Eight School Pupils Among Those Who Perished in Horror of Saturday Night
ALL WERE MODEL PUPILS
Eight pupils of the Canonsburg public schools perished in Saturday night’s disaster. Six of these had attended the schools of the First and Second wards, and two of the South Side schools. One of these pupils -- Murray Hill -- was a student in the high school; Frances Byrd, George Kay and Walter Neish were pupils of the eighth grade, just below the high school; Margaret Gibbs, fifth grade, and Elizabeth Gleditsch, first grade. The little Gleditsch girl entered school only a month or two before the close of the last term.
Principal F. W. McVay said today; “I can truthfully say that the children who lost their lives in the horror were model pupils, and possessed of more than ordinary intelligence. Not one of them, so far as I can recall, ever required correction.”
Two of the dead pupils attended the Third ward school. They were Paul Mastic and Monzella Robinson although the Robinson girl had quit school some time before the close of last term. Principal S. P. McWilliams of the Third ward said at noon: “Both were good children; they never gave us any trouble. A story printed in an out of town paper stated that Floyd Shaner, brother of Harold, who was killed, was badly hurt. This is untrue. I saw Floyd yesterday and talked with him. He is all right.”