Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-05-18
ADULTS AND CHILDREN
TRAPPED IN BUILDING
Continued from page d

sparcely populated. The road lead.
ing to the scene is little more thar
a one-way path, along the edge OF
a plowed field. This morning hun
dreds of automobiles and buggief
were passing to and fro, marking the
route to the scene where the tragedy
/ occurred.
In the panic which followed the
explosion, little effort apparently was
made to fight, the flames which
quickly communicated to the dry
timber of the little forty-foot frame
school building. Mothers with chill
| dren in their arms were trampled
under foot. young and old fought
alike for exits.
When the stairway collapsed many
were impaled on the jagged timbers
and others yer pinned down by the
weight of bodies above them. Those
who had made their way out of the
building turned at once to aid the
victims, but they found little oppor-
tunity to do so, the only exit, except
windows, being cut off.
Seeing the hopelessness of their
position, a number of persons jump
ed from windows, suffering broken
bones and other injuries. Several
mothers hurled their children into
eager hands below.
Forty children, sixteen men and
fifteen women, including a negro
nurse, were burned 10 death and two
young white men are missing. and
in some cases because all members
of families lost their lives bodies re-
main unclaimed.
Funeral services for the victims
will be held at 6 o'clock this after
noon near the ashes of the building
where they met their death. Present
plans contemplate the burial of all
at the same time.
There was little mention of an in
quest. Coroner G.. l.. Dixon is
among those listed as dead and no
n has been designated to act in
his place.
More than half of the business
houses of Camden displayed crepe
on their doors today and houses all
over the county were in mourning.
AS indicating how the lives of en-
tire families were snuffed out, the
death list showed ten of the name
of Dixon, eight of Mcleod. ten of
Davis, five of Hendrix and many
other similar groupings.
Rescue workers today had ac-
counted for all persons known to
have been in the small wooden
building except the two missing men.
They expressed the opinion that the
death list would not exceed 10, al
though a number of those who es-
capped were seriously hurt. A list of
injured has o been compiled.
The exact cause of the fire, ac-
cording to the majority opinion, was
tha fall OF zwfOp ping Ia M ab0yre
the stage. Oil from the broken bowl
spread over the floor and quickly ig-
nited the fimsy draperies being used
for scenery of the play STONY
Brook" Uncomfortable panic seiz-
ed the audience Immediately.
Red Cross headquarters at CO.
lumbia offered aid today. but was
notified that no help was needed.
Governor Mcleod sent his secre-
tary here as his personal represen-
tative.
Although the fire and panic oc-
CURED soon after 8 o'clock last night
news of the disaster did not reach
the outside world until many hours
later. The entire available popula-
ton busted itself in the work of
rescue.
Eye witnesses said a number of
the men lost their lives in efforts
to save others. In some instances
they won their way to safety but on
learning of the desperate situation
inside the building they returned
in an effort to rescue women and
children.
Identification of bodies was n
difficult task. and in numerous cases
only by bits Of clothing could iden-
tity be established.