The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-09 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, SEPTE:VIBER 9, 1862.

smoke. She was at once got out, but died almost
immediately afterwards in the arms of the governor.

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

No idea whatever can be formed as to the cause
of the fire. It is now supposed to have originated
in some one of the waterclosets underneath the
school, which is attached to the church, and sepa-
rated from the children's dormitory by a passage
about a yard in width. From the dormitory to the
closet there is an underground passage, and it is
supposed that the fire made its way through this
passage so rapidly and with such tremendous effect
as to cut off all communication with the inner room
of the sleeping department ; for it is in the inner-
most one that the poor children were suffocated, all
who were in the outer room having been rescued.
No one who has looked upon the awful sight in
the dormitory can ever forget the horrible picture.
Here and there, in all directions, lay the remains of
the poor little ones, some in the beds where they
had been deprived of ffe so suddenly, and others on
the floor, covered with blackened timber, bricks, and
other debris of the fire. Did one not know that
the charred remains were those of human beings, it
would be a difficult matter to recognise the fact to
the mind, for recognition of any trace of what those
remains once were was impossible. Not one of the
bodies were entire. The positions in which some of
the little ones were found indicated th-tt they must
have been awakened by the noise or pain of the fire.
One poor child had turned itself on its fa. e, and an-
other had managed to crawl from its bed to the
floor, and its remains were found under the iron
bedstead. But we cannot dwell upon the awful
sight presented in the dormitory. It was one more
horrible than words can convey an idea of—one
upon the like of which we hope never to have to
look again.
It was heartrending to witness the pain and
anxiety depicted in the countenances of many in
the crowd who stood round the gates of the work-
house making inquiries as to what children were
burned. The agonised pleadings of one poor woman
to the officials begging of them to tell her whether
her little one had perished were truly harrowing to
look upon. Everything was in such confusion that
it was impossible to give the information sought, and
unfortunately the register containing the names of
the children has been destroyed in the flames.
The engines still continue to play upon the shells
of the burned buildings. It appears that it was some
time after the fire was discovered that a supply of
water could be obtained, and when procured, it was
with difficulty brought to bear upon the portion of
the building where its services were needed.
Twenty-two bodies have been discovered, which,
including the two nurses who lost their lives, make
24. It is supposed the children were suffocated be-
fore the flames reached them. One of the nurses
lost her life while heroically endeavouring to save
those of some of the children. Again and again she
returned to the dormitory, till at last she was over-
come, and fell a victim to her devotion.
Several of the guardians have visited the scene of
the disaster, but all are puzzled to account for the
fire. Thr.t it was accidental is very much doubted,
though it is to be hoped that malice had no share in
producing a conflagration that has resulted in con-
sequences so disastrous and appalling.