Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-05-19

CAMDEN, S. c., May 1S.-(By
the Associated Press.) Kershaw
county today counted the cost of the
fire that last night destroyed the
Cleveland school, eight miles from
here. Seventy three known dead,
men, women and children, and one
missing, together with dozens more
or less seriously injured was the
terrible toll, as the corrected list
stood at noon. The body of Donnie
Truesdale. listed as missing, was
identified during the morning. The
body of a son of Huey Hinson,
not previously listed among the.
edad also was found. Five injured
are in a hospital here.
The fire was caused by the over.
turning Of an oil lamp on the stage
during the commencement exercises,
which were being witnessed by
crowd that damned the room. A
panic followed. ~
Collapse Of a narrow wooden stair
way, leading from the second flooc,
where the entertainment incident to
the school closing was in progress,
caused many Of the deaths, a num-
Der of persons being crushed in the
debris. Others, cut off frosn escape
in this way, were burned to death,
while others jumped from the win
dows.
The school building, a two.story
frame building, containing three
school rooms, burned rapidly and be-
fore outside aid could be summoned
nothing remained but to collect the
dead and give medical care to the
injured All available doctors were
called from Camden and other near
by towns.
The death list reads like a roster
Of families of he community. Family
after family was virtually wiped out
In almost every instance where par.
ents are listed as dead, from one
four children persisted Among the
dead is County Coroner G.. L. Dixon
and his young daughter.
Forty young children, sixteen men
and fifteen women, including a me-.
gro nurse, were burned to DEATH
and two young white men are miss
ing. Entire families were wiped out
and in some cases there are no rela-
tives left to claim the bodies.
Trapped
The fire started from an over.s
turned oil lamp on the stage and
in an incredibly short time the
flimsy structure was a mass Of
flames and from a merry gathers
ing of neighborhood friends and
relatives the hall was converted
into a charred house. A narrow
wooden stairway, the only means OF
egress from the second floor, was
quickly damned with a panic.
stricken, struggling mass of human
ity, according to the reports. Men.
women and children fought to force
their way out and many went TO
their death under the crush Others.
seeing the only avenue of escape
cut off, ran to the windows and
leaped out. Many of these sustain
ed broken limbs and some were re-
ported as seriously injured.
The Injured
The five injured in the Camden
hospital are:
Tom E. Humphries, assistant cash
Ter of the Bank of Camden; badly
burned; may recover.
Mrs. stoney Campbell. fractured
thigh.
Miss Pearl Workman, fractured
ankle.
j. A. Watts. fractured ankle.
Hattie Pinson, slightly burned
EyeWitnesses said today that a
number of the men who perished
lost their lives in heroic efforts TO
save others. In some instances tkey
won their way to safety, but on :.
learning of the desperate situation
inside the burning building return
ed in an effort to save women and
children.
Identification of bodies was a diff
Continued OH Page 6. Column 81