The daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1874-1883, 1881-02-28
THIRD EDITION
AN ASYLUM BURNED.


FOURTEEN BOYS AND THREE GIRLs
sUFFocATED-A HORRIBLE MISTAKE
THAT CAUSED FOURTEEN OF THE
DEATHS.
SCRANTON, Pa, Feb. 27.-The widest
excitement prevails in this city over the
most heartrending disaster that ever &C.
CURED here. At few minutes before
this evening a fire broke out in ST.
Patrick's Orphanage, at Jackson street
and Lincoln avenue, Hyde PARK, and
fourteen boys and three gills, ranging III
age from TO II years, were suffocated.
The orphanage was In charge of several
Sisters of Charity, who had care of
twenty-five girls and eighteen boys. The
children slept on the third floor, parti,
tion separating the dofmitories. At 81
o'clock This evening one of the Sisters
saw the children put in bed aud locked
the doors. She had hardly descended
the stairs when she saw dense cloud Of
smoke issuing from the rooms on one OF
the upper floors. Huryiug back to the
apartment occupied by the gnls, she
took one of the smallest in her arms, and
the rest quietly followed her to place
Of safety. BY this time tie fire was rag
ing tiercely on the third floor, and smoke
poured into the hallway.
The inmates of the house were now
thoroughly alarmed, AMI the girls were
hurried fIom The building. The Sister
who discovered the flames again began
to ascend the stars TO assist the boys to
escape. When she had gone about half
way up she was met by man who IL
formed her that the boys had all been
safely removed. She persisted that they
had not been taken out, lat he insisted
that none were In the building, and re-
fused to allow her to pass.
Thousands of persons were by this
time attracted TO the scene. 1t Was
rumored that many of the children we're
in the building, but those who presumed
70 know quieted the fears of the crowd,
saying that all the inmates had been
safely removed. Scores of persons en-
tered the house to investigate, but the
flames ragged SO tiefcely that but little
progress could be made in the attempt
TO reach the sleeping apartments.
-Four fire companies came on the scene
in quick succession, and the work OF
combating the flames was actively be-
gun. In short time the fire raging in
the hallway was extinguished, and the
tiremen We're enabled TO reach the doI-
mitory occupied by the boys. The door
was battered in, and The discovery was
made that not single occupant of the
room had escaped. The lutte ones were
huddled together beneath their CO is,
many OF them being covered by The bed
clothing. Not one showed a sign of
life, and they must have been sufocated
soon after the fire broke out.
On account OF the distance of the or
phanage from the city ii cannot be def
initely ascertained tonight how the
girls were found in the boys dormltory.
The bodies OF he children were remov-
ed to lie residence OF the priest, and
hundreds of persons surged into the
building to view the remains. Many OF
the orphans had been placed in The in
situation by their mo hers, and the dis
tressed women were almost heartbroken
with greet when they singled out child
from the Number and claimed The little
one. The majority vi tie children were
without father or mother, and were
shown every attention by the listers,
and were supported by the people OF the
parish. The disaster has sent thrill
Of sorrow Throughout the city. There
is no fixed theory yet as to how the fire
originated.