The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-19
Commencement Play Becomes
Grim Tragedy AS FlamesL Leap
From FallenLanp UponStage
Wiped Out In School House Fire-Many Escape
Through Windows With Clothing Ablaze-House
Packed
Continued From Page One)

tCOnUnued FROM rage OneD
through the darkness Two who did
SO had their backs broken by the
fall.
The first surges down the stairs
sent most of the audience into the
open air where they were able to
strip off their things and save them
selves from anything worse than Sc
we're burns. But with those who
were farthest from the mouth of the
stairway pressing frenZiedly from
behind 1t was inevitable that there
would be jam in the bottle-neck of
the little vestibule at the bottom.
When this occurred the stairs became
overloaded and with a crashing of
eimbers collapsed into the red pit.
There was no chance to save life
then, though many bravely tried
again and again to drive themselves
through the fire far enough to reach
the victims. a few at the en-ance
were dragged out, but the others
were doomed.
Whole Building Abiale.
The town nearest Cleveland is
Camden, eight miles northwest. Co.
lumbia is 30 miles southwest There
was no problem of fire apparatus.
Almost from the instant of the OK
piosion the building was alive with
flames inside and wrapped into fire
without No heroism, no fire fight
ing apparatus could have awaited.
Practically all of Cleveland town
ships white population gathered 1t
the school for the theatricals," one
of the gay occasions in the eventless
existence of the countryside. They
drove in from their acres in flivvers,
in a few cars of prouder trade mark
and in buggies. Some few came from
Camden, showing a neighborly inter-
est in the affairs of the smaller com
munity.
The explosion occurred shortly
after o'clock Thursday night. There
were outstanding deeds of chivalry.
One man who leaped from the win
dow but nevertheless was horribly
burned made repeated attempts to
go back to the collapsed stairway
for his mother, who persisted. There
also appeared to have been cases in
which the instinct OF selfpreserva-
were struck down and trampled in
the rush. Some of these little ferns
recovered Friday morning could not
be identified.
Many Attracted To Scene.
The glare in the sky alarmed the
countryside and hundreds of people
hurried over from Camden. They
could only help attend those who
were being cared for in the dwellings,
of Cleveland. Camden doctors
gave what aid they could in the
emergency. The move seriously hurt
were taken to camden, where there
is small hospital.
Surviving relatives of those who
persisted were mad with grief and
horror. Some who tried to describe
the nights scenes would speak a
few Ineligible words and then glib
Der insanely.
S. T. Silton, sergeant of police in
Camden, took general charge of re-
covering the bodies and organizing
relief. He said the condition of many
of the bodies would make it impos-
sible to identify them.
Tho building was old and dry"
silton said land whom I got there
Is was all afire. Everybody was
screaming and groaning. We tried to
get back into the building but it was
no use.
Almost everyone who jumped was
hurt. But even with broken bones
they were trying to get through the
fire at the front door to take the
people off the fallen stairs.
Families were divided. Nobody
knew whether his wife or children
were safe.
7.~mplsa To 6e. g o
"Those people on tho stairs Just
damned themselves as they strug-
gled but, God help them, what else
could they do? From the look OIL
some of the bodies they were