Lyr Req: Cleveland School Fire

Subject: Cleveland School Fire
From: GUEST,Mike
Date: 09 Oct 01 - 03:43 PM

This song was about a school fire in South Carolina around 1912,I think.I had the words written down,but have lost them.Thanks

Subject: RE: Cleveland School Fire
From: Sorcha
Date: 09 Oct 01 - 03:56 PM

I found out about the fire (1923/77 dead) but no song. Cleveland School is/was in Beulah, SC. 47 of the dead were under 18.

Subject: RE: Cleveland School Fire
From: SINSULL
Date: 09 Oct 01 - 04:09 PM

Some history/ no lyrics:
On May 17, 1923 our community experienced a devastating event which is known to this day as the Cleveland School fire. On that night during a school play a coal lamp fell from a post beside the stage ignited the old wooden school building. More than 300 people were present that night, and 77 of them were killed and 47 of them were under 18 years old. So many were killed because there was only one exit, and the doors to that exit opened inward, and when the crowd rushed the doors, no one were able to open the doors because everyone was pushing. Once the doors were opened everyone started down the staircase and it then collapsed. Because of this fire several Federal regulations were passed for public buildings. Today, auditoriums cannot be on the second floor, all exiting doors must open outward, and there must be a certain number of exits depending on the capacity of the building. Today, there is a monument located at the site of the fire, and those 77 who died in this fire are buried at Beulah UMC in a mass grave in the cemetery.

Subject: RE: Cleveland School Fire
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 Oct 01 - 05:02 PM

Nice page about a recent monument to the victims and listing of them all is available here

Subject: Lyr Add: THE SCHOOL HOUSE FIRE (Dorsey Dixon et al
From: masato sakurai
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 07:08 AM

This, I think, is the one. It was recorded by the Country Gentlemen (Folk Session Inside, Mercury).

THE SCHOOL HOUSE FIRE
(by Dorsey Dixon, John Duffy, Pete Roberts)

'Twas an afternoon in springtime
Folks were happy everywhere
Preparing for the joyous evening
Never dreaming death was near
To a little country school house
They were thinking they would go
They would have a jolly evening
At the children's little show

You could hear those children singin'
Voices ringin' clear and sweet
Never dreaming in their joy
Of the fate that they would meet

But their joys they all were blighted
They began to scream and rage
When a lantern fell that evening
Streaming fire upon the stage
It was on that fatal evening
They could not control the fire
They madly dashed about for freedom
But they perished in the fire

You could hear those children screaming
While the flames were roaring high
Daddy come and get your babies
Will you stand and let us die

All the fathers they were tryig
To their little ones to go
But the brave old fellows perished
In the chaos from the show
Little children they were trampled
In that mighty rolling flame
Others on that night were screaming
Death was dealing just the same

There's a lonely spire[?] in Cleveland
Nicely fenced around in wire
There's a monument erected
Tells the story of the fire.

~Masato

Subject: RE: lyr req: Cleveland School Fire
From: masato sakurai
Date: 23 Jan 05 - 04:37 AM

The Dixon Brothers' "The School House Fire" can be heard HERE.