The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-08
SEARCHING FOR THE DEAD.
MOurnful and Sickening Scenes Among
the Ruins at Belleville.
The Frightful Sacrifice of Human Life
Caused by Lack Of Fire Apparatus
Narratives of Survivors.
Specials to st. Louis Papers.

Institute of the Immaculate Conception Inc
walls were covered with ice, through which the
blaekened bricks could be seen like blackboard
behind plate of glass. The eastern wing OF the
building was but heap of Recovered debris,
and through the cold covering Of the windows
in the first and second stories little streams OF
white smoke curled out all day. In the base
ment the fire burned fercely all day
and the cracking of the fire beneath the ice,
and the dull, red glow to be seen through the
lower windows reminded one of an arctic
volcano. The day was cold and gloomy, adding
additional desolation to the seene and from
mornings dawn till evenings close throng of
Mortified people stood around the slippery
streets and looked at the ruins discussing the
holocaust in undertones. When the bells of the
churches of the city rang for services in the
morning they rang a requiem for twenty-six poor
souls and the smoke that foated languidly to the
smoky sky, seemed laden with the horrors and
the sorrows of the relatives of those who had
died in the institution. Within the walls of the
ruins there was nothing to be seen but piles of
brick charred beams and twisted iron pipes
coated with ice. Walking among the ruins one
felt that he was walking over great grave and
a sickening sensation seemed to force itself upon
the venturesome ones who delved in the ruins
of a castle filed with the spirit of the dead. The
wind shook the walls and numbed the fingers of
those who early in the day had begun the horri-
BILE task of exhuming the bodies. number of
men, armed with picks and shovels, worked like
Trojans among the debris during the morning
and afternoon.
Occasionally the turning over of a single
charred piece of board would expose to view
steaming black mass Of flesh, from which came
an odOr such as none save ghouls or cannibals
know. Directly under the corridors in the cen
ter of the building and under the stairs the
workmen came upon a heap of backened bones
and charred flesh where the pupils had persisted
miserably, like number of poor cattle. An
arm protruded from between the bricks and
ashes with the flesh burned from the fingers or
roasted to crispness. Again leg appeared, and
then long conglomerate heap was picked out
and carried away, with fragments of brick and
mortar and ashes clinging to it. Heap after
heap like this came to view and was carried
away TO the improvised charnel-house. followed
by the horror stricken glances of the multitude.
i3y the mere piece of cloth around heap of
roasted flesh the fragment was identified
as being a portion of the corpse of the
Mother Superior The cloth had her mi
tials stamped thereon. This was taken
away, and other pieces near by were
laid by it. In the charnel-house these pieces.
twisted and broken, and with red streaks APP
pearing in the dark mass clinging to the incline
rated bones, were laid away under bench, with
label in a rude, scrawling hand, Mother Supe-
rior.h Another body, that of a little girl was
taken out almost intact with the exception that
the fOrearms and lower limbs were missing. The
little backbone was twisted and broken, and
whitened bones were forced through the black
flesh. The arms were thrown up over the head
as though death had come upon the victim in
this last gesture of despair. The head and face
were unacceptable save from the fact that
row of white teeth cleaned from the dark set
ting between the parted lips. There was moth
o Nv VIII a GtT DpQV tQl tO wis GOIIl
this CHASTITY heap had once served as a tenement.
A black mass, without shape, was taken from
the debris, ana by some little piece of clothing
cingng thereto was identified as the body of
Miss Isch In this spot to the center of the rear
of the main building work was confined all
morning and until late hour in the afternoon.
CENTER FOR THE CHASTITY HEAP.
The bodies were all near each other and the
Mother Superior's body seemed to be a centerfor
the CHASTITY circle of black remains. A bone was
picked up here, and upon being drawn, came loose
from some particle of roasted flesh. Here
burned skull was found. and there an arm, while
trunks burned into solid crisp were dug up i'm
mediately under them. 1t was an awful exhuma-
ton, and more than once the work fatered be
cause of the sickening sensations which over
came the wor.kmen. 1t seemed that the horrid
heap would never be exhausted, and every few
body had been taken out. Shreds of burned
clothing chung to the sickening mass. 1t was
impossible almost to find the identity fthe body,
the fiery fingers of death having effaced every
line and every shape of cOuntenance and form.
The bodies in instances, chung together, ard the
heap, as it was uncovered to the eye, was abso
lutely indescribable.
The sisters, standing in the hospital with wet
eyes watched the cha1red cOrpses go by mourn
fully to the charnel house, the souls which had
been given to their care having assembled to
heaven with the smoke from the awful sacrifice.
Judging from the position in (which the bodies
wore found, it is morally certain that escape was
near at hand when death came upon the helpless
group of women.
The Mother Superior had forced her way from
the sisters dormitory to that of the children, and
had led them along the smoky corridor to the
windows looking out upon the rear of the build
ing. Here the fame and the smoke came upon
the group There was death above, below, be-
hind and before. Death was in the air, and the
unfortunate group of human beings, the pride of
fond hearts, the rocks upon which strong castles
of hope were built, falling to the burning floors,
expired within sight of the free air outside and
with the crucifix standing in the rear garden
lighted with the glow from the burning prison.
They had even got to the windows, and their
pathetic screams for help were to be heard above
the demoniacal cracking of the fire around them.
They could see the white. upturned, plying
faces looking toward them, with helplessness
written in every countenance They could see
the iremen with short ladders making gigantic
exertions to accomplish a task too great for
them. They could see the hose playing below
them. They could see that there was life, air,
and hope for them outside They saw that they
could not escape. The screams dwindled away,
and soon but one or two came from that flaming
furnace in heart rending tones Then the red
flames darted out of the windows where the
white robed forms had been standing They
roared and Kissed like serpents. The floors
went down, and silence reigned over the scene.
grand, picturesque tragedy was enacted
there within few hours, and mans helplessness
in battling with the elements he would fan con
troll once more illustrated together with
the wondrous ways of that Being who do
eth all things well and unto His own
ends. Parents who had children at the
institution fiocked there in numbers, and
hoped against hope that the form of
some dear daughter would not be found among
tho ruins. Who're were heavy hearts and fearful