New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-07
WINS AND PUPILS BURNED
. NIGHT SCENE OF TERROR AND DEATH
,yr ROMAN CATHOLIC CONVENT At BfLLh> ihH'
Ill. .pHsTRoYED-TwENTi SIX LIVES Lo'i'
Try TELEGRAPH TO THE TRInUNE.l

holocaust that has occurred near O'' N -
soutberu Hotel fire was the burning oi lne C" ~,
wont of the Immaculate Conception a' D'"o' nv
III last night. No less than twenty-six persons
.ro ,eported missing and must have been ouihe"
- Al dark tonight fourteen bodies have Deeh
saaorered These were terribly charred, ana lhose
;dentiied were only recognized by parts OF cio'h-
: which had ESCAPED the fire. This convent WAS
- odrca+ional institution belonging TO the sisters
f Notre Dame arich Roman Catholic organization
The building was of brick, 1onr storieS
IN height and the pupils and Sisters occupied the
third floor as a donnitory. The windows OF thiS
floor are full fifty feet from the ground.
when the inmates of the dormitory were aroused
hv the cry of f,e, given by James Stout, watch
man at the Harrison Machine Works, VINO was 'io
first to see the blaze, they rushed to the doo ieau
ing into the Railways, which were the ohy iloanS
of oxit from the building. They found these doors
I,,o1 The fre-engine house is only two blocks
fron, the convent and the fremen were Qulckm III
reaching the scene.
EFFORTS OF THE FIREMEN,
,bov immediate V ran TO the main doors'
hnrst them in, and then ran up tne
balIwavs intending to help hDerale lhe
children and women who were in the third story
Arriving at the latter point, they, too, found the
doors leading into the dOrmitOry locked, ana the
children screaming for help The hTenen lrleu 10
hurst in the doors, but without avail lh'y lo
turncd to the street and procuring Dars Oh 'ron "'
q oblacksmith's shop near by they returned 10 inc
t1,ird aoor and tried to batter the doors. While
engaged at this work, the shohe anu
danes drove them from their position. The nm
.~~ia,rod inmates were now called to take to the
windows and at the cry large number OF glr's
dressed in their night-clothes focked to the
,indovrs and stood gazing at the crowd below, who
cried to them to jump for their lives
JUMPING FOR THEIR LIVES.
Mary Campbell was the first to try the almost
homeless leap. and she fell to the pavement her
body was hastily removed TO the Harrison Machine
Works where after few gaSps she expired Daisy
Fberman managed to crawl through the windows
nf the third floor. only to ma
perllous position on the cOrnice over the man
doorway She there remained for quite long time
sbrieking for succor from the heat within and the
cold without At last the confined smoke aud flame
bprst from the windows around her and she fell to
the oronnd but her fall was broken by two men,
who stood with outstretched arms to receive her.
She was not seriously hurt One gentleman cooler
than the rest and knowing where to procure a long
ladder from the rear of the premises, with
the aid of others soOn had 1t IN position
et the front of the building, doing gallant service.
II reached the second floor and two stout men as
cended IT, and with another smaller ladder reached
the third door and provided escape for a number
of the sisters and boarders.
SISTER MoDERATE's DrATH.
Sister Moderate about this time was found lying
upon the ground on the south side OF the building
mute dead II is thought that she fell from ii
window or that side of the building. About this
fine on the south side of the main building Two
ladies' not known the rescuers ere saved from the
ton of verandah even with the second iloor They
doubtless leaped from the story above and in their
fall on the roof stunned, and when discovered
were nearly frozen. A short ladder found, but
il could not reach them. At this uncture two gem
tlemen secured ladder and placing it on the pro-
lection of the porch managed TO secure it, and the
ladies were rescued. At this time the flames were
Rapidly spreading, and III spite of the brave
efforts of the fir'men to stay their progress, the
inside of he building surrendered To the ire
md nothing was left for the frcmeu do except to
ronfne the hames if possible, and save the walls.
The wall on the west side was, however, doomed,
and it soon FELL carrying down with il blazing tim
bers and fragments, aud burryIng with its debris
the bodies of many.
ESTIMATE OF THE LOSS OF LIFE.
Last night, while the fire was burning, it i'm !
possible TO estimate the number of lives lost, but
this morning tLrtv-sx were found to he missing, |
and this after the most careful inquiry. All day |
mon were at work looking for the bodies of |
the dead and every little while the charred remains
body of some victim was brought to the surface. |
Up to dusk thirteen bodies had been recovered. !
The bodies could only be Identified by |
their clothing or rather portions of their |
clothes, which having been saturated |
with water, escaped the flames. Among those |
reported missing are Martha Naunte, Carondeet, |
Mo-; Mary BdrtelS, Missouri; Josephine PlOulrc. |
da""hter Of County Commissioner PlOudTe, Centre
vi Station; Lotta PiersOn, ST. Louis: Susie !
WI, ar, ST. Louis; Emma Stark, Carbondale;
M Sealing, Cark-avo., st. Louis;
Az Sealing, Clark-aye ; st. LOuis;
Liz Isch, Centreville Station; Laura Thompson, |
Cbe II; Mamie Pulse. Columbia Minnle Bailey |
Bel lille; Hida Hammel, Trenton Emily Leon
hardt Trenton : Virginia Heinzelman, Belle
vile; Kitty ALBANIA, Vandalia Mary |
Manning, st. LOUIS Delphia Schlernitz-
ader. Beeville Sister Superior Mary jerome, and |
Sister Agnela Edwina.
WHO SOME OF TIE Pupils WE'RE.
Among the bodies positively identified are those |
Of Misses Wemar, Starck, Manning, Heiu2clman, |
1sch, Pulse Nauutc POure and Schcincr OF the |
missing pupils Miss Agnes Scaling had only been in
the convent two days, and She was only TAX |
ing lessons in painting. Miss Lizzie Isch /
was the sister Of Mrs. Joseph Yoch |
of Carondclet. Miss Laura Thompson was the |
daughter of the chaplain of the Chester Peniten- /
''' '' "'i'luuc SldIck hau only been an IN /
mate lor Two days. Miss Virginia ncinzcl- |
man was the daughter of Mr.. Heinzelruan. a /
wei known carnage dealer of tins city, and Miss |
Bailey was granddaughter of Colone; JJobu |
Thomas, of this city. Miss Delphia scllemitzadcr
was niece of Esquire Henry Guentz, of this civ
Sister Mary jerome was known in the world A.
Barbara Hell and born in Pittsburg; Sister
Moderate known rs Jennie Riley
born near Milwaukee; Sister Edwina as
Bridget McCahcry, born in Ireland and Sister
Agnelia, as Margaret Shannahan born in New
Orleans. The condition of the survivors could not
r. learned. Daisy Erwin was slightly injured |
Agues Schneider jumped from window without !
sustaining dangerous injuries; Lon Mott Was quite
badly hurt; Lena Horn and Fannie l}Iiuker y,.r. /