Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-02-01
BURNED TO DEATH,

the Sister Superior.
BEILEv1LLE, ILL.,, Jan. 1.-THE Convent
of the immaculate Conception was totally
destroyed by fire at a late hour Saturday
night. Five sisters of NOtre Dame, who were
teachers In the institute, and twenty-five
pupils, all OF whom were girls ranging from
ten to twenty years of age, are kno WI to
have lost their lives i'll the flames. Many
others were injured more or less severely bv
jumping from the windows of the third OF
fourth story to the frozen ground beneath.
1t is not known exactly how the fire
started. The first report was that it origl-
mated in the third story, which was used as a
dormitory. An attempt was made by the
sisters to e%Xtingmsh it, but without success.
TIL latest and most probable theory is that
it broke out near the boiler in the basement.
When it was first 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
aroused all avenues of escape
seemed to be cut off by binding smoke and
flames. Then q panic ensued, attended by
scenes so heartrending that even the imagi-
nation 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 unframed, and
were given shelter from the icy wind in
ions We're far less fortunate. Many
remained in the dormitory, and rem
dered helpless by fright, persisted with
out making an attempt to escape. Others
rushed to the window, and, appalled,
at the prospect Of leaping to an almost GER
tain death, drew back and were either suf-
located BY the thick smoke or died in the
flames. Some, drawer than the rest, jumped
from the upper windows and were either
killed or badly injured. Miss Mary Camp
bell, a teacher, of East st. Louis, leaped
from the third story and died in a few
minutes. Another, whose name was not
ascertalned, climbe to the roof and either
fell OF was blown Oft. She was fatally in-
jured.
Tn fire spread with great rapidity, and
the fire department was of little avail. The
extreme cold retarded the work of the fire.
men, and even it they could have reached
the scene without delay they could have
been Of but little service in r~escuing the
victims. There are no ladders in the fire
department, and no provisions for such a
deplorable emergency had been made by
the managers of the convent. The
unfortunate inmates We're, therefore,
unable to help. themselves, and those who
were witnesses of the horrible holocaust
were powerless to help them. The streets
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 frantical!y around looking
for their children or wailing over their sup
posed loss.
Within an hour from the time the fire was
discovered the famous convent Of the I'M
maculate 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
tiremen poured water on the ruins Until day
break, SO as to quench the embers and pre-
serve in recognizable shape the bodies of the
unfortunate m Then volunteers were
called for, and during the day a large force
Of men were at work in the ruins.
The following is a list of the killed, miss-
ing and injured as far as is known:
Killed and missing-Sister Superior, Mary
Jerome, born In Pittsburgh and known to-
the world as Barbara He'll; Sister Modnida,
born near Milwaukee, and known as Jennie
Riley; Sister Edwina, born in Ireland and
known as Bridget Mccartney; Sister Agnelia,
born III New Orleans and known as Mar
garet Shanahan; Martha Mauntel, Caron-
delet, Mo-; Mary Bartells, Missouri; jose
PLlAc IlOuufe, uLtlS Il ler Oh county COnlmlS-
sioner Ploudre, OF Centreville Station. Ill.,;
Lolita Pierson, St. Louis; Susie Welmer, St.
Louis; Emma Stark, Carboldale, ILL.,;
Mamie Sealing, 81. Louis; Agnes Sealing,
st. Louis; Lizzie Isch, Centerville Station:
Laura Thompson, Chester, ILL.,; Mamie
Pulee, Columbia, LII. Minnie Bailey, Belle
VILE, ILL.,; Hilda Hammei, Trenton, liz;
Emily LiOnhardt, Trenton; Virginia Helm
lehman, Belleville; Kittie Arbana, Van
dalia; Gertrude Strunck, Germany; Mary
Bien, Belleville; Mary Manning, st. Louis,
Delphia S%chlermitzeur, Belleville; Mary
Campbell, East st. Louis
The injured-Daisy Eberman, BelleviIle,
Slightly; Agnes Schneider, NOT dangerously:
Lou Lott, East st. Louis, badly hurt. Fan
ny Renker, Washington, Mo-, seriously,
Sister Reparta, Sister Stylita, Sister Manls-
sa, Dena Horn, seriously hurt.
Father Cough, of St. Peters Church, who
witnessed the dreadful holocaust, says:
1.-THE one bright feature of the dark. and
dreadful doom with which the convent was
visited is the heroism and martyrdom of the
Sister Superior. AS soon as the fire was
discovered she rushed through a thick suffo-
eating smoke to the dormitories occupied by
the young ladies ON the third floor, and
awakened them. All were ordered to- con-