Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-03-03
THE ORPHAN ASYLUM FIRE
TIE NAMES Or SIXTEIsN or Tyfr
DEAD CHILDREy

THE NAMES or SIxTEIsN or TINE
DEAD CHILDREN.
Mysterious Origin Of the Fire-The
Strange Man Met Upon The stair
Has Horrible Crime Been per
petrated-Identifyin the Victims
SCRANTON, Pa, Feb. 27.-The widest
excitement prevails In this city over the
most heartrending disaster that ever
occurred here. At few minutes before 9
O'Clock, this evening, a fire broke out in
st. Patrick's Orphanage. at Jaokaon
street and Lincoln avenue, HYDE Park
and IA boys and three girls, ranging iu
age from to i2 years. were sutfooatad.
The orphsnage was in charge of several
Sisters of Charity, who had care of 2g
girls and Is boys The children slept on ns
third floor, pstitiop separating the domi-
tories. At 30 o'clock, this evening, ona
of the Sisters saw the children put to bed
and locked the doors. She had hardly
descended the stairs when she saw a dense
cloud of smoke issuing from the rooms on
one of the upper floors. Hurryiug back
to the apartment occupied by the girls,
she took one of the smallest in her arms
and the rest quietly followed her to
place of safety. By this time the fire was
raging fiercely on the third floor, and
smoke poured into the hallway
The inmates of the house were now
thoroughly alarmed, and the girls were
hurried from the building. The Sister
who discovered the flames again began to
ascend the stairs to assist the bows TO
escape. When she had gone about half
way up she was met by a man who in.
formed her that the boys had all been
safely removed. She persisted that they
had not been taken out, but 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 were in the building, but those
who presumed to know quieted the fears
OF the crowd, saying that all the inmates
had been safely removed. Scores of per-
sons entered the house to Investigate, but
the flames ragged SO fiercely that but little
progress could be made in the attempt to
reach the sleeping apartments.
-Four fire companies come on the scene
in quick succession, and the work of COM
batting the flames was actively begun.
In short time the fire raging In the ball
way was extinguished, and the fremeu
were enabled to reach the dormitory occu.
pied by the boys. The door was battered
in, and the discovery was made that not a
single occupant of the room had escaped.
The little ones were huddled together
beneath their cots, many of them being
covered by the bed clothing. Not one
showed a sign of life, and they must have
been suffocated soon after the fire broke
out.
On account of the distance of the
orphauage from the city it cannot be def
nitely ascertained tonight how the girls
were found in the boys dormitory. The
bodies OF the children were removed to
the 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 institution by their
mothers, and the distressed women were
almost hssrtbroken with grief when they
singled out child from the number and
claimed the little one. The majority of
the children were without father or
mother, aud were shown every attention
by the Sisters, 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.
SCRANTON, Feb. 2s.-The bodies of the
II children who were suffocated by the
fire in st. Patrick's Asylum in Hyde
Park on Sunday evening lay in two rows
this morning on the floor in wing of the
asylum occupied by the Rev. Father
Roaehe. They We're covered to the
chests with spreads. One body, that of
child who fell through the burning floor,
was hidden from view in blanket. The
faces of nearly all of the little ones were
blackened by the smoke and disfgured
by the fire.
Coroner Leet impanelled a Jury soon
after II a. M, and the work of identify
ing the bodies was begun. Two Sisters
from the asylum gave the names of the
children to the jury. They are as fol-
lows:
John Thomas, aged years; John
Bogart, aged 8; Edward Burns, aged 8
Peter Hopkins, aged 6; Charles Gahe,
aged Z; Thomas Conarty, aged 10;
Nathaniel Walton. aged 10 George
Warne, aged 5; John Joseph Kelly, aged
5 ) Patrick Fit2maurice, aged S. Ambrose
Driscoll, aged Z; Henry Barrett, aged 5
John Cuff, aged s.; Anne Kane, aged 5
Annie WALTON, aged 8, and Eliza Reilly.
aged s.
The blanket containing the charred
remains was not opened. The Sisters said
that the only lad not yet identified is
James Rheinhamer, aged Z, and it vas
decided that the body was that of the
missing boy. He fell through the burn
ing floor of the dormitory and was picked
up in the second story. The dead girls
were found at the rear of the dormitory
in which they slept. After the jury had
inspected the bodies they went to the
asylum and viewed the ruined dormi-
tories. The fire had made great havoc in
the rear of the rooms. and the floor of the
boys apartment was burned through in
several places. Through these holes the
smoke that suffOeated the lads had
iscended. The fire had eaten its way
through the side Of the building. In the
front part of the dormitories the walls
were blackened so that the plaster could
not he seen. The cots in the rooms We're
lisarranged and charred. Every part
If the damaged room was visited,
bnt nothing was discovered to show the
cause Of the fire. The Coroner ascertained
rom the fireman who burst in the door
md found the boys, that he met
stranger on the stairs as he went up who
was unwilling TO allow him to go any
iurther He Yehementlv insisted that all
The children in the building had been re-
moved. The iiremen pushed him aside
and entered the room. Five dead bodies
were lying close TO the door, and the rest
@ere scattered about the room. He came
upon hoy who gave vent to an eXclama-
ton OF pain. The lad was carried to the
loor, but expired before he had been
taken the length ofthe room. 1t is asserted
that one of the sisters who was compelled
TO return by a strange person while
ascending the stairs ON the night of the
lire, to reach the boys dormitory, has
him, The Coroner has decided
to adjourn the inquest until Friday.
Tomorrow afternoon the victims OF the
calamity will he buried.
CURED THROUGH FAITH
W0st Remarkable Instance of