Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-01-17
A HOLOCAUST.
Destruction by Fire of the Con-
vent of Notre Dame, at
BelleyilIe, Ill.
The Sister Superior, Four
Teachers and Twenty
two Pupils Lose
Their Lives.
A Number Badly Injured.

ST. LOUIS. Mo-, January 6.-The
Catholic convent known as the Insti
tute of the Immaculate Conception
Sisters of Notre Dame, at Belleville,
was destroyed by fire last night and
twenty-seven of the inmates persisted,
all the victims, with the exception of
4 four Sisters being girls ranging from
! IA TO Is years Of age
THE DISCOVERY OF THE FIRE.
The fire was first discovered by
1 August Leve, private Waterman at
4 the Harrison machine works, which
adioin the convent grouds
on the west. He Immediately made
his way to an outside door and tried
to arouse the inmates, but they were
all sleeping in the second and third
stories, and it was some time before
he could awaken anyone. The fire
started in the basement of the west
wing, where the furnace was situated,
and had undoubtedly been burning
some time before the Waterman dis
covered it. This was about 1915
o'clock, and ii was fully o'clock be-
lOIb Lilt dltIi1 IGdCiltd lAiC Il lIO DC-
partment. The fire after getting
under Roadway deied all efforts to
arrest its progress and burned rapid
iy.
Smoke shot upward to the second
and third stories, filling the halls and
rooms in all portions of the building,
and it is thought that many of the in
mates who are missing We're suffocated
before the fire reached the rooms
where they were sleeping. In less than
! fifteen minutes after the fire broke out
the whole of the west wing was en-
veloped in sheet of flames, which
spread to the center, consuming every
thing in its course. The wind from the
Lorth soon drove the flames eastward
and southwark, and it was only the
work of few minutes to complete
the total destruction of the magnif-
cent building.
AWFUL SCENES.
Those who first reached the scene
say that the windows Of the third floor
presented a spectacle that was enough
to send a shudder through the stoutest
heart There in their night-clothes,
suddenly aroused from their slumbers,
stood in despair large number of the
terrified inmates of that floor. There
was no chance of rescue, and the only
alternative was the dreadful leap.
Mary Campbell was the first to make
the terrible jump. She fell heavily to
| the pavement. She was hurriedly re-
moved to the Harrison Machine Works
Office, where, after few gasps, she
expired.
Daisy Eberman managed to crawl
through the windows of the third floor
and find a perilous position on the
cornice over the main doorway In
this place she remained for quite a
time, calling for help. AT last the con-
fined flame and smoke burst from the
windows around her, and she was
hurled TO the ground below. Her fall
was broken by two men, who stood
with outstretched arms to receive her.
She was not seriously hurt. Her escape
was most miraculous Sister Modrida
was found lying upon the ground on
the south side of the building quite
dead 1t is thought that she fell IN
sensible from a window on that side
of the building
Among the injured by jumping are
Daisy Eberman, residence four miles
from Belleville; Agnes Schneider,
Lou Latt, East st. Louis; Fanny Rem
ker, Washington, Mo. Sister Bepara-
Ia, Sister Stylita, Sister Manussa and
fifteen to twenty smaller pupils; also.
Sister Mary Jerome,
THE MISSING
The missing are, Martha Mauntel.
Carondelet, Mo; Mary Bartels Mis-
souri,; Josephine PlOudre. daughter
of County Commissiner Ploudre,
Centerville Station; Lolita Pierson
and Susie Welmar, St. Louis; Emma
Stark, Carbondale: Mamie and Agnes
Scaling, /, 951 Clark avenve, ST
/ Louis; Lizzie Isch, Centerville Sta
ton; Laura Thompson, Chester;
Mamie Pulee, Columbia; Minnie
Bailey, Belleville; Hida Hammel.
Trenton; Emily Leonhardt. Trenton;
Virginia Heintzelman, Bellevelle;
Kitty Urbani, Vandalia Gertrude
Strunck, Germany Mary Bien, Belle
vile; Mary Manning, ST. Louis;
\ Delphia SchlernItzeur. Belleville;
Sister Superior Mary Jerome, Sister
/ Agnelia, Sister Edwina
OF the missing pupils Miss Agnes
Scaling had been in the convent two
days. She was taking lessons in paint
ing. Miss Laura Thompson was the
step daughter of Mr.. Gibson, of
Chester. Miss Gertrude Shunck had
been an inmate for two days Miss
Virginia Henzelman, was the
carriage-dealer of this city, and Miss
daughter of weu-Bnown
Bailey was the granddaughter Of Col
onel John Thomas, of this city Miss
I Delphia Schleraitzeur was a niece of
Henry Guentz Esq, of this city.
Sister Mary Jerome was known in the
world as Barbara He'll, and was born
IN Pittsburgh, Pa Sister Modrida
( was known as Jennie Riley. She was
born near Milwaukee. Sister Edwina
was known as Bridget McCaffrey.
She was born IN Ireland Sister Agne-
liza was known as Margaret Shanahan.
She was born in New Orleans.