The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-02
CALIFORNIA FIRE LEAVES 2l INJURED Victims Are Trapped Be- hind Barred Doors
 And Windows STRUCTURE 3 MILES \ FROM FIRE STATION ,Matron Loses Life With / Wards In Destruction
 Of. School LOCKED ENTRANCES HAMPER RESCUERS Several Children Die In Beds.
 Six Bremen Suffer
 Injuries
STRUCTURE 3 MILES
 FROM FIRE STATION
LOCKED ENTRANCES
 HAMPER RESCUERS

LOS ANGELES, June Twenty two bodies, including two adults, have been recovered from the ruins of the Hope Development school for subnor- nal girls at Playa Dek Rey, on the beach IS miles from here, which was destroyed by fire last night. Nineteen girls and two firemen are undergoing treatment in a hospital at Santa Monica. many in a serious condition.
 The fire is believed to have originated in the top floor of three-story wooden dorniitory where fifteen girls were housed. Playing with matches is thought to have been responsible.
 The structure was razed.
 Marton J. Thomas was among those who perished. The dead children ranged in age from four to sixteen years.
 Isolated From Protection
 The three-story, wooden structure, re- claimed from an abandoned beach re- sort, was isolated from protection and three miles from the nearest frs sta- tion. All that remains of it is brick chimney, twisted iron pipes and ashes.
 Thirty-eight imbecile children were housed in the building when flames en- gulfed it last night. In addition there were the matron, Mrs. Thomas, and Wilfred Ringer, the 14-year-old adopted son of the proprietor, Mrs. Mary D, Jacobs.
 Tells of Rescue
 A graphic word picture of rescue work was given by Walter Curtis, Los Angeles, who with members of his family were on the beach 200 yards from the building when the fire started. His story follows:
 "The first I knew about it was when heard a man at an oil station blowing a small police whistle. looked up and saw big glow in the direction of the building. I ran toward the building and toward a big heavy door on the first floor. It was locked. Together with another man threw my weight against it. We couldn't budge it. Then we tried some windows. They were locked. We couldn't get them open. We couldn't hear sound inside. All we could hear was the roar of the fire.
 Windows All Locked
 We ran around to the ocean side of the building where a garage stands within two feet of the building. A big husky man threw me on top of this garage where I and the other rescuers were able to reach the second story win dows. We couldn't get any of them open. I broke in the first window I came to. 1 looked in the room but could see nothing. ran to another window and broke it in. There was nothing there. I broke in several other windows the same way. There was not a sound of anyone in the building.
 II called out but received no reply. l broke another window where heard children screaming at the far end of the hall. I climbed in through the win dow into a dense cloud of smoke. It was dark and I couldn't see a thing. I stumbled over a child I grabbed her by the leg and carried her to the win doV' where someone took her and went baC. for others.
 Could Hear Screams
 " l could hear them screaming fright fully now. They seemed dazed and ap- parently didn't know what they were doing. They seemed to be fighting among themselves.
 ''The next thing I knew.I grabbed a woman and pushed her through a win dow, then 1 carried a couple more children to those waiting outside. Next l seized another woman who cried out Don't take me, save the children l told her not to start an argument and showed her through the window.
 "Soon felt myself giving in and felt as if were losing consciousness. l crawled to the window. They helped me out and someone else took my place inside. The others then took turns going in"
 The fire was discovered soon after the girls retired. Many of the children still were in their beds in the dormitory when the first fire apparatus arrived on the scene and several of them died in their beds.
 The six injured firemen were hurt when struck by a broken high tension electrical wire. They also were removed to the Santa Monica hospital.
 The school was private institution established several years ago in build ing formerly used as a beach resort hotel. Stark horror seized the girls when they discovered they were pris- oners in a virtual crematory, according to Mrs. l.. M. Wanamaker, matrOn in charge of the hospital.
 Shortly before o'clock was sit ting in my room at the northeast corner of the first floor, knitting" she said. Suddenly a burst of flames and smoke leaped across the ceiling. Where it came from I have no idea. I rushed into the hall and shouted fire ran out into the hallway and told the girls to run to my room. When I got back to my room IT of the girls were there.
 We tried to get by rear door. We were blocked by smoke. We then went to the hall room in the rear of the build ing. Meantime people who had seen the fire came with ladders and broke the windows. Some of the children we had to throw bodily from the windows, to save tbeir lives"