Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1884-01-12
Fire and Death,
In the Burning Of a Convent
at Belleville, Ill.
TWcnty-Sevcn Girls and Women Lost.

The burning of the Institute of the
Immaculate Conception, Sisters of
Nortre Dame, at Belleville, Ill. last
Saturday night, is the first great
horror of 1884. Five Sisters and
twenty-five pupils are known to
have persisted in the roaring flames.
About sixty pupils were in the
school varying from ten years to full
grown, all girls, and several teach
ers and other inmates Of the build
ing. The fire is said to have started
in the rear of the third story which
was used as dormitory and an at
tempt was made by the sisters to
extinguish it, but this failing efforts
were made to remove the pupils,
but
THE FLAMES SPREAD SO RAPIDLY
that no order could bepreserved A
panic seized both childred and sisters
and there was wild, confused rush
to escape. Forty or more pupils are
known to have got out or were taken
from the building and given shelter
in the neighboring houses, but sew
eral in their fright jumped from the
windows and were either killed or
badly injured.
The following extract from a de-
scription of the search among the
ruins of the Belleville en- convent
Saturday will convey an idea of the
scene, and the horrible nature of the
work. The bodies were all near
each other, and the Mother Super
ior's body seemed to be the center
for CHASTITY circle of black remains.
A bone was picked up here, and up
on being drawn, came loose from
some particle of burned flesh. Here,
burned skull was found, and there,
an arm, while trunks burned into a
solid crisp were dug up Immediately
under them. 1t was awful exhuma-
ton, and more than one and fall
tered because of sickening sensa-
tions. 1t seemed that the horrid
heap would never be exhausted, and
every few minutes there was "A report
that new body had been taken out.
Shreds of burned clothing clung to
the sickening mass, and it was i'm
possible almost to find enough for
the identity of the bodies. The
fiery fingers of death had effaced
every line, and every shape and
countenance and form. The bodies
in Instances chung together, and the
picture it presented was absolutely
indescribable. Mary Jerome, the
Sister Superior Ut the Bellevllle con
vent, was well known in many paI is
of the country. She had given all
her life to the service of the church.
She was born forty four years ago in
Pittsburg, and was known in her
girlhood as Barbara Hull. Her par
ents were wealthy, and her education
progressed under the most favorable
circumstances. She passed through
the academic courses of the Sisters
of Mercy, at Baltimore, aud entered
the convent Of the Congregation of
Notre Dame at Milwaukee, when
sixteen years OF age, as il novice
She was most unselfsh and amiable
woman, beloved by every 'one who
knew her. When the file was rag
ing she might have saved herself, be-
ing in the dormitory, from which all
escaped except herself. When the
others descended the ladder to "a
place of safety, her only thought was
to save the lives of the children en-
trusted to her care. Her selfimpos-
ed task was fruitless, for all com
munication between the dormitory
Of the sisters and the dormitory OF
the children was cut off Icy flames
and suffocating smoke, and she pei :
ished in her heroic efforts.