Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-01-07
50 LOSE LIVES IN
SCH00LH0USE FIRE
Score Also Hurt When
Santa Knocks Over Can
die on Christmas Tree.

Hobart, Okla.-With the identified.
ton Of the last victim established. the
death list in the Christmas eve fire at
the Babb Switch rural school stands
at 33.
Twenty injured persons are still
confined in two hospitals. One is ex-
pected to die and two others are in
a critical condition.
Santa Claus Starts Fire.
Death entered the Christmas cele-
bration suddenly, cutting off at it's
height the program rendered by the
children of tire neighborhood. The
last little girl had spoken her piece"
and jolly Santa in red suit and furs
mad distributed TO each chubby pair
OF eager hands a little sack of candy.
while parents and friends who packed
the small, one-room structure to ca
pacity looked on.
Santa reached for one of the few
remaining candy sacks. His arm
struck candle on the Christmas tree.
The blazing candle fell from it's mea-
ger perch, and in an instant a ball OF
cotton on the tree burst into flame.
|, A rush to put out the fire, and the
Tree fell over, scattering blazing twigs.
Room Thrown Into Panic.
In an instant the room was in a
panic. Men and women sprang for
the single exit at the. rear and to the
windows beating out the panes, only
to find the openings covered by a
heavy wire netting. The windows
shattered, brisk wind blew through
the room, tanning the flames. and the
hlmsy structure caught like kindling.
Full List of the Dead.
Perry Biggers. Bud Biggers. Dowell
Bolding, seventeen Matte BoIding,
thirteen; Edward Boldng, ten; Mrs.
Rhoda Bradshaw, Matte May Bryan,
L. c. Coffee, Mrs. T. c. Coffee, Maud
Coffee, Audrey Coffee, Orley Coffee,
Ethel Coffee, William Curtis. thirty
four; Mrs. w. Curtis, thirty-two; two
Curtis children, eight and ten: Lois
Clements twenty-three; Gladys Glenn
ents, twenty-two John Duke, Jr.
(child), Mary E. Eden (child), ]. T.
Goforth, John Hetzenberger, Mrs.
Florence Hill, teacher of Babb Switch
school; Vesta Jackson, Opal Peck,
Cyril Peck (child), Paul Peck Child.
Curtis Peterson, Lynn Revlle, Lila
Reville, Mrs. Juanita Stevenson of
Fort Worth, Texas; Mary Stevenson,
daughter Of Juanita.
Loses Bride-to-Be in Fire.
IN hn
schoolhOuse lies love which persisted
within few hours of its fruition.
Gladys Clements and Claude Bold
Ing sweethearts since childhood. were
to have been married early Christmas
morning.
Gladys scared body lies in a local
morgue. Not far away Claude, seri-
ously burned and with broken heart,
battles for his life in hospital
With hearts teeming with joy the
couple had gone to the Inflated school
house to celebrate Christmas with
their friends and neighbors.
Dow BOlding, Claude's brother, was
playing the role of Santa Claus. When
he reached for present near the top
of the tree he inadvertently upset one
of the lighted candles In an instant
the tree was af1re and the flames were
licking the roof and walls of the small
room.
Sweetkearts Separated.
PandemOnium reigned. The girls
hand gripped her sweetheart's tighter
as the flames leaped higher Together
they fought to gain the doorway-and
safety. The surging mob tore them
apart. Bolding looked for his bride
to-be.
He saw her being trampled down
by merciless feet. He struggled to-
ward her, but was pushed back to-
ward the door. Another shove sent
him through the door and out into
the snow. Vainly he fought to re-
enter the building. But he was held
back and his calls to his sweetheart
went unanswered.