Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-01-07
Inmates Terror Stricken and Many
Jump From the Burning
Building.
No Provisions Made for Escape in Case
of Fire-Firemen Unable to Render
Any Assistance.

BELLErILLE, Ills, Jan. 6.
ST. Joseph's Catholic convent was burned
this morning. Five nuns jumped from toe
- fifth story window. One of them was killed
and the others will probably die.
ST. LOUIS. Jan. 6.
In the convent at Belleville, ILL.,, destroyed
by Ere last night, were GO pupils, all girls.
from ten years to adult age, several
teachers and a number of others.
The fire is said to have started in the
dormitory. 1t spread rapidly, and panic
seized both the children and sisters, all max
ing wild rush for escape. Forty or more
pupils are known to have escaped or were
taken from the building and given shelter in
neighboring houses, and several jumped from
windows and were either killed or badly in
jured. Miss May Campbell of st. Louis. a
teacher, leaped from the third story and died
in few minutes. Another, name not
known, climbed to the roof of the portico
and either fell or blown of, sustaining
fstal injuries. Among others injured by
jumping are Daisy Eberman. who resides
near Bellevile, Agnes SCHNEIDER and Lou
Mott of East St. Louis. Fannie Renker of
Washington, Mo-, Sisters Reparata, Styllata
and Manassas, Sister Mary Jerome, the
lady superior. and fifteen or twenty of the
smaller pupils are missing. Searching par
ties are actively at work today.
The fire department was of little avail
against the mad rush of the surging flames,
and in one hour the entire building was
mass of ruins.
The following dispatch from Belleville
ri. es furthe particulars of the burning of the
convent there last night The convent was
known as the Institute of Immaculate Con-
ception and was conducted by the sisters of
Notre Dame, The fire was the most des
tructive to life that Belleville has ever seen.
A visit to the scene this morning showed the
fire deartment on duty. When the ruins
were sufficiently cooled a volunteer corps
went to work laying out the bodies. 1t was
a terrible sight. At times the searchers
would find two or three charred masses hud-
died together as if the victims had sought
protection of one another from the advanc-
ing flames. Two bodies were found in the
rear part of the building burned into an I'M
recognizable mass, but many were found be-
meath where the dormitory was situated.
They seemed to have sought shelter in this
room too late to see that it was impossible
to escape. The flames beneath eating away
the support let down the floor INTO a seething
vortex of fire and smoke. The loss of life
is much greater than estimated last night.
Instead of two as first stated the total deaths
is twenty-seven, twenty-five pupils and five
sisters. Among the latter is Sister Superior.
On the fourth floor the pupil boarders with
three sisters slept On the third slept the
remaining sisters, and on the second or the
floor above slept what are termed the orphans
and half orphans. The inmates on the sec
ond floor were saved. The missing are:
Martha Manntell of Carondelet, Mo.
May Bartelles of Missouri.
Josephene Ploudre, daughter of County
Commissioner Ploudre, of Centreville Sta
ton, Ills.
Lolita Pearson, st. Louis.
Susie Wellman, st. Louis.
Emms Stark, Cerbondale, Ills
Mamie Scaling. st. Louis.
Agne Scaling, st. Louis.
Lizzie Isch. Centreville Station, Ills.
Louisa Thompson, Chester, Ills.
Mamie Pulee, Columbia, Ills.
Mamie Baily, Bellevile.
Hilda Hammel, Trenton, Ills
Emily Lombard, Trenton, Ills.
Virginia Heinzelman, Belleville.
Kitty Urbana, Vandalia.
Gertrude Strunk, Germania.
Mary Ben. Belleville.
Mary Manning. st. Louis
Delphia Ichlermitzeur, Belleville
Sister Superior Mary Jerome and Sisters
Medrida, Agnelia and Edwina.
Miss Bailey was the granddaughter of Col.
John Thomas of this city. Sister Mary Je-
BaTDara
He'll. She was born at Pittsburg, Pa
Sister Edwina was known as Bridget Nc
Caffrey, born in ireland,
Sister Agnelia was known as Margaret
Suburban, born in New Orleans
The fire was caused by the furnace IN the
basement and when discovered the floor
above was ablaze and volumns of smoke was
rapidly pouring in the stairways. corridors
and halls Of the building. BY the time the
sleepers were thoroughly aroused all the av-
enues Of escape were filed with smoke.
panic ensued and the scene that followed was
heartrending beyond description. The ex-
trem cold retarded the work of the fremep
and even if they could have reached the scene
without delay they would have been but lit
tie service in reaching the victims. There
we're no ladders in the fire department and
no provisions we're made for such a deplora-
BILE emergency by the managers of the con-
vent The unfortunate inmates, therefore.
we're poweriess to help themselves and those
who we're witness of the horrible holocaust
we're unable TO help them.
At4 r. N. eleven bodie. have been re-
covered from the ruins and sister. and friend,
of the victims succeeded in identifying Eve
The bodies could only be identified bv nor
tons of their clothes which had escaped the
flames All that remains of the famous con
vent il the charred. broken walls. The bod
les of several of the unfortunate victims are
yet in the debris
The building and IFS contents was yaIued
at from rs, 900 to 600; insurance s2S.-