Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1884-01-09
TWO HORRORS.
Details Of the Frightful Calamity
at Belleville, Illinois.
Twenty Five Girl Pupils Meet a
Dreadful Death in the Flames.
Scenes OF Agony to Appail the
stoutest Heart..Another Holo.
caust in q Jail--FOur
Prisoners Suff0cated.

BELLEvILLE, ILL.,, Jan. S.-The convent OF
the Immaculate Conception at this place was
totally destroyed by fire at late hour Sat
urday night amid scenes of death and horror
that would appan the strongest heart. Five
sisters of the, Notre Dame, who were
teachers In the institute, and twenty-five
pupils, all of whom were girls ranging from
10 to 20 years of age, are known to have lost
their lives in the flames. Many Others were
injured more or less severely by jumping
from the windows of the third or fourth
story to the frozen ground.
1t is not known exactly how the fire
started The first report was that it origin
ated in the third story, which was used as a
dormitory. An attempt was made by the
sisters to extinguish it, but without success
The latest and most probable theory is that it
broke out near the boiler in the basement
When it was discovered the floor above was
ablaze and volumes of smoke were rolling up
and filling the stairways, halls, and corridors
of the building By the time the sleeping
inmates were thoroughly aroused all avenues
of escape seemed to be cut off by blind
ing smoke and flames. Then a panic
ensued, attended by scenes so heartrending
that even the Imagination can scarcely
picture them. Forty or more OF the pupils
and teachers, in spite Of the terror and wild
confusion, succeeded in getting out of the
building unharmed, and were given shelter
from the icy wind in neighboring houses
Their companions were far less fortunate
Many remained in the dormitory, and, rem
dered helpless by fright, persisted without an
attempt to escape. Others rushed to the
windows, and, appalled, at the prospect of
leaping to an almost certain death, drew
back and were either suffocated by the thick
smoke or died in the flames Some, braver
than the rest, jumped from the upper
windows and were either killed or badly in
jured. Miss Mary Campbell, teacher Of
East st. Louis, leaped from the third story
and died in few minutes. Another, whose
name was not ascertained, climbed to the
roof and either fell or was blown off. She
was fatally injured.
The fire spread with great rapidity and
the fire department was of little avail. The
streets in the vicinity were througed with
people anxious to be Of service. They could
do nothing but stand and look on or listen in
silence to the appeals of terror-stricken
parents rushing frantically around
looking for their children or wailing
over their supposed loss. Within an
hour from the time the fire was dis
covered the famous convent Of the Immacu-
late Conception was reduced to ashes and a
few charred and broken walls. As soon as
possible the work of recovering the remains
of the victims was begun. The firemen poured
water on the remains until daybreak, so as to
ouench the embers and preserve recog
nizable shape the bodies of the unfortunate
women. Then volunteers were called for,
and during the day large force OF men
were at work in the ruins.
It was terrible sight. At times the
searchers would find two or three charred
masses huddled together, as if seeking each
others protection from the advancing flames.
Two bodies were found in the rear part of the
building, burned into an unrecognizable
mass, but the majority were found beneath
where the dormitory was situaGed. They
seemed to have sought shelter in this room
when they recognized that escape was impos-
sible. The flames beneath, eating away the
supports, let down the floor with those upon
it into the seething vortex Of fire and smoke.
The pupil boarders and three sisters slept on
the fourth floor; on the third floor . "
manning sisters slept, and on the floor all;
the basement the orphans and half-orpha.ls
slept. Those on this floor escaped.
The following Is list Of the killed, missing
and injured as far az is known: Killed and
missing-Sister superior Mary Jerome, born
in Pittsburg and known to the world as Bar
baro He'll; Sister Modnina. born in Milwau-
kee and known as Jennie Riley; Sister Ed
wilma, born in Ireland and known as Bridget
McCaffrey; Sister Angela, born in New Or
leans and known as Margaret Shanahan;
Martha Mauntel, of Carondulet No., Mary
Bortells, Missouri; Josephine Plondre, daugh-
ter of County Commissioner Plondre of Cen
treville station, ILL., Lotta Pierson, st. Louis;
Susie Welmer, st. Louis; Emma Stark, Car
bondale, ILL.,; Mamie Sealing, st. Louis;
Agnes Sealing, st. Louis; Lizzie Isch, Centre
vile station; Laura Thompson, Chester, I'LL; /;
Mamie Pulee, Columbia, ILL.,. Minnie Bailey,
Belleville; Hilda Hammel, Trenton, ILL., !;
Emily Lionhardt, Trenton; Virginia Heinzel-
man, Belleville; Kittie Arbana, Vandalia;
Gertrude Strunck, Germany; Mary Bien,
Belleville :. Mary Manning, st. Louis; Delphia
Schler,nitzeur, Belleville; Mary Campbell,
East St Louis.
The Injured. Eberman, Belleville,
slightly; Agnes Schneider, not dangerously;
Lou Lott, East st. Louis, badly hurt; Fanny
Renker, Washington, Mo-, seriously; Sister
Reparta Sister Stylita, Sister Manussa, Dena
Horn, seriously hurt.
Among the saved were the following candi-
dates for the veil: Miss Josephine, Miss
Bridget, Miss Johanna, Miss Gretchen and
Miss Eliza: also the following pupils: Proxie
Schlernitzer, Mamie Fitzgerald, Anna
frankie, Maggie Donohue, Ora Montgom-
cry and Emily Tournie.
At o'clock in the afternoon eleven bodies
had been recovered from the ruins and the
sisters and friends of the unfortunates had
succeeded in identifying the following: Miss
Welmer, Miss Manning, Miss Heinzelman,
Miss Isch, and Miss Pulee. The bodies could
only be identified by the clothing, or, rather,
by the shreds of clothing, which having been
saturated with water, had escaped the flames
The loss on the building and furniture is
estimated at between s650O0 and 5000
The insurance is $25, 900.
The pupils had only returned from their
Christmas vacation Monday, and few tardy
arrivals are indebted to their remissness for
their lives which were preserved to them.
There are sad stories related in connection
with the fire. The youngest girl-little Proxie
SchlernezaurAis but years of age. 10 was
reported that the sister superior had saved
the little one, but later it was found that she
had attempted to save Proxie but sacrificed
her own life in the effort.
Mary Campbell, one of the inmates, was
seen to climb out Of one of the windows Of
the wing, and, reaching the roof, cling to the
brazen cross which was stationed there. The
flames soon reached that section Of the build.
ing, and, fainting, the brave young girl fell
to the ground below and was instantly killed
The blaze was first discovered as follows:
August Love, watchman at the Harris ma.
chino works, Yves the first one to see the fra