Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-03-18
THE BROOKLYN HOLOCAUST.

A Large Number Of Aged asd Inara Mes
nsrsed 70 Death..saaiy TsschisG Inci'
dents Of the Disaster.
The burning Of the dormitory OF the
Home for the Aged OF the Little Sisters
of the Poor in Brooklyn, N. Y, was one
Of the saddest calamities We have been
called upon to chronicle for long time.
In the building were large number OF
aged and infrm men, ranging from
seventy ono to ono hundred and five
years OF age. A local paper gives the
following touohingly sad picture Of the
terrible affair:
Tho inmates were much a. children in
nursery, unaccustomed to excitement
or disturbance. The first known OF the
fire was sudden burst OF dense smoke
into the dormitories of the left wing,
where seventy three old men were
asleep, and q moment later flames fol-
lowed. They were thrown into panic at
once, and though many escaped, like
terrified children few Of them could tell
how, or throw any light on the cause OF
the fire. The Mother Superior, from
her room in the south wing Of the build
ing, saw the flames and realized the truth
at once. Joining the group Of terrified
Sisters in the hallway she cried: "The
building is on fire." but, never losing
her presence of mind, cautioned them
against giving why to fear.
Upon the roof the frightened crea-
lures who had lad sufficient strength
to escape through the skylight were hud-
died, shivering, and powerless to do any
more.
At one window in the third story q
man over seventy years Of age leaned
out, calling, in a voice made powerful
once more by danger, for help. Help,
for the love OF God" he shrieked, and
then threw himself from the window,
and was crushed aud killed on the
stones beneath. A dozen old and child
ish men trotted out of the burning
building, dragging after them their pill
lows and sheets, laughing and crying,
and not understanding it all and what it
nil meant. Others who had been saved
by various means OF egress huddled to-
gether in the yard, and watched the
flames, moaning and mumbling and ask
ing piteously: els old Billy out 2"
then laughing again as the flames leaped
higher. Many temporarily crazed ran
down tho streets near by, coatless, hat
less and, in many instances, nearly
naked, their white hair blowing about
their faces and their arms thrown in the
air. These were the fortunate ones, for
eighteen did not get out. Citizens
poured in vast numbers into the build
ing and lent their aid to the fremen.
Among them struggled the inmates of
the female dormitories, shrieking in
shrill voices that could be heard above
the noise of the Aremen and of the
crowd.
The work OF rescuing the inmates
within reach of human help progressed
rapidly, but with all their strength many
of the old men fought against the grasp
of their deliverers, and had to be drag
ged by sheer force from the burning
dormitories. Soon, too, the flames be-
gan to cut off one by one the avenues of
rescue. Bursting with a roar through
thick partition on the second floor, they
drove back the men who advanced to
save life. In one room on this floor
were dozen old men, whom it was sup
posed had been removed at an early
stage, but just rs the flames rushed in |
one of the sisters discovered q poor |
blind old Scotchman, half suffocated with |
the dense smoke that filed the room,
cropping his way in search of the door by |
which he usually entered and left his
dormitoly, door that led only to q
fallen and burning staircase. Regard
less of the smoke, the brave Sister rush
ed in, and almost lifting the decrepit
old blind man, bore him in safety away.
After that the flames rushed in, and the
further saving of life on this floor at |
least was rendered impossible. Below
in tho interior rooms it was feared that
several human beings were yet imprison-
ed, but for those in the top story the
hope was entertained that the roof had
afforded them an escape. Nothing more,
however, could be done, save by the
tiremen and their engines, and with
breathless interest the immense crowd
now watched the battle with the flames.
The captain of police had arrived with q
large force of men, and the crowd was
driven back and every aid given the
Sisters in providing for the comfort of
the poor frightened inmates. Upon the
flames poured dozen streams of
water, and quickly they began to be
extinguished, until at last only cloud
of smoke and steam arose, gradually
thinning until the last trace Of fire had
disappeared. Then began the real hor-
ror of the night.
It was known that all the feeble in
mates of the burned building could not
have escaped, and search for the vic.
Tins began. The first discovery was of
two bodies in bedroom on the first
floor. Two old men stretched side by
sido on their iron bedsteads, burned,
lay, to brown crisp, totally beyond all
hope of recognition. A blanket was
put under them and they were carried
to the basement of the west wing and
there laid on the floor of the Mushroom.
A line of pale and trembling old crea-
lures, male and female, looked shudder-
ingly at the horrible charred remains OF
their companions as they passed, and
chung fearfully to each other. Into the
cellar under the burnt wing the entire
debris of the fire had fallen, and here it
was expected other horrible discoveries
would be made. With bruised and
blackened hands the fremen tore away
the smoking embers and dug into the
hot, moist mass. Soon the burnt body
of an old man was found, and shortly
afterward two more were dug from the
ruins. Daylight had by this time dawn
ed, and through the broken brick walls
of the building the light found its way
into the cellar, rendering useless the E,
lanterns of the tiremen, and bringing
the charred faces of the burnt victims .