The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-25

1
 HOBART, Okla, Dec. 25.-The
 toll of death in the fire which last
 night destroyed the Babb Switch
 schOOlheuse, seven miles south of
 here, reached thirty-siX at 1:3O
 o'clock this morning when rescue
 workers made q further canvass of
 the ruins.
 HOBART, Okla, Dec. 24.- Christmas festivities for the chil- dren in the Babb Switch school dis trict were turned to tragedy to- night and more than 30 of he ru- ral population were burned to death when fire, starting from a candle in a Christmas tree, burned the school house, which had been crowded with merry makers.
 The Christmas tree, on stage at the back of the school house, was the center of all eyes when a taper, expiring after it's effort to help cheer the assembled children, shot a flame into some decorations at the top of the tree. The crowd arose as one person with ahouts of fear and the children, who had been at the foot of the tree, en- toying their gifts, tried to get away. The tree was upset and the flames spread rapidly. t
 Tl,e List of known dead includes:
 Mrs. Florence Hill, teacher.
 Paul Silas Peck.
 Bud and Henry Biggers, broth-
 T. c. Coffey and wife and two
 children.
 A. M. COffey.
 VeSta Jackson.
 DoweIl and Eugene Bolding,
 brothers.
 John Duke, Jr.
 Nina Duke
 The one door was at the other end of the building and only a few could get out in the frenzy of all to escape at once. The desperate fathers and mothers, separated from their children, fought madly to get to the youngsters md then, when that proved futile, to break out the windows. The glass gave way but outside, to protect the glazing, was wire netting that kept the en- trapped people in the torment of the flames.
 The schoolroom, which was 24 by AS feet in size, was packed by persons who escaped said to be not less than POO. They were jammed into every nook to watch the children of the neighborhood as they presented their Christmas ex- erciSes.
 The frail building, swept by a win try wind, was soon mass of flames and the door was damned by the few who could reach it. Those who had escaped the furnace worked frantically to extricate the mass in the door and thus saved some of the neighbors.
 Cries of children for their parents and the exertions of the elders to reach their offsprings made the flaming room like q madhouse.
 Trample On Dead
 Most of the dead are believed to have been trampled i'll the rush for the door. Unable to crawl upon the heels of the scrambling audience they were caught in the flames that within d few min utes enveloped the flimsy backwoods l structure.
 The school, known as District School Number 42, was in a remote section. There was no well on the school grounds and no water was available to fight the flames. Three automobiles which lad been backed against the building to protect them against a 10 below zero wind caught fire and burned. Others were pressed into service and rushed injured to Hobart and to nearby farmhouSes.
 Telephone calls to Hobart soon brought stream of cars to the stricken community and while husbands brought Ill loads of injured their wives formed volunteer nursing staff and first aid was given Cech I-iptir,,
 The heavy snow and slcct which has blankctcd the community for several days made transportation and commu- nlcatlon difficult and only meager re- ports of the disaster were available here. The little settlement is without facilities to care for the injured and most of them were brought to hospitals and homes here.
 The Injured The list of the seriously injured who were brought to the Physicians and Sur : geons hospital here follows: Claude Bolding, A. NJ. Bolding, Fl. r.. ko"nam, Earl Griffith Mildred , Noah, ;. D, Harris. Opal Hill. Willie lHll Ethel Hill Clyde Harris. Oscar Nohone, Mack C. pedik. B. II. Bryan, Mrs. K. T. Noah, F. Glydis.
 Twelve or 15 others were taken to the Myles hospital here but their names were not available at midnight. A { check of the hospital is being made.
 TWO CHILDREN CREMATED
 STAMFORD, Texas, Dec. 24.-(By Associated Press. 1.-Two children are known to have been burned to death and several other persons are feared to have lost their lives here tonight when the Stamford Inn, a noted hotel ne bn men and other persons of the city were unable to approach the building to , make rescues because of the intense heat.