The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-01-08
Slekenlng Scenes-CAusc OF the Flre,

SlchchlHb oCthth- NaHsc VI Ah0 AsNs
ST. LOUIS, Jan. G.-The connvet Of the
sisters of Notre Dame. at Belloyllle, Hi.
nois, was burned at II o'clor last night In
volying The loss OF from 100000 10 Sl2o,-
600 The details are sui meagre. There
wee about sixty pupils In the school rang
Ing from ten years 10 those iul grown.
The pupils wer' all girls, AID several teach
ors were the other inmates Of the building.
The fire is said to have started In the rear
Of the third story, which was used as a dor
mitory and an attempt was made by the
sisters TO extinguish u, but, this failing,
Efforts wero then made 10 remove The pu-
pills. The flames spread so rapidly that no
order could be preserved. panic seZed
both children aud sisters ard there was
Wild confused rush 10 escape. Forty
OF more pupils are known to have soften
out or were taken from the building and
given shelter in the nCighhoring houses,
but several in their fright jumped from the
windows and were either killed or BADLY
hurt. Miss Mary Campbell, a teacher, OF
ST. Louis, leaped from the third story and
died In a few minutes. Another n9Wo not
ascer,ained, c!imed to the roof OF the
portico and either jumped or was blown OF
aud was fatally Injured. Among the others
Injured by jumping are Daisy Ebefman,
residence four miles from Beleyille: Arnes
Schneider, Lou Mott, East So. Louis; Fan
ME Riuker, Washington, Missouri; Sister
Reparata, Sister Stylits, Sister Manussa.
Fifteen TO twenty smaller pupils, also Sis
ter Mary Jerome. the lady superior were
missing at late hour last night, and II was
feared that some OF them had perished In
the building. Searching parties are &C
! lively vt work to-day.
widest excitement and terror. The streets
in the vicinity were throDged with people
anxious to no OF service, but owing 20 the
rapid spread OF the fla 'nes they were help.
less, while terror.stricSen parents rushed
frautically around searching for their miss
ing children and waiting over their aup-
posed loss. The fire department was of lit
tie avail against the mad rush Of the surg
! ing flames aud in an hour tho entire build
! ing was mass OF rut1s.
! Another report says: The fire started
! from furnace in the basement, and thie
seems most probable as the flames spread
upward cutting oil most OF the exits and
compelling some OF the pupils and sisters
10 leap from the windows.
ST. LOUIS, Jan. ca dispatch Just re-
ceiyed from Belleyile says the bodies OF
twenty-two pupils and five tenohers, in
GLIDING the mother superior, are recovered
or known 10 BIO in the ruins.
A LATER ACCOUNT.
ST.. LOUIS, Jan. 6.-The following dis.
patch from Bellevile 10 the associated press
gives further particulars Of the calamity:
The fire at the convent OF Notre Dame
last night was the most destructive OF lite
and property that Belleville has ever ex-
rerienced. This morning found the ire
department still on duty, eudeavoring to
quench the flames go as to preserve In re
cognilable shape the bodies OF the victims.
When the ruins were sufficiently cooled
q volunteer corps OF men went to work
bringing out the bodies. The sight was
terrible. at times the searchers would fnd
two or three charred masses huddled close
together, seemingly seeking protection in
enc another from the advancing
and terrible flames. Two bodies
we're found in the rear part, burned
into an unacceptable mass, but m or
ity were found beneath the SPOT whers the
dormitory was situated. They seemed to
have light shelter in this room aud TO
have too late recognized that their escape
was impossible. The flames beneath eat
ing away the supports let down the floor
into the seething vortex OF fire and smoke.
Instead Of being twenty-five as at first
supposed, the total known deaths is
twenty seven. twenty-five of which are pu-
pills and five sisters. Among the latter is
the sister superior. On the fourth floor
ths pupil noarders with three sisters slept;
on the third floor the remaining sisters
slept, and on the second, or floor above the
basement, what are termed orphans and
the inmates escaped or were saved. The
following isa
LIST OF THE SAVED.
Roxle Schernitgner,
Mamie Fitzgerald,
AnDs Frabkey,
Maggie Donohue,
Orva Montgomery,
Emily Fournie.
On this floor also were the following oau.
tidatas for the veil WHO esCaDed.
Miss Josephine,
Miss Bridget,
Miss Johanna,
Miss GTetchan,
Miss Eliza.
THE MISSING.
The missing are as follows.
Martha Mauntel, Carondelet, Missouri;
Mary Bartes, Missouri;
Josephine Ploudre, daughter OF County
Commissioner Ploudre, Centreville station,
Illinois;
Lolita Pierson, st. Louis;
Susie Welmar, st. Louis,
Emma Stalk, Carbondale, Illinois.
Mamie Sealing, st. Louis;
Agnes Sealing, Bt. Louis;
Lizzie Isch, Centreville Station;
Laura Thompson, Chester Illinois;
Mamie Pulse, Columbia, Illinois;
Minnie Bai'ey. Bslleville;
Hulda Hanmett, Trenton, Illinois,
Emily Leonhardt, Trsnton.
Virginia Heizelman, Belleville;
Kttie Urbsns, Vandalia;
Gertrude Strupck, Germany;
Mary Brier, Bsllevllle.
Mary Manning, st. Louis:
Delphia SchelernitZne-, Belleville;
Sister Superior Mary Jerome.
Sister Agnelia;
Sister Edwina.
Miss Barley wa7 a granddaughter OF COL
John Thomas of this city.
Sister Mary Jerome was known In the
world as Barbara Neil. She was from
Pi,tsburg, Pennsylvania. Sister Modr,ds'
known ms Jennie Riley, was born near MIL |
waukee. Sister Edwina was known rs
Bridges MoCaffrey and was born in Ire
land. Sister Agnelis, who was known as
Margaret Shannahsn, was born In new of-
leans.
The fire had It's origin In furnace = the
basement, and when discovered, the hoor
Immediately above was snlaze, ara
volumes OF smoke were rapidly pouring
through the stairways, corridors and halls
BY the time the sleepers were thoroughly
aroused, all avenues OF escape were hiied
with binding smoke. Then
panic ensued, and IL is for the
Imagination to paint the sorrowfui and
hesrtrending picture. Extreme cold re-
II they could have reached the scene with
out delay they could have been OF little
service in rtscuing the victims. There are
no ladders IN the FIRE department and no
provisions for such deplorable emergency
had been made by the managers oil the IN
stitutioB. The unfortu pate inmates, shtre-
fore 1. ere poverlfes 10 relieve themeeiFes.
and those who were witnesses Of the horri
bic holocaust were unl5ie 10 assist then.
The manner Of the escape Of each OF the
snrvivors could nor as learned. Daisy /
Ehermsn was eighty injured; Agnes