The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1884-01-12
A HUMAN HOLOCAUST,
Twenty-eight Lives Sacrificed in
q Fire at Bellevllle LII.
Destruction Of tho Convent OF tho lmacu'
late Conception and the Horrible
Fate Of lis Inmates,

| tne southern uOlbl III lnb bpTlnR OF 1871
IL was reported last night that some
liyes were thought TO be lost, but II was
not thought that any such great calam'
ity had occurred. Tho Belleyllle fire de-
partment did their best, but owing Ia
poor equipment In the way OF ladders,
little could be done In the way OF saving
life. There WAS only ono ladder on the
scene, and that reached only 10 the
second story, while the inmatea were In
tho third and fourth stories, In fact,
when the engines reached tho tlrO the
entire convent building was a mass OF
flames. and the department turned their
attention TO saving the 81, Agnes Orphan
Asylum, 81. Peter's Church aud tho Har-
rison Agricultural Works, all close by
tho convent.
Following Ia an absolutely correct llst
OF the victims, compiled at q late hour
tonight, after the search OF tho ruins
had ceased, aud after every possible
| effort had been made TO flnd any OF those
who are classed 40 missing, The first
ak were pupils. Susie Winner, 81. Louis;
Gertrude Strunck, Belleyille: Mary Man
| ming, ~. Louis; Lizzie lach, Cenleryille
Station. ILL.,; Virginia Heingeman.
Belleyille; Mamie Hulse, Columbia, Mo.
Sister Superior Mary Jerome. Her name
was Barbara He'll. anu she was u native
OF Pittsburgh. Sister Modrata, In the
world Jennie Riley, OF Milwaukee. Mary
Campbell, teacher, OF East 81. Louis;
killed by jumping from u fourth story
widow. This makes nine dead identified.
-Four bodies were taken out to-day, the
Identity OF whom has 10 far been im-
possible.
The following are the missing. and
beyond all doubt are In the ruins, dead
Sister Edwina, In tho world Bridget
Shanahan, Of New Orleans; Dolphia
Schlermtzer, Beleyllle; Mary BlOn,
Bolleville; Kittie Urbana, Vandalla, ILL.,;
Emily Leonhardt, Trenton, ILL.,; Hilda
Hammel, Trenton, ILL.,; Minnie Baily,
Belleyille; Laura Thompson, Chester,
ILL.,; Agnes Sealing, ~. Louis; Mamie
| Sealing, 81. Louis; Emma Stark, Carbon
dale; Lottie PiersOn, ~, Louis; Josephine
Plendre, Centerville, ILL.,; Mary Bartels,
~. Louis; Martha Mauntel. Carondelet,
Mo.
There Ia not a shadow OF hope that
any OF those missing will be found alive.
From the situation OF the bodies when
found today, II waa evident that though
the building was all In flames when the
alarm was sounded, somebody must have
made the discovery inside tho building
and aroused the inmates, who were all
In bed. The Sister Superior had evil
IDENTIFY assembled the stairs from her own
room 10 the dormitory, where the chill
dren slept. and endeayored TO marshal
| and lead them down In some sort OF or
der, for they were found In q group on
the stairway ~ though the little ones
had been clustering around the noble
woman who was 10. herolcally endeayor'
Ing TO rescue them.
Tho scenes about the ilre were terrl-
bic In tho extreme. Those who escaped
were clad In the thinnest apparel, and
the weather was bitter cold, which rem
dered their suffering almost unbearable,
or the inmates only ten escaped injury,
and those have received u shock they
will never probably forget.
All day long body OF searchera have
been digging among the ruins, while
the Vicinity has been thronged with
thousands OF people from noighboring
towns, many Of whom II not u major.
ity, were parents, relatives or friends OF
tho Victims. The scenes during the day
have been pitiful to behold. Az dark
the search had 10 stop, owing 10 the
dangerous condition OF the walls. IL
will not be resumed until the walls
have been pulled down. Hundreds Of
people are ab0nt tho ruins tonight and
will remain there during the night, dc.
spite tho freezing weather, hoping and
watching for they know what.
ST. LOUIS, Jan. 6,--There were about
aixty pupils In the school, ranging from
ton years TO full grown, oil girls, aud
several teachers and other inmates OF
the building, Tho FIRE IL said TO have
started In tho rear OF the third story,
which was used ~ dormitory, and an
attempt was made by tho sisters TO ex'
tinguieh II, but this failing, efforts were
made 10 remove tho pupils.
The flames spread no rapidly however,
that no order could be preserved. Panic
seized both children and sisters, and
there was wild confused rush 10 o.
cape. Fifty or more pupils arc known
To have got out or were taken from the
building and given shelter In neighbor-
Ing houses, but several In their fright
jumped from tho windows, and were oil.
thor killed or badly Injured.
visit 10 the scene this morning found
tho lire department still on duty, en-
deayoring to quench the flames. 10 ~ 10
preserve In recognizable shape tho bod.
los OF the Victims. When tho ruins were
| sufficiently cooled a volunteer corps OF
men went 10 work 10 bring out the bod
los. II was q terrible sight. Az times
tho searchers would and two or three
charred masses huddled together. seem
ingly seeking projection In one another
from the advancing and terrible flames.
Two bodies were found In tho rear partof
tho building burned into an unrecognlz.
able mass, but tho majority were found
beneath where tho dormltory was sItua'
| tod. They seemed TO have sought shel.
| ter In this room. Too late they recog-
nized that their escape was impossible.
| The flames beneath were entlng away
tho supports and lot down tho door In.
| 10 the peothing mass OF llre ana smoke.
| The loss OF life Ia much greater than
mentioned In Inst nights brief dispatch.
Instead OF being two, as frat supposed,
| tho total OF known deaths is twenty.
sevon--twenty.two Of which aro pupils
and Ave sisters. Among tho latter 10
the Sister Superior.
On the fourth floor the pupil boarders,
with three sisters, slept. On tho third
door the remaining alstors slept, and on
the second aoor above tho basement,
what are termed tho orphans and half.
orphans slept. On this aud the second
floor the Inmates ssoarsd and were saw
I'll.