The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1879-03-27
BURNING OF LORETTO ACADEMY.

BURNING OF LORETTO ACADEMY.
The tremendous crash of thunder that
startled such of our citizens as were awake,
and awakened such as We're asleep, early
yesterday morning, was soon followed 10y
the alarm of fire, and the appearance OF
flames upon the roof of the Lorctto acad
envy building, situated on Walnut and
Twenty first street
1t was about o'clock when the building
was struck and the teachers Sisters Of Lor-
ettol and the boardcrs being aroused from
"a sound slumbcr, soon realized their peril.
Although the sleeping apartments were on
| the third floor, the presence of mind
and example Of the teachers were
such that there was no approach
to panic; every teacher and
pupil clothed herself and passed down the
long stairways without accident or injury
to any one. The academy bell was yio-
lcntly rung, and soon the alarm was taken
up by the fire bells; but il seemed a long
| time before there was response The
Delta City fire company was the first to
reach the ground, and finding n cistcrn
near at hand, at once commenced throwing
a magnificent and well directed stream.
Meanwhile two or three hundred citizens
had arrived on the ground, and such furni-
turc and fixtures as were on the first and
second floors, except u fine grand piano
that became wedged in the stairway were
removed to place Of safety,
The Deltas had been throwing water but
IL short time when the Hibernians, Rough
and Readics and Arabs arrived on the ground
and added their three streams to that of the
DeItas; but the large structure being en-
tircIy of dry tindcrish material, the most
the fire companies could DO was to keep the
flames from communicating themselves to
the "Sodality building" between which and
the convent or academy building was u
/ space Of not more than twenty feet, This
Wa done-tAc SodaIity building being
saved, quite unnjurcd, although the other
building burned to the ground.
The effects removed waS of course, con
sidcrably injured. The greater portion Of
the furnishings Of the third floor including
the chapel, were destroyed. On this floor,
too, were the teachers and chldren's ward
robes, but small portion Of which was
saved.
There were number of narrow escapes.
and not few of the fremen worked them
selves to exhaustion but taking into nc
count the number ofpersons in the building,
the number who collected about the fire,
and exposed themselves TO the danger OF
being crushed by the constantly falling
timbcrs, it is surprising that from first to
last, there was not a serious accident of anv
kind.
Concerning the losses we cannot speak
with any degree of certainty The erection
Of the building was commenced in 1861 or
1862, and was finished about year later.
$'Thc building destroyed probably cost $l5,-
900 or $4,000. The contents destroyed
would be covered, probably by $1,000. We
have learned that the insurance upon the
whole property is less than $1,000 If this
be true the misfortune is one that is only
partially relieved by the indemnity.
The school will be re-opcned Monday
morning in the building saved the teachers
and boaldcrs taking quarters in the build.
; ing across Walnut, which building is, We
hear, an appurtcnance of the academy
Thus it seems, although we may not have
Loretto academy fully restored for year
or more, we shall, through the good work
of the frcmcn and the enterprise of the
teachers, have very acceptable substitute
Immediately.