Savannah weekly echo., 1884-01-20
| BURNED TO DEATH.
Terrible Fire in a Convent in
Many of tho Inmates PeHshino in
the Flames.

AT ii o'clock at night fire was discovered
IN The Convent Of the immaculate Concep
tlon at Bellevile, ILL.,, the capital Of st
1lair county, fourteen miles from st. Louis
lhe alarm was first given by the watehmar
at Harrison's machine works, and Mr.
James Stout, of the City foun
dry, was about the first mar
attracted to the scene When he reaches
the place the windows of the third floor pre-.
sented horrible spectacle. There, in their
| night-clothes, suddenly aroused from their
siumbers, stood in despair large number OF
! Ierrlned inmates. There was no chance OF
rescue, and the only alternative was
the dreadful leap Soon afterward VOL
umes OF smoke were seen to spread through
our The building, followed BY loud explos-
ions, and then few took the desperate
chaEces OF hurting themselves through the
windows. Mary Campbell was the first to
Try the leap, but when her body was lifted
up from the ICY Pavement she was i'll dying
condltion, having sustained horrible injuries
ny TINS time the alarm had spread through
the Guy, and hundreds of men appeared and
consulted as to what was the best course of
action The fire engine had not yet arrived.
ana The flames were spreading RAPIDLY and
at many of this windows were to be seen
IgneS OF women cad in their night gar
IL
HiS LOT assistance, others trying fraut;cally
~ open the sashes, which seemed to be
beyond their power. Hundreds of men were
ready to rush into the place to rescue
the inmates, but the doors were all locked
and so solidly constructed that all ordi
nary attempts to break them in were
Iutlle' AT last James Stout procured a
pohderous bar, with which, dozen men
using IL as battering-ram, an entrance
was erected A rush was made up
stars, St and many of the inmates were
led through the binding smoke to the
ground in safety But to the horror Of the
fescuers it was discovered that in accord
ance with rule of the convent the bedrooms
hai all Deeh locked, and number of them
sun remained SO. The battering ram was
nronght % bear upon those door ALSO but
they. too, proved of stout and unyieldino ma /
terial, and the gallant band were Obliged to
apandon large number OF the unfortunate |
inmates to their fate
Among those who ound themselves locked 1
up IN the burning building was young girl /
nahled Dalsy Eberle, who finally managed to /
crawl through the windows of the third floor
and find perilous position on the cornice
oEer the main doorway. She there remained
|, long time shrieking for succor. At last
ne confined flame and smoke burst
romthe windows around her and she
vas VA nurled to the ground below, but her
an was broken by two men who stood
%lth outstretched arms to receive her.
ohe was not seriously hurt. Her escape
vas most miraculous. By this time the fire
department. had reached the scene, bat it
vas Immediately discovered that while their
,Iigines h were able to send water to the top of
ne building, four-story brick structure.
onslstlng of main building and two long
oi1ey no ssrgieef which wotfid reach II
Q fhe top story. number of women on ,
ne top floor were seen rushing to and from 1
ne ne windows, gesticulating wildly and stretch
ng 1orth their arms in mute appeals for help
hey broke the windows with their hands
md rried Tor assistance.
ne convent was very fashionable edu- ]
auonai institution, young ladies from va
lous parts in Southern Illinois, ST. Louis,
nj torelgn countries being among its stu
ents, Almost all the unfortunates at the
'1oo"s We're young ladies and here and there
mong them were seen the sisters he /,
oically striving to keep the panic -strick- !
n from dashing themselves upon the ,
rozen ground below. The lady superior
'as seen to move alternately between
lree rooms on the third floor, at the win
ows OF which seven Young ladies' were
landing. The fire was RAPIDLY approach !
lg them, but she could be seen passing from :
roup to group and exhorting them to re- {
laln where they were. Suddenly flame I
lot into one of the rooms, and two Young :
dleS occupying it were seen to fall back :
'om the window. At the same moment /,
lSter Jerome darted from the next window,
)llowed by the occupants of the room. three :
number. As they did SO a crash was !
card, and that room also beca me filled with
ames, and the floor collapsed Immediately =
terward
Shortly after these horrible occurrences '
mil D. Kohl and two others appeared upon - -
le scene with long ladder, which, after Z
me hard work, was placed against the front !
the building. 1t reached to the second :,
Dor and two men assembled it. By means of =
smaller ladder which they held in position =
e third floor was reached and number of r
e sisters and boarders were res =
led Sister Moderate about this time .
as found lying upon the ground \
the south side of the building, n
'ad. About this time, on the south side of P
e main building, two ladies not known to cl
e reScuers, were saved from the top of %
'randa, even with the second floor They ~
ld leaped from the story above, and in 7
cir fall on the roof were stunned, and wher Il Il
scovered were nearly frozen. A short y
dder was found, but it would hot reach ~
EN-. At this juncture the men o.
'N the he projeetion ] A'oI Of the eS'ips porch, i
lnaged to secure it, and the ladies Lh
re rescued. The flames were then rapidly DN
reading through the entire building, and
spite OF the efforts of the firemen the in IN
'ior of the building was soon consumed III
thing was left for the firemen to do except fh
save the walls. The wall on the west side IN
Is, however, doomed and it soon fell CARRYING tr
wn with it blazing timbers and fragments TO
d burying with its debris the bodies of SUI
my young ladies. On the fourth floor pu- ou
boarders with three of the sisters slept tex
the third floor the remaining sisters slept, by
on the second, or the floor above the tee
sement, what are termed orphans" aud CO..
alf-orphansn slept. On this second floor fol
} inmates escaped and were saved, The ste
er superior, three or four other sisters. Slc
4 about twenty-five pupils ranging from bu
hit years to adult age, lost their lives. Di
t,N