The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-02-22

tainted, was picked up IN an UNCONSCIOUS
condition and taken into the church. where
she soon revived. She went to the Con-
vent OF the Notre Dame, but soon afterward
accompanied some friends TO the police
station, where. with painful emotion, she
identified her own little sister, who had
been killed.
VOLUNTEER WORK.
Before the fircmen and police arrived
some excellent work was done by yolun-
tcers. A man ran along Avenue a down.
ward from Fourth street shortly after the
fire broke ont, aud as he ran he gave out
an alarm, which brought into the street
August IIenlein, whose son Frank was one
Of the pupils in the school. Henlcin is the
owner OF becr-saloon at Third street ana
Avenue A. lie Is about forty years Ola,
heavily built and quite athletic. WIN nm
rushed out his bar-keeper, Wilhelm Fritz,
who il pleasant-faced, energetic young
German. They ran together around
the corner TO save the boy Frank.
The father pushed his way through
the open door OF the school building and
his assistant was close at his heels. Fritz
planted himself with one arm grasping the
window-framc. Ilenlein soon found his
son and passed him out into the street,
where he was claspcd warmly in the arms
OF his mother, whose fears had impelod her
10 the place. and who stood in the group OF
excited women and men that had been
drawn thithor. After rescuiDg his son,
Henlein, with the aid OF a man who was a
stranger TO him, went on with the work
Of pulling out the bodies, living and
dead. OF those who lay piled UP in
q heap on the floor where they had
fallen. They passed the little forms out to
Fritz, who held his post yaliantly, and
worked while the Precipitation ran down in
streams from his person. Some children
were brought forward to the rescuers by
the Sisters. As the little ones were lifted
out into the street willing hands took up
the burdens and conveyed them out OF the
crowd. One OF the Sisters was thus taken
out.
AMiSs OF UNDIsTINGUIsII4BLE BODIES.
The mass OF bodies as they lay piled up
was but imperlectly distingulshable to the
rescuers. owing TO the defective lighting Of
the place. II seemed 10 them that the
PROSTATE forms made a barricade full four
or five feet high. and twice as long, and
extending across the hall. TWO OF The SIS
tcrs lay under the children. One Sister
had her head, arms, and The upper part oil
her body free. She was pinned down.
however, by the weight OF the many chill
dren who had fallen over her and lay
stretched across the other portions Of her
body. Henlein grasped her by the shout
ders and tried TO help her rise. but was
unable to do so until after the little ones
had all been taken of. The other Sister
lay PROSTATE on the wooden floor. com
pleiely covered by the writing, struggling
children. When she was cXtricated 1t
seemed to those who pulled her out that
she was dead, she was so limp and appa-
rently lifeleSs. The three men worked
with will amid untoward circumstances.
They CROPPED for an arm or leg and pulled
out one after another of the children, who
cried and grasped cOnyulsively out to catch
the arms OF their rescuers.
SCRATCHED FACES AND TORN CLOTHING.
I'm their struggles they scratched each
others faces and tore their clothing. At
fines thew would seek to climb up the
shoulders Of the men who were at work
helping them, and they uttered the most
piteous cries. One by one they were passed
outward. and before the engines and the
fremen came about twenty-five or thirty
had thus been taken out. All Were hag-
gard, frightened, pallid, save those whose
struggles had ceased i'm death, and one
whose features were so covered with blood
as to be almost indistinguiShable. Many
had tainted. There was one little fellow
who Law buried beneath half-doZen Of his
play-felows. Only his little arms and
hands stuck out OF the heap, and these he
waved appealingy as in childish tones he
besought The men TO help him out. Fritz
caught the lad under the arms and tried to
pull him out, but failed. While the men
were at their work they were joined from
the outside by a butcher named Isidor
Krieger, who worked even after he had
dislocated one OF his thumbs in the good
work. The women, too, lent n helping
hand and showed wonderful energy, but
most Of them had q mothers interest and
soIicitude TO spur them on. When the
fremen came the volunteers retired for the
most part
In response TO calls sent out by the po-
lice. ambulanccs from Bellevue and the
New York Hospital soon arrived upon the
scene. DR.. II. Purdy, from Bellevue, came
with the first ambulance, and proceeded
Immediately to the church, where he found
the inanimate bodies OF six children. He
tried 10 reSuScitate them by means OF artit-
cial respiration. but found that life was
wholly extinct. Death in each case, he
said, had been caused by suilOcation. He
then had them removed to the station
house.
THE SCENE AT THE sTATION-H0USE.
The scene at the Seyentecnth-Precinct
police-station. at First avenue and Fifth
street, whittier the bodies Of eleven OF the
little victims Of the catastrophe were car
ried for identification. beggarS description.
When the bodies had been arranged in
order on the floor OF the back room and
their little limbs Strengthened, the crowd
was admitted to look upon the bodies for
the purpose OF identifying them. Then the
Saddest scenes Of all occurred. Many Wo-
men were among the crowd, and as they
entered the room their eyes gazed with an
anxiety painful TO witness along the line OF
the dead in search of their little ones. One
German woman looked scarchingly into the
features OF the dead children until he eyes
rested on the upturned face OF little Min
ME lister. An agOnized scream burst
from her lips and she fell upon her knees
beside the PROSTATE form OF her llttle
daughter. "Ach mein tieber tochter,''
She cried, and taking the little form III
her arms she kissed the cold tips, rock
ing herself to and fro, and wept as though
heart-broken. Her friends gathered around
her. and after a great deal OF persuasion
she was induced TO leave the scene and re-
turn TO her home, whittier the body OF heI
child was subsequently removed. Lizzie
Skabetzl,ie was also identified by hel
mother. Minnie Truhe was alive when re-
moved from the school, but died When
taken into the church. Her breastDon'
was crushed in by being trampled upon
The body OF Marianne Happe was iden'
titled by her father, George III. Happe
There are six other children IN I'M
I x,rh, ais(