Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1884-01-09
A Convent Horror.

ST.. LOUIS, January 6.-The turning
of the Immaculate Conception Convent
at Belleville, ILL.,, at II O'Clock last
night was the greatest holocaust hap
pening in this vicinity since the South
ern Hotel fire. Twenty-six lives were
lost. The convent is located in the
heart of Belleville. The alarm of fire
was first given by the watchman at
Harrison's machine works, block
away, and Mr. James Stout, of the
City Foundry, was about the first man
attracted to the scene. When he
reached the place the windows of the
third floor present spectacle that was
enough to send a horrible shudder
through the stoutest heart There in
their night clothes, suddenly aroused
from their mbers. stood in despair
large number of the terrified inmates of
that floor There was no chance Of
rescue, and the only alternative was
the dreadful. leap. Soon afterwards
volumes of smoke were seen to spread
throughout the building, followed by
loud explosions, and then few took
the desperate chances of hurling them
selves through the windows.
Mary Campbell was the first to try
the almost hopeless ordeal, and as she
fell to the pavement her frail body was
hurriedly removed to the Harrison ma
chine works, where after few gasps
she expired. Deisy Ebermann manag-
ed to crawl through the windows of
the third floor and find a perilous posi-
ton on the cornice over the main door
way. She there remained for quite q
long time, shreiking for suceor from the
heat within and cold without At last
the combined flame and smoke bnrst
from the windows around her, and she
was hurled to the ground, but her fall
was broken by two men who stood
with outstretched arms to receive her.
She was not seriously hurt.
Mr.. Emil j. Kohl was one of the
first to render practical aid to the i'm
periled inmates. Knowing where to
procure long ladder from the rear of
the premises, he, with the aid of others,
soon had it in position at the front of
the building, doing gallant service. 1t
reached to the second aoor, and two
stout men assembled it with another
smaller ladder, by which they reached
third floor and provided an escape for
number of the sisters and boarder. Sis
ter Moderate about this time was found
lying upon the ground on the south
side of the building, quite dead 1t is
thought that she fell from window on
that side of the building
About this time, on the south side
of the main building, two ladies not
known to the rescueIs were saYed from
the top of the veranda even with the
second floors. They doubtless leaped
from the story above, and in their fall
on the roof were stunned, and when
discovered were nearly frOZe A short
ladder was found, but it could not
reach then. At this iuncture Mr.. G.
W. Mermer and Mr. John Steilacher
took the ladder, and resting it on the
projection of the porch, managed to Sc.
cure it and the ladies were rescued
At this time the flames were rapidly
spreading, and in spite of the efforts of
the gallant flremen to stay their pro-
gress, the inside of the building was
surrendered to the fire, and nothing
vas left for them to do except to con-
fine the flames and save, if possible,
the walls. The wall on the left side,
however, was doomed, and it soon fell,
carr, ing down with it blazing timbers
and fragments, and burying with its
debris the bodies of many.
1t was not known until this morning
that 26 persons were missing These
were all buried in the ruins. Up to
dark tonight Is bodies have been re-
covered and these have been placed in
a vacant cottage that stands near the
convent. The bodies could. only be
identified by the clothing, or, rather,
portions of the clothes which, having
been saturated with water, had .escap-
ed the flames, thereby enabling those
familiar with the garments to identify
the victims.