Frightened Students Start Panic, Escaping Steam Fills Room

Uniontown, Pennsylvania, 1915

FRIGHTENED SCHOOL KIDS START PANIC

ESCAPING STEAM STARS PUPILS OF LEISENRING ROOM ON A RAMPAGE AND THREE LITTLE GIRLS ARE INJURED

BRAVE TEACHER SWEPT ASIDE

MISS MINNIE MILLER THROWS HERSELF IN DOORWAY, BUT IS UNABLE TO RESTRAIN FRIGHTENED CHILDREN AS THEY MAKE DASH FOR STAIRS

STEAM BLOWS OUT RADIATOR VALVE

Frightened by a dense cloud of escaping steam from the air valve of a radiator in room No. 6 of the Leisenring No. 1 school just a few minutes before the opening of the session Wednesday morning, the children became panic-stricken and several were injured when they made a concerted rush for the stairs.

During the time the children were assembling in the room, which is on the second floor of the building, one of the children unscrewed the air valve of the radiator so far that the force of the steam blew the valve out of its seat. The sizzling vapor immediately spread throughout the room in a choking cloud.

Realizing the danger of a panic, the teacher, Miss Minnie Miller, of Danbar, placed herself at the door and endeavored to calm the then thoroughly frightened children. As the door of the room swings outward in compliance with the state law, her efforts to restrain the panic-stricken pupils were unavailing and the concerted rush swept her to the stairs.

The noise of the rushing children alarmed the pupils and teachers of the other rooms in the building, and the fire alarm was sounded, quickly emptying the building. The injured are:

Etta Ball, aged 13, sprained ankle;
Anna Danko, aged 12, fainted, suffering from shock and bruises;
Anna Morgan, aged 12, chest crushed in the jam on the stairs.

Miss Morgan is the most seriously injured although physicians have not yet determined the extent of her injuries. Several other pupils were bruised slightly.

--Weekly News Standard, Uniontown, Pennsylvania, November 25, 1915, page 1.

Comment: I wonder what happened to the kid who unscrewed the air valve.
Note: Etta Ball's first name might be wrong, but it looks closer to Etta than anything else.