilR They look
so pitIful"
Two other teachers escaped zuia
Prosger got out down the stairway.
and Esther Garyln thru window.
Miss Stephens believes she was the
last person 10 leave tho building
alive.
Il don't know exactly how I es.
capped" she said. II was caught In
the Jam near the cloakroom door and
Tom HUMPHREYS picked mc up By my
feet and threw me on top of the
crowd. Someone must have pulled
mo away and threw me out Of the
door.
THAT lamp fell because OF its own
heat. think. melting tho soldering
from tho holder was on the stage
whom II fell. Tho whole stage seemed
to catch fire at once. thought OF
some rugs near one OF the dressing
rooma but the fire stopped me when
/ started to get them
Nobody was excited NJ first, Miss
Stephens said. But there were no
lamps near the back OF the room. and
darkness there helped the panic.
"As stepped from the burning
stage behind the crowd picked up
violin dropped by member OF the
orchestra. l handed IL 10 him and he
thanked me without seeming a bit
excited.
AS started down the aisle ! put
my hand on a little girls shoulders 10
reassurc her. Tom HUMPHREYS. who
died later, was standing beside mo
And Coroner Dixon, too. told them
] couldn't understand why the crowd
did not 70 out OF the door.
I'VE started down the steps.
Flames were just behind us begged
the crowd to 90 on. didn't under
stand that those doors opened In
ward and there was mass OF hui
mainly jammed against them. People
pushed, and there were cries Then
everything was confusion"
Miss stephens said her left shout
der was burning. Then HUMPHREYS
seized her and raised her on top OF
the crowd, pushing her toward the
door.
81 struggled" she said. "and then
felt somebody pull me out. In n
daze heard lima Arrants, one of my
pupils calling out--begging TO be
pulled from the damned doorway.
THE jam was at the foot of the
stairway, just mt tho turn to go into
the cloakroom. Three small steps
were ahead OF the crowd, and It
seemed that everybody was packed
around the little platform. could
see hands raised In the air. The
stairway had not fallen when l was
In there.
Before they threw mo out /
helped little May Rush get thru
window. There were no coverings on
any Of those windows. and we all
mat have got out that way. But
VINO could control themselves In the
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