Read Bath Massacre: America's First School Bombing for Free Online Page B

It was almost time for school to begin, he pointed out, probably not enough time to look at the pump. No, Detluff insisted, the time was really 7:25. Kehoe kept his watch on Eastern Time and Detluff on Central, which was how the school clocked its day. “We have plenty of time,” Detluff said.
    Kehoe hesitated for a moment. “Yes, we have,” he replied.
    The two looked over the pump, reached no conclusion, and moved on to the generator. Smith, who had been at the school since six that morning, was fiddling with the oil burners. More small talk rattled through the air as Detluff and Smith theorized about what the problem with the pump could be.
    Kehoe, seemingly remote just a moment before, suddenly came to life. “You know, I’m in an awful hurry!” he snapped. He abruptly exited the generator room, leaving the problem for Detluff and Smith to solve.
    They ignored Kehoe’s outburst and concentrated on the generator and pump. “If I thought Mr. Harrington would be down here to fix this within a couple of hours, I wouldn’t start this up,” Smith told Detluff.
    “Let’s go out and see if we can see him,” the trustee replied.
    The two men went outside to see if the repairman was in sight. Detluff noticed that Kehoe’s machine was gone. 5

    At the Cushman house, seven-year-old Ralph was almost ready to leave for school. This was no easy task. With summer vacation beginning in just two days, it was hard for the energetic boy to contain his excitement. How would he be able to sit still for his teacher when his thoughts inevitably were drifting to the school-free days of June? Ralph was poised on three months devoted to nothing but his one great love, baseball. Why, even before this day started, Ralph had managed to get in a little baseball time. Chances were he’d think of nothing else until the school bell set him free at day’s end.
    Finally, he gave in to the inevitable. Just before leaving the house, he paused. “Good-bye, Mama,” he called out. “I’ll be good!” 6
    His older sister Josephine, who had six years on her brother, walked Ralph to school. When they arrived she offered to sit with him. Josephine knew what a bashful kid Ralph was, and maybe he’d like some company until it was time to go to class.
    “No!” Ralph said. Nothing could be more embarrassing than having the other children see him with his older sister.
    “Okay,” Josephine replied, “that’s all right. I’ll see you at lunchtime.” 7
     
    Like he did every morning, Robert Harte, an energetic nine year old, fed the chickens on the family farm. This was no small task since the Hartes had a brood of around twenty-two hundred birds. When he finished, Robert grabbed his lunch bucket and took off for school. His mother, Florence, looked fondly after him as he ran off. “See you later, Mom!” he yelled over his shoulder. 8
     
    Over at the Bauerle house, Henry and his wife Hertha were getting ready to go shoe shopping in Lansing with their two oldest children, Herbert and Esther. Arnold, their mathematically minded third grader, desperately wanted to join the family. He’d been laid up with whooping cough for some time but finally was feeling like his regular self. A drive to Lansing certainly was more promising than a day in school. But no, his parents decided, Arnold had missed enough classes because of his illness. Go to school today. There would be more trips to Lansing. 9
     
    At the Hart residence, twelve-year-old Iola kissed her mother good-bye as she did every morning. “Don’t worry if I don’t come home at noon,” she teased. “You know I have to write tests this morning and I might faint away.”
    Lilacs were blooming. Iola picked a bouquet on the way to school. 10
     
    So it was throughout the area. At the Bergan home. The Chapmans, the Claytons, the Ewings, the McFarrens, the MacDonalds, the Smiths, the Witchells, and the Zimmermans. The Babcocks, the Burnetts, the Englands, the Fultons. The Hobarts, the Komms,