The Camden chronicle. (Camden, S.C.) 1888-1981, May 25, 1923, Image 8
HMMNG TUB LAST B()I)Y- At this spot the KreateHt Iohs of life occurred. The atairway wjTh
over the ashen which are being searched for bodiea. (Cut used by pefmia?ion of Columbia SUte.)
PRINCIPAL TELLS
OF GREAT LOSS
Miss Ina Mae Stephens Gives
Vivid Account of Destruc
tion of Her School.
(By Staff CorrespofVient of -the Co
lumbia State.)
Cleveland School, May 19. ? ."I feel
as if 1 could never again enter a
school room, the horrible disaster of
Thursday night weighs so, heavily
upon mc and the faces of the 28 pu
pils of my school who perished in the
flames look so pitiful that 1 can
hardly bear to look across the, field
to the spot where the school once*
stood," said Miss ina Mae Stephens,
principal of the school that once. was,
but is no more, as she forced herserf
to talk this afternoon.
Miss Stephens was completely ex
hausted and heartbroken over the
fire and she spoke under great emo
tion as she sat in a rocking- chair of
the little home where she boards,
about 500 yards from the school
house. She could see the little hill
where' the. house once stood as shu* sat
down to talk.
Miss Stephens told of how she was
perhaps the last person to leave the
'building alive. "I don't know exact
ly how I escaped the tlames. I was
caught in 'the jam near the cloakroorfi
door and someone picked me up by
my feet and threw me on top of rhe~
crowd. Someone else pulled me out
and threw me out of the door," Miss
Stephens said.
"Yes, we had all planned a big pic
nic for the next day, to celebrate the
closing of the school," Miss Stephens
said in answer to a question. "We had
fried chicken, baked cakes and cooked
the usual good things to eat for the
next day," she continued. "And to
think that the day was turned into the
most horrible _in the history of South
Carolina instead of our nice, quiet
little picnic."
Miss Stephens, in a coherent story
of the great disaster, attributed the
fall of a lamp to its own beat, this
having melted the soldering from the
holder.
"I was op the stage when the Jamp
fell," she continued, "We Were near
the close of the play, "Topsy Turvey,"
when all of a sudden, the lamp fell,
We had two lamps on the stage, one
to each side: As the lamp fell the
stage seemed to catch afire all at once
and I thought of some rugs near one
of the dressing room sides, but upon
attempting to go for these 1 was
stopped by the fire. .
"By the time I looked around t ra^v
everybody leaving J he room and 1
started toward the door in a walk, The
room was dark near the back as there
?were no lumps there. As I stepped
from the stage 1 picked up a violin
dropped by a member of the orchestra
and handed it to him. He thanked
me and seemed not to be in the least
excited.
"1 then started down aVfatele and
placed my hand on a little girl's head,
one of the McLeod girls, I think. AH
of those on the stage were the las:
to leave and I cannot understand why
the crowd in front jammed.
"I got to (he stairway and saw t\he
crowd jamming near the bottom. Tom
Humphries, one of those to die from
burns, was standing by ni(* and 1 still
had my hand on the little girl's head.
Coroner Dixon was close to me as we
started dowp the steps. As we got
near the botom tfe'rarf into the jam
and could not move. The fire Was
-gaining headway ' and I told Tom
Humphries and Comncr Dixon that 1
could riot understand why the crowd
did not. go out of the door.
"Don't let them push as that will
cause a panic," I told several stand
ing near me. 1 'ooked back over my
head and saw the flames getting lar
ger and larger, and then I begged the
crowd to go on, not yet fully realizing
t lit* "massi^r humanity at. the foot of
the steps. 1 tried to push the crowd,
finding that nothing else could be
done, *but my efforts along with oth
ers besides me amounted to nothing.
"My left shoulder began to burn
and' about this time Tom Humphries
caught 'me by my feet and raised me
on top of the crowd. He threw .me
toward the door and somebody pulled
me out into the yard. After 1 got into
the yard I urged" several men to go
back into the building and see if they
could not get the crowd out. I know
that a number of men on the out
side at; one time went back to meet
death in the flames.
"Imu Arants, one of my pupils,
called out from the door to be pulled
.tut. It was horrible to hear the cries
of those trapped in the building.
The jam was at the foot of the stair
way, just at the turn to go into7 the
cloak room. Three small steps were
ahead of the erow<t and it seemed to
me that the entire crowd was packed
around the little platform just before
three steps were reached. I could
f.ee hands raised in the air. I do not
ihink the stairway fell. It had not fal
len when I escaped and the crowd
had reached the bottom then.
"Before I was helped out, I assis
ted in getting May Hush out of a win
dow to the ground, and safety. There
wag no covering on any of the second
story windows and all could have
easily escaped by this route if they
had retained, their senses.
"About 300 people were at the play.
The little auditorium was packed. I
had reserved the right of the audito
rium near the stage, for the school
children, thinking this would giv??
them a point of vantage and now I
see that this arrangement was their
destruction. To think that 28 of mv
pupils are gone, O God, it's too much!
"If somebody had not held me after
I got out I would have rushed back
into the building. I just couldn't
stand there and see ttoije children
bui n to death. 1 don't rei4ralbfcr much
after I fought to get back and was
held. I seemed to lose my senses.
"It was our last affair for the
school house, as wehave consolidated
for next year. It'srfcir last now, and
what a last!".
Miss Zula Prosser, of Hyman, an
other of the teachers, left prior to,
Miss Stephens, going down the stair
way. Miss Esther Garvin of Kitchings
Mills, the third teacher, was brought
td safety from a window.
Miss Stephen is from Dillon. Sh"
is a graduate of Coker College. Miss
Stephens had carried all her school
iecords home Wednesday night and
these were saved.
Sends Check to Thorn pn'on Davis.
After reading an account of where
Thompson Davis, the surviving son
of Mr. and Mrs. A. R. Davis, who is
left to care for several orphan chil
dren, Max T. Payne, general agent
of -the National Surety Co., mailed a
check for $25 to Mr. C. P. DuBose,
their Camden representative, with the
request that he place it in the hands
of Thompson Davis. His letter to
Mr. DuBose is as follows:
"Will you be good enough to see
that the enclosed check is. delivered
to Thompson Davis, who seems to
have suffered considerably in the fire
at Cleveland school. He seems to be
built of the right principles and evi
dently had a good Mother, who in
stilled a courage that is worth while."
WILL REMOVE
TRACES OF FIRE
? 55- -v. , '?? ? ? v ?. =?v' v'P ?
?
Tender Gr?u Will Grow Over
Blackened Earth.
CLEARING AWAY DEBRIS
Guardta Protect Ruinu ?hd Great
(?rave From Hand* of Memento
SeekerH.
( By Staff Correspondent of The Co
lumbia State.)
Camden, May 21. ? Of the Cleveland
school house, tne terrible funeral pyre
thi( Thursday night claimed 77 of
Kershaw's men, women and children,
there will remain not a trace. The
three scarred oaks, the wounds of
which time will heal, in days to come
will look down upon h little expanse
of sand and grass ? for grass will
grow to cover the how blackened and
mourning earth? that none may know
in passing that here stood and was
burned the little frame school house,
which carried so many to their grave.
The catastrophe has left its scars.
"What deep wounds, ever closed with
out a scar?" The people of Beulah
section will never forget. They could
not if they would. To ease the poign
anjcy of the grief of the bereaved
ones that survive and to protect from
desecration at the hands of thought
less curio seekers the ashes of the
burned building ? hallowed at such a
, fearful price ? the relief committee
has decided to wipe out forever all
trace of the ruined building] Pract
ically every family in the vicinity of
the burned school suffered loss in the
(Ire. Their suffering is terrible enough
and memories of the horrible night
viVid enough, the committee felt,
without the grim reminder of the pile
of ashes, twisted tilt and charred tim
bers ever there to bring back to them
the ghastly remembrance of the trag
edy. Within sight of the spot where
the school house stood ate two be
reaved homes and the daily sight of
the blackened ruins is enough almost
to occasion eternal despair. When,
however, the grass has grown to shut
out from pained eyes the scene, then
perhaps those who ? live ? and must
live ? may be able in # sense to re
member and yet to forget.
Early this morning workmen began
their labors of clearing away the de
bris of the ruined building and
all day they worked as gradually
signs of the catastrophe were. wiped
out.j On the sp^ has been dug a huge
grave like pit nT which will be interr
ed the ashes of the building contain
ing as they do the ashes of many of
the dead. All day as the work of
.mercy went on the men came upon
grue*orqe finds among the now cold
dead ashes?human heart, bones, bits
of charred flesh. These safe from
the prying hands and eyes of the
swarm of morbidly curious will also
be interred in the pit with the ashes
of the building that all may be cov
ered and kept sacred while the earth
to which they will return shall last.
Since yesterday afternoon both the
one great grave in Beulah churchyard
and the site of the school house have
been guarded from Visitors that the
already sorely wounded feelings of
tbe bereaved might not be torn anew.
Sunday afternoon areas around both
the school house and the grave ? cov
ered with fresh flowers ? were roped
in and all persons save those who suf
fered loss in the terrible tragedy pro
hibited from coming near them. Hun
dreds of persons from nerif^and far
continued to invade the county to see
the ruins and visit the grave until
action was taken to prevent it. Many,
of them, forgetful of the fact that
these spots had been made sacred to
^hundreds by appalling sorrow, spent
hours in morbid searching for memen
toes of the disaster. There are in
Cleveland district men, women and
children who need no mementoes to
remember as long arf they live the
scenes and events of last Thursday.
Tomorrow the work of clearing
away the last remains of the jllfated
WHERE THE BODIES WERE BURIED ? In thi?? ffrave, 40 feet Ion* awl 12 t he bo<He? of the vktims of rh? CT#v#lan<! 8^h?ol How*e tragedy
were interred. (Cut used by permission of The Columbia State.) .
Thompson Davis who i? left at he ad of Family (Gut by The "State)
school will go forward and soon all
will have been safely In id away in
the huge pit.
In time on the spot there will re
main not a. sign of the terrible trag
edy. In the hearts of those that knew
the loss, however, the scars will en
dure forever.
Knights Were One of The First.
One of the first donations coming
to the relief of the Cleveland school
sufferers was that of a check for $10Q
from the Knights of Columbus from
Sumter. Many ?f the Catholic men
of Camden are members of. the Sum
ter Council. '
ONE HUGE CfRAVE
(Continued From , Page One)
Bragg, of Camden, the Rev. "E. L.
McCoy, of Sumter, and the Rev. E. V.
Dibble, of Sumter, read the texts for
the funeral. Following the reading
the choir sang, "Abide with Me."
The Rev. W. H. Hodges, Methodist,
of Camden, offered a most touching
prayer.
Governor McLeod was present and
spoke of the great grief the tragedy
had caused him and the people of the
state. "As I looked at the paper this
morning and read the news of the
fearful disaster I was afraid to read
the names of those who had perished
I was afraid some one dear to me had
been lost," the governor said. "And
my fear was justified. Some of those j
who were burned to death I have I
known all my life. They were my
best friends and their death causes
me untold grief. I wish I could say
something to convey you my sympa
thy," the governor continued. "The
people from the mountains to the sea
board are praying with you in your
terrible losses. Mothers, are sympa
thizing with mothers, fathers are
praying with fathers and on every
hand the people are saddened because j
of this terrible tragedy," the gover
nor said. The governor spoke with a
great deal of emotion and his words
were heard in almost breathless si
lence. The chief executive's last words
were for God's blessing upon the be
reaved people of the county.
Bishop Kirkman G. Finlay of the
Upper South Carolina diocese and the
Rev. T. W. Law, pastor of the little
church made addresses.
The Rev. F. H. Hammond, of St.
Charles, pronounced the benediction.
Just as the sun's rays were fading
away behind the little wooden church
with its stained glass windows, the
great throng slowly walked away
from the grave of at least 50 of the
best people in the community.
The% bodies were placed in a tre- i
mendous box, all being wrapped in 1
sheeting. Xo ra?kets were used.
ANOTHER STORY <>F FIRE
(.Continued From One)
In ner chaired and stiiT'-ned aims
wa.< found the child \\h?>m -he died t
trying to shield to the I was told!
tha* 1 Truesdale had :<>ird the body,
of a new h im babe in *h?- debris.
Carl Hin-<>n. a Camdi :> boy, is tied- I
ited with having saved the lives of '
seventeen pel sons, lu- :<>ok the cast j
iron Hag pole, leaned ? under a win- j
dow and advised the how to:
use it. to safety. One -;i -h was an el-*
dei ly lady seventy-two cars of age.. '
There was an unconfirmed rumor
that the first news of the holocaust
to reach Camden was brought by a
youth who had jumped 9ut of a win
dow and had broken his leg. In this
condition he cranked his car and came
to town, the repqrt says. Nobody
could give his name and some stig.
gest that the story is confused with
that of a young man from Bishop
ville, who got out of the building and
saved the lives of some young ladies
with him, but a heavy man jumping
out of the window, fell upon one of
J the young ladies and broke her leg.
| The Rev. J. Jeter Johnson, pastor
; of the leading Baptist church in the
city, ?was to deliver the closing ad
j dret>$. He had been a resident but
a year. Three children accompanied
him.- He threw his - coat over "the
bursting lamp and tried to smother *
its flames. Seeing that such efforts <
were futile, he made for the door with
his children. Two of them he rescued
Just at the threshold he lost his bo^,
J Jeter, aged eleven. The boy wejjt
down under the weight of a heavy
man who fell. Mr. Johnson pulled at
his boy's hands until he heard the
joints give way and the little fellow
begged piteously to be let alone. Mr.
; Johnson could reach into the doomed
j building1 and stroke his boy's head un
( til the flames became too hot.
Heartbroken he takes the little boy
to Louisville, Ky.
S. J. West was the president of the
: Wateree Farm Loan Bank Associa
tion, an outstanding man in the com
| munity. Some of his relatives called
! to him to forsake the doomed build
| ing, but he would not leave until he
had tried to save others, and perish
ed.
Tom Humphries, cashier of the
Bank of Camden, sat in window pass
ing rescued persons out until he was
nearly burned to death. He died later
at the Camden Hospital.
Stoney Campbell, of Capiden, got
his little girl, to the door of the au
ditorium and saw her go down in the
collapse of the stairs. There were
acts of heroism, that will never be
known, There were deeds of chivalry
that rival the choicest bon ?moth of
sistery. These may come to the sur
face some day. For the present sur
vivors are too dazed to know what did
happen. It was all so swift.
"A whole community has been wip
ed out," said one business man of
Camden. "It was a good community,
successful men working good lands.
In the list of the dead is not a name
of one whom we could spare." There
were some bodies identified by belt
buckles or bits of clothing. One lady
by her fur neck, piece. The features
of none were recognizable. A mile
away at Beulah church the poor
charred bodies were assembled, cxcept ?
for a few that had been claimed. A
great oblong pit was dug and floored ?
and sided with heavy timbers. The
l? ?x thus made was partitioned off
with timbers, to give the semblance or
separateness to the sepulchre. On the
ground by the side of the great grave
iay I he lamentable objects which yes
terday were buoyant with life. W rap
perd in winding sheets, they awaited ?
the completion x>{ the preparations.
Those wee shapes shrouded in grave
cloths. Those were yesterday the
children. Kershaw County is desolate
today.
A^Beulah Church where Bodie? Were Buried. (C?t fcj It***