The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-01-12
WAXING ONLY TO DIE.
A eRlcHreuL FIRE m A CONVENT.
Burning Of the lminacuiatc Conception In
stitute ut Bellevilie, Iii.-Thirty-
Two Girls aud suns Perish
Terrible Scenes.
A TERRIBLE HOLOCAUST.

night i've SISTERS Oh -Nutlt I'diIc. VIE were
teachers in the institaiy. and invent 1.-TWO
pupils, all OF whom were giIl> ranging from
ten to twenty years ui age, are known 10
have lost their lives in the flames. Many
others were injured more or less severely by
jumping from the Windows % the third o:
f0uit, story TO the frozen ground beneath.
IL is not known exactly hJw the hre
started. The first report was that ii origi
mated In the third story, which was used rs d
dOmitOry. An attempt was made by the
sisters to extinguish It, but without success.
The latest and most probable theory Is that
IL broke out near the boiler IN the basement
Whom 1t was first discovered the floor above
was ablaze and volumes Of smoke were
rolling up and filling tie stalrways, halls
and corridors Of the building. by
the time the sleeping inmates were
aroused all avenues Of escape
seemed 10 be cut of by binding smoke and
flames. Then Il panic cn-Ue'l, attended by
scenes 10 heartrnding that even the imaEi-
nation can scarcely picture ibchi. Forty or
more of the pupils and teachers. 1t! 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 compan-
ions were far less fortunate. Many
remained In the dormitOry, and ren-
dered helpless by fright, perisled with
out making an attempt to escape. Others
rushed to the window, and. appalled,
at the prospect Of leaping 10 an almost Ger
tain death, drew back and were either spi.
located By the thick smoke or died in the
6ames. Some, drawer than the rest, jumped
from the upper windows and were either
killed or badly injured. Miss Mary Camp
bell, O teacher. OF East ST. Louis, leaped
from the third story and died in u few
minutes. Another, whose name was not
ascertained, climbed TO the root and either
tell or was blown OIL. She was fatally in
jured.
The fire spread with great rapidly and
the fire department was Of little avail. The
extreme cold retarded the work of the fire
men, and even IL they could have reached
the scene without delay they could have
been Of but little service In rcscuing the
victims a'here ave no ladders In the fire
department. and 10 provisions for such
depl0nble emergency had been made by
the managers Of the convent. The
unfortunate Inmates were, therefore,
unable to help themselves, and those who
were witnesses Of the horrible holocaust
were powerless TO help them. The streets
in the Vicinity were thIonged 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 sup
posed loss.
Within an hour from the time the Gre was
discovered the famous convent of the I'M
maculate Conception was reduced To ashes
and few charred and broken walls. AS
sOon as possible the work of recovering the
remains of the,victims was begun. Tho
hremen poured water on the ruins until day
break, no as 10 quench the embers and pre-
serve in recognizable 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.
The following Is a list Of the killed, miss
ing and injured az far as Is known:
Killed and missing Sister Superior, Mary
Jerome. born in Pittsburgh ana known "
the world as Barbara He'll; Sister Moinida.
born near Milwaukee, and known rs Jennie
Riley; Sister EdWina, born in Ireland and
known as Bridge. McCaiirey; Sister Agnclia,
born In New OiIeans and known as Mar
garet Shanahsn; Martha Mauntol, Caron.
delet, Mo-; Mary Bartells, Missouri; jose.
phine PlOudIe, daughter OF County Commits
siOner PlOudre, of Centrevi!!e Station. LII. {;
Lolita Pierson, st. Louis; Susie Werer, St
Louis; Emma Stark, Carbondaic, H.;
Mamie Sealing, St Louis; Agnes Sealing,
st. Louis; Lizzie lSch, Centervillc Station;
Laura Thompson, Chester, H.; Mamie
Pulee, Columbia, H.: Minnie Bailey, Belle
Vile, ILL.,; ililda llalnnel, Trenton, Iii. I;
Emily LiOnhardt, Trenton; Virginia Helm
Delman, Bellevlle; Kittie AIbana, Van
dalia; Gertrude Strunck, Germany; Mary
Bien, Belleville; Mary Manning. St Louis;
Delphia Schlermitzcur, Belleville Mary
Campbell. East st. Louis.
Tho injured--Daisy Ebcrman. Bellevil!e,
slightly; Agnes Schneider, not dangerously;
Lou Lott, East st. Louis, badly hurt Fan
ny Ronker, Washington. Mo-, seriously;
Sister Reparta, Sister Stylita, Sister Manus.
"a. Dena Horn seriously hurt.
The loss on the building ana furniture is
estimated at between $6j, 600 and $4,000
The insurance is $4,000.
Father Cough of 81. Peters Church, who
witnessed the dreadful holocaust, says
THE one bright feature OF the dark and
dreadful doom with which the convent was
visited Is the hcroism and ma,tyrdom of the
Sister Superior. As soon rs the FIRE was
discovered she rushed through thick su(lo-
eating smoke 10 the dUruiiJories occupied by
the young ladies on the third lloor, and
awakened them All were ordered 10 con.
gregate In room directly over the main en-
trance to the convent, and she informed the
frightened girls that ladders would be Gle
vcted and they would be saved Through
the binding smoke the sister went down on
the second floor in search OF more pupils
and while there she had all excellent Opp0r-
tunity TO escape, but rejected all requests,
and again picked her way amid the flames
and smoke back TO the room on the Thru
floor where the pupils and sisters Were con-
gregated. No ladders could be found that
could reach the third story. The longes,
barely touched the second-storv window. |
by this time the fire and smoke had cIit of
all retreat, and, as there was nobody |
around with presence OF mind, |
The loud cries ior salvation !
went unheard. saw the Sister Superior |
and the young women for an instant at the |
window, and then a black, Suiiocating |
cloud Of smoke swept into the apartment |
and eyelcped In its deadly coil all that was |
good and beautiful in the convent. Ten |
minutes later pillows of fire were darling |
out OF the window where the pupils and |
their teachers had stood. am satisfied that |
IL we had had ladders lnn,> enn,,e,b av,.rt. n,o