Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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I HE CAMDEN CHRONICLE tt. I). NILK8 Kditor and I'ublUhtr Published every Friday at No. 1100 Broad street and enured at the I am den, South Carolina Pontic* *J second class mad matter. Price pe? annum C'ANDKN, S. C. MA^Y 25, 1923. I'HOM MIRTH TO TRAGKDY. About six miles from Camden is a fertile plain known as the Heulah ?ect ion, where an honest, industrious and God-fearing people labored six days in the week, ami gathered to gether on Sunday to worship God in two neighborhood ehurches. Nearby was the Cleveland school house where fogy-cheeked, bright-eyed maidens and Jturdy boys, the hope, pride and yhief treasure of the community, were being educated. In the Cleveland School on the seventeenth of May, 1023, when tokens of God's love in the shape of Mowers were blooming all around arid, breathing forth perfume on the eve ning air when innocent merriment brightened the faces of little children; when the hearts of fond parents were stirred with all of tho-o sweet, gentle tender emotions and sentiments, en gendered by a seeming realization of their fond hopes in regard to then beloved children; when friends from Camden and elsewhere were sharing with these, people their happiness; suddenly, like the blast of doom; un heralded and unforeseen, there came to them consternation, suffering and death. It would he cruel now to dwell on the ravages of the Fire Fiend. All of us know of the grim, ghastly sicken ing horror brought about, lightened only by deeds of heroism and of self forgetfulness worthy of the section, county and state in which was situat ed the Cleveland School. The dead wen* of the flower of ou? 'manhood and womanhood, and was composed of precious jewels in the galaxy of promising youth. Our loss is irreparable, and yet we have learn ed some things well enough for us to know. We have been brought face to face with the -seeming irony of fate, and the brevity and uncertainly of human life and attainment. On the other hand, waves of heart felt sympathy have reached us, ex pressed in tangible and intangible form, proving the Divine origin ot man the existence in him of those at tributes of love and sympathy which makes the whole world akin. The Camden Chronicle cannot tind words to express its appreciation of the profound sympathy extended to the bereave^ in our county by the good people all over our broad land. May they reap a full reward for that love and sympathy which they have so fully and freely given to- us and ours. Want Judge Russell Made Coroner. Influential men and women have taken the matter up with Governor McLeod in au effort to have Judge W. F. Russell, now commander of Camp Richard Kirkland Contedeiate Veterans, appointed to succeed tire late G. L. Dixon, coroner, who -lost his life in the Cleveland school tire. . Judge Russell has held many posi tions of honor and trust in this coun ty and is beloved by eveTy man, wo man and child. The Chronicle is this week currying several different accounts by well known newspaper writers about th* horrible disaster which befell the Cleveland school, We would not have attempted to carry a correct report of the affair, had we been able; it was too vast for any one paper to handle. And here we want to thank these good newspaper men in behalf of our citizens for the good work they did. It would have been long hours before loved ones knew who perished had it not been for the sympathetic assist ance given. They were on the job night and day and spared no expense in getting the facts to the strlckon people. And from this awful affair people of city and country have been drawn closer together and made to feol that they are brothers in every sense of the word. And too, they have been made to appreciate the great services rendered by that tire less army of newspaper men who work while tin* rest of the world is asleep. The first news of the Hchool tire was eaught up by a telegraph operator in the lower part of th* State. He tipped off the Associated Tress in Columbia and in one hour and twenty minutes after the first tip a representative of that great news gathering agency was upon the scehe. Over seven hundred daily newspapers from the Atlantic to the Pacific were held up for more than an hour in order that they might carry full de tails of the tragedy and tell the world that these stricken people were in need. Our heart goes out in deepest sympathy to these sorrowing people and we are glad to know that a gen erous public, home and abroad, are responding liberally in a financial way to their needs. The Chronicle office was literally swamped with telephone calls $nd tel egraphic requests for information from every section of the country. We are* trying in our limited way to ac knowledge through the press stfme of the messages of sympathy and offers of aid, but the number is too great for one issue and we are going to get n full list of Contributors and make acknowledgement through these col li mns. TO CAMDEN. (For Tho Chronicle.) Oh Camden, to whose pine clad hills I bade so fond adieu Tho soul that heavy sorrow fills Is longing oft' for you. I try to pierce with tear-dimmed eyes The many miles apart To where huneath the Southern skies You hold i?i bond my heart. With tender thoughts I dwell upon The years now past recall When I saw with each rising sun The fairest land of all. And sad, I wonder must I live Forever part from thee With memories alone to give Thy sights I long to see. Hut no; for I so sorely yearn For you, that tho the way Is weary long I will return Upon some fairer day. Edward C. The Weirs, N. H. ^ mTk. School Emptied in Three Minutes. New York, May 21. ? With the Cleveland school house fire near Cam don. S. (\, fresh in their minds, 1,300 pupils of Evandt'r Child's High School in the B ronx, reached the street in two minutes and /l.r> seconds today when a -.ft re started in a waste paper chute. The fire was confined to the chute. No one was injured. city Mourning | ^day after fire Greenville Newt Sends Special Representative Who Send* Hi? Paper Graphic Story. My Charles H. Garrison, Staff Cor 1 respondent of the Greenville News.) 19'7-Ker?haw coun ty ? list of heroea has continued to increase an the death total mounts from the lire which Thursday night destroyed the Cleveland school build ing, aeven milea eaat of here, entail ing a casualty list of 76 or more per sons. . With the death early today of Tom B. Humphriea, aaaiatant caahier of u Camden bank, survivors declared that Humphriea could have escaped from the rtre and was out of the .building, but returned to aava a young lady companion. He succeeded in getting out, but received burns which proved fatal slightly more than 24 hours later. Humphries accompanied a young lady to the entertainment," one of the survivors stated "and' shortly after the fire broke out he became separated from his companion. After reaching the ground insafety he dis-' covered that his friend was still in side the building. Determined to res-1 cue her if possible he fought his way Inside the building, seized his friend and fairly pulled her to safety. As he made his exit from the burning build ing his hands and other portions of his body were severely burned and these later proved fatal, despite the best of medical effort. " ? BANKS CLOSED. Hanks of Camden today were closed out of respect for Humphries, who was one of the most widely known young men of the city. His father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Humphries were in the building at the time and were among' those who perished in the flames. Survivors today told of the hero ism of Sadie Wade, a negro girl of about 15 years. The girl had gone to the building to care^for one of the I small children of a prominent family nn the community. When her body was round yesterday morning her arms were thrown about the child she was accompanying as though to protect it from flames. Several of those who escaped from I the building declared that the negro I girl was among those who got otit of the building but returned when she discovered that the little child had not escaped. I hat the little negro was taithful to the last was shown by the position of the bodies. With the exception of the Wade girl, all of the burned persons were white. RETURNED FOR WIFE. * B. M .McLeod, whose entire family penshed in the flames, was another who displayed unusual heroism. "If I can't save my wife I will die i r McLeod is said to have rc Plied to those who advised him to nee from the building when it was seen that he could not rescue his wife McLeod returned to the building giasped his wife beneath the wedge of humanity packed about the stair way. W hen he did not succeed in this he continued until the flames envelop ed the two of them and husband and wife died side by side. Eugene Brown, a young farmer, lived but a short distance from the school building. He is said to have declared that he .considered stftyinir away from the entertainment as he had been operating a harvester all (J n a '? '"tended returning early the following morning. Visitors today gazed with a feeling of pathos upon the peering harvester which stood in the held where its owner had left it as the sun went down Thursday night. IJrown and his wife perished in the flames. ?Judge Mendel L. Smith, a resident of ( amden and one of the most wide ly known men of the State, was schedule*! to make ail address at the entertainment but did not return in time from business in another city, and consequently was ijot in the burn ed structure at the time. ^ CITY WITH A SOUL, r Visitors going into Camden are told by large sign boards that they are entering "Camden, the city with a soul." While these sign boards were erect ed long before the tragedy which has so stirred the heart of the nation, it must bo said that the city lives up to its .slogan. So completely was the city closed yesterday, out of sympa thy for the families of the victims, that visitors had difficulty in securing even a glass oi water. Such a thing au a glass of soda-water was out of the question. Rating houses and drug stores, along with' dry goods stores, groceries, markets and banks, were closed and huge bunches of crepe were suspended from tho knobs. Only the hotels and filling stations in the downtown district were open whih several blocks away signs of life were to be seen about the hospital while other groups gathered about the un dertaking establishment as additional bodies were brought in from tho scene of 'tho tragedy. MANY FUNERALS TODAY. Many funerals today occurred over Kershaw county as one after an - othor of tho victims were placed be neath the sod with appropriate cere 1 monies. At least, one double grave Vvas dug as two fire victims, members of the samtf family, were placed side by side in a country grave-yard. Oth er funerals occurred at different church-yards and at slightly differ ent hours. The funerals, while not attended by such , throngs as were presont yester day when the remains of 62 fire vic tims were committed to the earth, were well attended. While business was to a certain extent resumed in Camden today, the situation was not altogether different from yesterday, because of the large number of bury ings taking place within the city or within a radius of a few miles. VERITABLE FIRE TRAP. Information obtained from stu dents who attended the Cleveland school and from others who were fa miliar with the place, indicated that the burned building was a veritable fire trap. The structure contained two sto ries with but one door, which was on the north end of the house. Inside this door was a small cloak room or ves tibule, having but one outside en trance, while one door entered the first tloor and the other connected with the second floor by a stairway. This stairway made a turn almost as the ground floor was reached and it was here that* the bodies were thick est when the ashes cooled sufficiently to permit the rescue work to begin. When it became evident that the flames could not be controlled and the panic became general, men, women and children majje a dash for the stair way. Others on the outside thought of their relatives on the inside and sought to go up the narrow stair way. After minutes of struggling the stairway gave way, making it impos sible for many of those wedged about the place to escape. ^ DIED NEAR DOOR. Charles Humphries, father of Tom B. Humphries, is said to have died with his head out of the door, but the weight of a dozen or more persons and the broken stairway made it impossible to rescue him. i "Don't pull at me anymore" Hum phries is said to have told those who sought to pull him out of the door way before the building collapsed. "You can't get me loose without killing me, so just leave me to the Humphries is said to have remain ed in plain view of the frantic per sons about the building until the flames enveloped the seething mass and mercifully ended the vision of those who stood helplesslv bv. ? PLANS FOR RELIEF. While offers of relief have come from various partes of the state since first news of the disaster was flashed over tho wire, a. meeting .was held her* this morning with a view of af fording any possible relief to, mem bers of the bereaved families. It is possibio that educational funds will be raised and entrusted to local banks or other responsible organiza tions for the education of children wnose parents were burned in the Are. While definite plans are as yet vague, fallowing so closely on the tragedy, tho meeting today as well as the events, of yesterday made it certain that Camden will do all that is humanly possible to alleviate the sorrow and distress caused by the Whole Families Wiped Out. Whole families were wiped out> three at least were totally extinguish ed, in Cleveland school fire: while, perhaps, this may have been more merciful than the. partition so swiftly made of other households. Mis and Mrs.. Burneli G. McLeod and their infant son, Bruce, perished I together; Mr, and Mrs. Eugene J Brown, childless, died one, as they had lived; only a widow survives of the Charlie Hendrix household, which lost father, two sons, of seven and ten, | and two daughters, 13 and 15; but one child is left of the Miller L. Mc Leod family, the tlames having taken father, mother and two sons. So runs the heartbreaking catalogue. From a New York Man. Dr. Corbett has received the follow ing letter from Mr. Charles G. Taylor of New York Oily saying: "We were very much shocked by fchat terrible accident in the school house and we feel that although the mayor, says that Camden will jjot-n^etf any help ! I am sure thatvflJittle money ^*jay give some wounded body a little ex tra comf&pfc "So I am sending you K small-check for you to apply aaji^ed ed and if you have no other use turn I it over to that bright and wonderful hospital." From a Nurseryman. Dr. F. I. Proctor, a winter resident of Camden, handed in a check Mon day to the fire sufferers. It came from the Evergreen Nurseries at Conway, S. C., and was signed by C. H. Snider. Mr. Snider knew Dr. Proctor only in a business way? the Doctor having bought nursery plants from him at times. His letter fol lows: \ "I am grieved to learn of the awful disaster which has befallen your com munity. I am enclosing check for $5.00 to help relieve the distressed situation. If there are any .homeless little boys or girls desiring a home, I shall be glad for you to advise me as I desire to help further if it is needed." I * From a Former Citizen. Mr. G. F. Lewis, of St. George, S. C., who was at one time a resident of Camden and who was serving here in the capacity of agent for the old South Carolina and Georgia Exten sion railroad (now the Southern) has mailed a check for $100 to Dr. John W. Corbett, of this city, and has the following letter accompanying it: "Please accept this check as my lit tle mite to help the orphans. Wish could give more." Your friend, G. F. Lewis." From Former Citizens. Mr. and Mrs. J. II. Moore, of Mul lins, S. C., wish to express their heartfelt sympathy to the people of Camden and Kershaw County in the great loss of the Cleveland school fire. Wants To Express Their Thanks. Mr. and Mrs. D. S. Trapp request us to extend their heartfelt thanks to their many friends who have been so kind to them in their great be reavement* 'They lost two little daughters in the school house trag edy and the fond parents have been crushed with grief. Mnmiw of Sympathy. ' >? Jaa. II. gpAm* ipf the Sumifterville* S. p.. S ?y?l% !*?tU J- G. Rich ards of Camden: "Please couy?? sympathy of Summerville School* ta people of Camden and airicken cgt#? m unity." M. A. (London, Grand Knight, 0f Charleston, wires Rev. M. J. Ked.lin "Knights of Columbus wired tifty dollars lo Columbia State to assist relief with Cleveland school disaster Please express deep sympathy." 'C. S. Warren, superintendent of U*. leigh, N. C., schools, wires: "Deepest sympathy for your people in Uat night's great calamity." George H. MofTett, Chairman wires: "City Board of Public School' Commissioners for the City of Char leston, S. C.? assures you of dee^st sympathy." Charles S. M<^ugen, of Sumter, S.. C., wires the editor of The Chronicle: "Just heard of terrible tragedy. I ox tend deepest sympathy to my Camden friends." Wm. G. McGinley, supreme secre* tary of tho ( Knights of CFolumbt^, wiring to Kev. M. J. Reddin, from New Haven, Conn., says: *" Advise If situation in Camden is of such magni- ^ tude that regular local organizations j cannot co0e with it." Mayor John P. Grace, of Charles I ton, wires Senator Funderburk: "Our -people are appalled at the news of Camden's , terrible disaster. Our hearts go out in grief to your strick en people and we pray that Almighty God may assuage the anguish and suffering of the injured apd the! be reaved." Saved by Thlrat. Clara May Sowell, 13^ and Louise, her sister, 9, who are among the dead, had gone to the school entertainment under escort qf their older brother, Frank. Had Frank not left the building momentarily to get a drink of water, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel L. Sowell would today be mourning throe children instead of two. Mrs. Lem Dixoh died with three children, YVillenc, 2 1-2 years old, Theda, 7, and Thelma, 10. A twin brother, to Theda, named Theron, is a survivor. Miss Adeline McCaskill, stricken in the full flowering of young woman hood, was a daughter of John Mc CaskiJl of Lee county and was a guest of the J. N. McLeod home near Cleve land school while serving a month as substitute teacher in the McLeod school nearby. ^ Miss Grace Arrants, another of'the victims was one of several children reared under adoption by Mr. and Mrs. Frank Arrants, childless them selves. Only the fajthfulne^s even unto death of a negro nursemaid ? let her name be mentioned in honor: Sadie Wade, made possible the identification of Mary Lynn, infant daughter of Mr and Mrs. Cleveland Godwin. Baby and nurse were found dead in death to gether, the child held firmly in the nurse's arms. From Cleveland , to Cleveland. From Cleveland, Ohio, to Cleveland school community, sympathy is a common grief! Allen B. Murchison, superintendent of education for Ker shaw county, received Friday a tele-* gram, addressed to "Superintendent of Schools, Cleveland, S. C./' dated at Cleveland, Ohio, and signed "E. M. Williams, president board of educa tion; R. G. Jones, superintendent of - schools." The message was as fol lows: "On March 4, 1908, 172 chil dren lost their lives in our Collinwood school fire. Cleveland desires to ex press deepest sympathy in your ir reparable loss," 1 ^ From Postoffice Employees. Postmaster W. D. Trantham re ceived a letter Monday along with a postoffice money order for $5.00 sign ed by the postoffice employees of Woodruff, S. C., asking that the money bp turned into the proper chan nels. Friday and Saturday Will Be a Big Day at Our Removal Sale WE WILL HAVE SPECIAL VALUES FOR THESE TWO DAYS ONLY? No Approval and No Charges $1.93 and $2.95 Slip-over Sweaters, Friday and Sat urday $1.00 White Wash Skirts, $2.50 and $3.00, Friday and Sat urday $1.00 White Sateen Petticoats, Value up to $1.50, Friday and Saturday . . . $1.00 White Sateen Princess Slips Shadow Proof, 18-inch hem, Value $1.75 Friday and Saturday $1.00 Telephone 90 THE FASHION SHOP Camden, S. C. .