Evening star., 1924-12-25
40 Others Injuredas School,
room in Oklahoma Is Turn
ed Into Inferno During
Entertainment.
YOUNGSTERS TRAMPLED
IN FRANTIC RUSH TO EXIT
Check-Up of Homes Begun to
Identify Dead-Candle Causes
Fire-Eforts to Quell Flame
Only Quicken It's Spread-Two
Killed in Texas.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
HOBART, Okla, December 26.-Fire,
stalking the tracks of Santa Claus,
turned a country schoolhouse into an
inferno at Babbs Switch. seven miles
southeast of here, last night, and
suuffed out the lives of at least 81
persons, many of them children, who
had gathered for a Christmas eve
celebra ton.
tiny candle on a Christmas tree
ienited ball of cotton. Little revel-
ers gripped their sacks of candy and
stood spellbound while their elders
AT first tried to put out the fire, and
then, as the flames licked up the cedar
boughs and spread to the dry wood of
the f1imsy structure, broke for the
single exit at the rear-a mad, scram-
bling mob, fleeing from the leaping
terror at their heels.
Every window in the one-room
building was covered by heavy
woven wire netting, bolted solidly to
the easement, placed there to keep
out prowlers. Frantically the trap
ped men and women beat at the OBJ
structions. Glass shattered from each
window and the wind whistled in, Gre
ating a heavy draft and tanning the
greedy flames, but no means of egress
q u.
Many Trampled in Flight.
Many fell in the crush at the door
and were trampled under foot. Lying
where they fell, unable to crawl away,
their bodies were incinerated
None of the 80 bodies that had been
taken from the smoking ruins early
today had been identified. A previous
report that several others had been
found proved to be incorrect. Identi-
hcation must await a checking of all
homes of the community. .as
More than 40 persons were injured,
some of them seriously. Local hos
pitals and residences today housed
81, and an unknown number were
taken to the homes CT residents Of
the Babbs Switch district.
About 200 persons were packed in
the small schoolroom when the
Christmas tree burst into flames Men
near the front of the building tried
to smother the fire and in their haste
knocked the tree over, aiding the
progress of the blaze and scattering
burning branches over the floor The
dry floor caught fire like tinder, and
II was at once apparent that, with
no means at hand to fight the fire, the
building was doomed. Snow and ice
which coated the roof and walls did
little to check the flames
Aid Comes Slowly.
Those who succeeded in getting out
turned rescuers to those who were
injured in the scramble, and several
automobiles were used to bring the
first of the injured here. A telephone
call from a farmhouse mobilized in a
few minutes a motor caravan that
labored slowly over the icy roads to
the secluded little district AS the
injured were brought in, women of
the city organized a volunteer nurs-
ing staff and first aid treat was
given each victim. Doctors Of the
city swung into action, and in brief
interval the injured were being given
medical attention
With the injured removed. the grim
task of recovering the dead was un-
dertaken by Sheriff T P. Shaddock
bers cooled in the 10-above-zero tenn
perature the sheriff's force brought
out body after body, many of them
pitifully small. The loss Of life among
the children was heavy, because they
were grouped around the Christmas
tree in the front of the building and
were farthest from the door.
A hearse and a truck arrived from
Hobart amid the confusion attending
the efforts of frantic persons to find
missing members of their families
and the first of the bodies recovered
were taken to Hobart mortuary.
Began Check of Homes.
Because OF the condition Of the
bodies, it was decided only a can
vass for missing persons would pro-
duce identifications, and in the dark
ness of Christmas day a party of men
started a house Ito house check, max
ing note of the gaps in each family
circle.
Early today the undertaking es-
tablishment was thrown open to the
public and scores of persons filed past
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