The grief in Peabody, Massachusetts, settled into the homes of twenty-one families after fire swept through St. John’s Parochial School and trapped the young girls inside.
By the following day, the bodies of all the children had been claimed by their parents, including one little girl whose remains were so badly burned that identification was nearly impossible.
As funeral plans began, officials turned to the question of how the tragedy had happened.
Investigators found no criminal responsibility, noting that the building had passed inspection and that fire drills had emptied the school quickly. But one terrible flaw remained: the stairways led inward, toward the center of the burning building, instead of toward safety.
Parents of Children Claim Last of Bodies
PEABODY, Massachusetts. — The bodies of all the 21 girls, pupils of St. John’s Parochial School, who lost their lives yesterday in a fire which swept through the building before they had time to escape were claimed by their parents today.
Five bodies remained overnight in an undertaking establishment while relatives endeavored to identify them. Four of these had been identified at noon, and there remained the charred form of a little girl, burned beyond possible home of recognition.
When the four had been taken away, Mrs. John Ahearn, mother of Agnes Ahearn, eight years of age, who was unaccounted for, went to the morgue and finally accepted the body as that of her child. It was placed in a coffin and sent to her home.
While the investigation has not fully established the origin of the fire, Acting Chief Neal of the state police, after an investigation, today announced that he had found no one criminally responsible.
Law Complied With
“The law requires,” said Chief Neal, “that the state and local building inspectors shall consult and determine the proper means of egress from all buildings, and if they are not sufficient, to order fire escapes installed on the outside of the building. The St. John’s Parochial School building was carefully examined and by computing the width of the exits it was found that they were sufficient to take care of 680 children. Within the past few days the entire school in a regular fire drill was emptied in 90 seconds.
“The real fault in the building was the fact that all the stairs led toward the center of the building and not toward the exits.
“I am convinced that the inspectors did their duty. The investigation, so far as the state is concerned, is over.”
One of the many theories advanced today to explain the origin of the fire was that the sweepings, kept in the basement storeroom, where the blaze is believed to have started, may have contained match heads, dropped on the floor by some of the boy pupils.
Plans for a public funeral for the little ones were discussed today and the arrangements were placed in the hands of Rev. Nicholas J. Murphy, pastor of St. John’s Church.
Source: Evening Star. Washington, D.C. October 29, 1915.
