Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1884-12-25
A THRILLING SCENE.


Fire Sweeps Away Catholic Institute for
Orphans In Brooklyn-Fears that Sever
Z nj Children and One Sister of Mercy
Lost Their Lives-Nearly Eight Hundred
Fatherless Children Turned Adrift In n
snow-Storm.
New York, Dec. 19.-The Catholic
Male Orphan Asylum, at St Marks and Al
bany avenues, Brooklyn, burned yesterday
afternoon, and it is feared some of the chill
dren persisted in the flames. The sisters in
charge think all escaped, but can not
tell until the roster of boys Is
called. The little fellows are now
scattered about In care of residents I'm the
neighborhood. The fire started In the
drylng-room, which adjolned the southern
end of the main building This drying-room
also contained the boilers and heating appa-
ratus, with dormitory on the third floor in
which there were sixty orphans suffering
from various complaints. Sister Mary
Josephine, who was In the dormitory at the
time the fire broke out, made heroic efforts
to save the little ones. She remained in the
room until absolutely driven out by the
flames Then she ran to the window, where
she stood upon a cornice until fireman
from the roof of the building swung his
coat 10 her. The sister caught the coat, but
when the fireman tried to pull her from her
perilous position she lost her grasp and fell
to the ground, striking upon her shoulder
and head She was conveyed to ST. Cathe-
rines Hospital in an unconscious condition.
Joseph Ryan, boy, tried to descend by a
ladder from the same floor-the third. lie
got within eight feet of the ground, when
the ladder parted. He received severe in
juries. John McGrath, eight years old,
jumped from the third story and was badly
injured.
Mother de Chante and Sister Anthony
were In the Office when the fire was discov-
cred. They at once gave the alarm and
proceeded to get the children out of the
building.
There were 7s5 orphans in the maiu
building, which is also known as St Johns
Home. They were told to leave the home
and seek shelter in any neighboring house
until called for. Hundreds of the little
fellows ran out into the falling snow, hat
less and coatless. The flames spread with
great rapidity, and the buildings were al
most completely destroyed. The asylum
and grounds occupied the entire block. The
asylum building was 21O by $50 feet, three
| stories high, with mansard roof, and wal
constructed of blue-Stone.
There were about Thrifty sisters in the
asylum, and number of them went out
with the boys, but it:was impossible to keel
| the little fellows together. They sought
refuge in car-stables, dwellings, saloons
ant spsty pe e RS c6 BIZ h Ysye nRnG
and Albany avenues. Many of them were
| thinly clad, but were soon provided with
clothing of one kind or another by the
| neighbors.
One of the boys in the asylum said the fire
was caused by another boy who went into
the drying-room with lighted candle and
accidentally set some clothes OH fire. The
| flames, the boy said, leaped up in a moment
and all who were in the room ran out.
Father Eugene p. Mahoney, who was In
charge of the building, thinks all the chill
dren escaped. He gives credit to the fire
men for their work.
1t was announced at late hour last
night that Sister Mary Josephine, who fell
| from a third story window, was dead.
There were fire-escapes on the inside
courts, but beyond this there were no APP
| planes for saving life or eXtinguishing {
| possible fire. The wooden mansard roo
and massive wooden tower, with higl
wind at the time, contributed much TOWARD
the destruction of the asylum.