Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-05-19

(COnClnu0Q IrOIIl rage O11C/
floor windows, while others stumbled
over the bodies of their playmates IN
a mad rush for the doorWays.
Miss Bernice Sterling and Miss EVlyn
Paul, two of the teachers, who escaped
with only minor injuries, described
their recollectionS of the blasts.
"Without warming" Miss Sterling
said. 'tthis terrible explosion came. !
saw the bodies of my children hurled
against the walls, or through the win
dows. Then I don't remember much
what happened. The explosion stunned
me and I could not do much until help
came
News of the disaster spread rapidly
for the reverberations were heard IN
all parts of the village, which has
population of slightly more than 800.
Hardly family in the village did not
have at least one child enrolled among
the schools normal attendance OF
approximately 200. Five children OF
one family were among the Identified
dead tonight. Approximately 80 OF the
students were in the wing that felt the
brunt of the blast.
Frantic mothers rushed screaming to
the school grounds and struggled wildly
with volunteer workers in an attempt
to enter the ruins in search OF their
children. Fathers summoned from
their places of employment, joined the
horror stricken crowd and confusion
reigned.
The workers soon began carrying out
the little forms of the pupils and
placed them under blankets in tenn
porary morgue in the school yard
Finally convinced that search in the
ruins was being cared for by workers,
the parents turned to survey OF the
silent forms in the school yard morgue
A moan from a mother or a stifled cry
here and there from a father as a blan-
ket was lifted testified that another
search was ended.
Many of the mothers and fathers
clasped in their arms the bodies OF
their children and carried them to their
homes, refusing the services of anbu-
lances and hearses that came from sur
rounding towns
Other pitiful scenes though without
the spectre of death were enacted In
other parts of the school yard. Other
fathers and mothers found their chill
dren injured and still others were over
loyed in finding theirs unscathed. The
search of some of the parents was not
ended until trip to Lansing found
their little ones undergoing treatment
in hospitals there.
A corps of nurses and several doctors
~ 49, f,oY1, v1niChhNri1oc tOM1c while
two Lansing automobile companies anc
Lansing construction company sen'
crews of men in trucks to aid in search
ing through the ruins.
With the arrival of additional mer
the work of removing the tumbled mass
of brick and timbers became more sys-
| tematic. The roof, which was shattered
and the piles of masonry were torr
down and removed.
| Governor Fred w. Green and his
wife came from Lansing this Afternoon
! to visit the scene. The governor threw
aside his coat and assisted in pulling
on long cables which were attached tt
the crumbling walls. Mrs. Green joined
in first aid work and in comforting
grief stricken parents.
| .hC1lOC, d 1IlOA CSc1SC OAA WAAOoS A~A AAA = y
Gently was foreclosed, is believed t'
have dynamited the school as reveng
for a controversy some time ago witt
the school board over taxes. Neighbor
today said he had complained tina
taxes were so high he could not NEE
\ the mortgage and that the board hat
refused his request for a reduction.
A bitter quarrel with the other mem
bers of the board followed.
A possibility that Kehoe's wife per
ished in the destruction of the farm
home was seen tonight. An aunt @
Mrs. Kehoe at Lansing declared toda
that Kehoe called her last night, tell
ing her that his wife had returne
from hospital at Lansing but that h
was taking her to the home OF relative