, 1881-02-28

lou Of n number Ut Sisters of Charity. 4
large Number Of orphans belonging I" tho
parish founl sltclter there. Tho number Of
inmates was forty.-c1gs.tecn Of them boys
a,Ml twenty-five girls.
Tonight ut laif-Iast 8 ono OF tho Sisters
Ind takct, tho children 10 bed III seImrate
tlor,nItortes on tic third floor. She Tucked
tho deor aud started to descend tn 1nr roo,n
Of, lower floor. III the xecoiltt st0ry, al
tho head nf the stairs, she wus
srAlTLED DY 4 SUDDEN ouTnuiisr OF
SMOKE
from ono Of tic rooms OH that fOnr, and
upon Investigation ascertaineA that fire wns
raging among the ceiling a1n Sides Of tho
apartment. She rushed back to the floor
where tho d0rnIttorles aro located atltt
opened tho dOor Ut tho gfris' rs0ill. The
little ones, who are a!l under 10 years Of agr,
that was pouring tnto their room. but the
Sister quickly guided them ont, and they fol-
loweh her to tho lower iluor. Tho sinnke
fllcd tic hallway, MID the Sister alarmed tho
rest Of the Inmates in tlie lluuse. 'fhcn she
hurried back toward tho dorni1tories to al-
low tic boys to escape, but
HEIR PASSAGE w.As mocKED ur AN uS-
KNOWN MAN,
who declared that nil tho children had left
the ronm. liz nssrrtcd tlnt sl,u wout,! be Il,
dnuger Ut Ilur life II She approached the
durmltory, md insisted so strongly
that all tho boys wcrc out TINT
tic Sister believed him nnd hurried
away, tlta fire llnylng broken ont With great
force Oil tho t!oor wlerc she stootl. Tho
flames spread through tile house and
cnyclopcA tito third floor. 4 general
atarln brought four tIre companies to
the scelc, and 1Ieavy streams were
soon being poured Into the building. ManY
OF the thousands Of spectators who were
attracted tn tho spot weve Of opltilon that
soine of tho children vera still III tie
building, but others who were there frDlM the
inception uf tho tlre woro positive tl,at
all tho inmates Ind escaped. The tire'nen,
ucttng upon pressing desire from tho crowd,
reached tho aurnitory tluor as suol1 ~ pos
sib1c, and burst H. tic door. When tho
suolsc TT tile room had cleared away tho ter
rifying discovery wns made tllat
EVERY ONE OF THE clt1I.nl.tsS IN TIE 1soos1
WAS suFF0CATEp.
Only two were slightly buried. They lay
ut the foot OF THAR cots, the tllreu girls
pho became known the most Intense excite
nlent prevailed. 1t required the COLL
bIned Efforts Of tho police force to
Keep the crowd from entering tlle
building. The children wero tinully re-
lovgd to the !.ousu of tlle priest, n short dis
tnncc away, where they were identified. l.
number ut mothers who had children among
tho dead manifested their feelings III eX-
hibitions Of thu most narrowing grief,
md tlle scello i. was most pnin-
ful to ths spectators. Many theories
a,o atioat tonight ns to tho cause Of tho fire,
but no dcinit conclusion can be arrived Mt.
At this hour, llulf-past II, tho streets Of
Scranton aud l'ydU Park are filled with
anxious people, nlld the occurrence has given
rise to
4 FEELING or CHEAT sOIsls0w.
On account Of the distance Of tho urphal,-
age from, tho city 1t cannot be icllnltly as
certainetl tonight how tie girls were found
In tho boys ttormltory. The bodies of the
children wcre removed to tlle residence uf
the priest, md hundreds OF persons surgcd
into tic building to view tho remains. Alany
Ut tho orphans had been placed in that instI-
tation by their ntottcrs. ard the distressed
| women were almost llcartbrokcn With grtct
| when they singled out a child from tho nn,n-
| Der and claimed tho little one. The minority
Ut Tue children were without father Or
| n,other. aud were shown every attention BY
tho Sisters, md wcro supported By tho peo,
p1o Of tho parish. 1'l[s disaster has sent 4
thrill Of sorrow throughout tho city.