St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-20
HOL0CAUSTED TO HEAVEN
The Result Of the Burning Of Brook
lyn's Orphan Asylum Much
Worse Than First
Reported.
Thirteen Dead Bodies Have Been Recovered
and One Hundred and Twenty-three
Still Missing.
A Heartrending Scene Presented in the
Frantic Efforts of the Hundreds of
Little Fellows to Escape.

extra states the fire marshal reports twelve
bodies were found up to O'Clock this morn
ing among the ruins of the burned st.
Johns home for children. The workmen
are still searching the debris. The utmost
excitement prevails in the vicinity OF the
ASYLUM The bodies found were so charred
and blackened that Identification is almost
impossible. It is believed most of the chill
dren who uerished were in the i'll fated Sister
Josephine's ward. The men engaged
in excavating the ruins of the laundry found
the remains of nine boys and two grown per-
sons. Who the adults were has not been as
certained yet. The sisters are willing to be
interviewed, but it is plain to be seen their
list of the inmates rescued does not come up
to the full number. This is explained by a
statement that the children who may have
been cared for in private houses will turn up.
The fact is that last night only one child was
admitted to be missing and this morning a
dozen bodies were found. These facts tell
their own ghastly story with a positiveness
that is appalling.
LATER.
NEW YORK, Dec. 19.-Brooklyn's latest
horror is another evidence of the sad truth
that no amount of good intention can atone
for the lack of proper precaution and vigi-
lance. The hundreds of children in the asy-
lum were tenderly protected against all harm
except that which could have been most cas-
lily guarded against, fire. There was very
large water hydrant in the yard, with four
butts, but there was no hose in OF about the
building, nor any other means of extinguish-
ing the fire. So what began in a trivial ac
cident ended in an awful tragedy. The great
trouble the iremen had to encounter was the
mansard roof on the entire main
structure, built of wood, allowin z
free access to the flames. 1t acted simply as
a flue. All efforts of the fremen were futile
in their attempts TO combat the flames. The
gates were also locked, and young men Of
the neighborhood who saw the fire first had
to burst open the gates with ramming iron
before they could get in.
Chief Engineer Nevins now urges that all
Mansard roofs be condemned at once as
death traps. The upper floor of the asylum
was divided into dormitories by stud and lath
partition walls. The flooring and wainscoat-
ing were of yellow pine, and the space be-
tween the ceiling and the slate roof was not
filed in, so that the fire rapidly made its way
along the upper floor. There were no divid-
ing walls of brick at any point on this floor.
At the time the fire began the larger boys
in the institution were playing in the court
yard, making slides on the newly fallen
snow or snowballing. 1t was visiting day,
and many of the parents of the children had
70 ~ Ava oh
dren were in the infrmary on the second
floor, under the care of Sister Anthony. Their
little wan faces were peering at the windows
watching the larger boys play. On the floor
above were twenty-five more children, suf-
fering from sore eyes, under the charge OF
Sister Mary Josephine, who was similarly af-
fected. In the laundry below were Mrs.
Feeney, the laundress, the assistant laun dress
and Sister Clement. Mrs. Feeney noticed
the smell of rags in the drying room, and
on opening its doors cloud of smoke poured
out. The cry of "fre'' was raised. The
boys in the yard took it up and Sister An
thony, In charge of the sick ones in the in
frmary, heard the alarming cry and sool
saw the black clouds of smoke issuing from
the windows beneath. She Immediately sig
nailed for atte ntion from the little ones by
clapping her hands. In the room of which
she had charge seven helpless little cripples
were in bed. These she caused the strongest
of the boys to take in their arms, and hay
ing made her charges form in line she
marched them safely out of the burning
building.
But on the floor above, where half blind
children to the number of twenty-five were,
under the charge of Sister Josephine,a scene
of the most terrible panic ensued. The feal
stricken children ran about the room calling
for help. Some rushed down the stairs in
the binding smoke. Others in their frantiC
fear huddted in the corners from which they
were rescued, and others fed to the roof
Unfortunate Sister Josephine, having lost al
control over the children under her care, and
her semi-blindness being intensified by the
clouds Of smoke that filed the stairways
and rooms, rushed for safety to the roof
where she appeared in the midst Of the fame
and smoke, calling loudly on the spectator.
for help, with the sad result already stated
A fireman lying prone on the roof of the
main building attempted to swing his over
coat to the imperilled sister. The first an(
second attempt was unsuccessful, the end O
the coat falling short He swung the coat
third time. Its edge just touched the build
ing's roof and the sister sprang and graspet
1t. For moment it seemed as if her lif
was saved, and the crowd cheered Justify
For a moment she swung in the air between
the two buildings, then her grasp relaxed
and she fell to tie ground, dying soon after
wards.
A boy and woman were now seen on tn
roof of the burning building. Three mel
placed a ladder against the wall, but th,
ladder did not reach within five feet of tn
roof. One of the men mounted the ladde
and the little fellow leaped into his arms an,
was saved. The woman looked to the bot
tom of the ladder, and then to the flames
gradually approaching. The bystander
yelled to her to keep her courage up. Sh
looked into the burning building as if fasci
mated by the fire, and commenced edginl
away from the ladder. Suddenly tn
flames shot up beneath her feet, AM
with cry of agony she fell backward
into the blazing mass. With a crash th
roof fell, and SOON the entire building was
mass of flames.
Johnny Ryan, little fellow seven wears O.
age, attempted to escape by climbing dowl
the water pipe. The pipe gave way, and h
was borne to the hospital with his skull frac
tured. 1t is yet absolutely impossible to tell
where the inmates of the institution can be
found. In station houses, car stables an,
private homes the waits found shelter.
Late this afternoon list had been mad
up. and 123 were unaccounted for. While
may turn out that not one of these is amon
the rtsfps, the fact remains that tons of burn
timber. warped iron and fallen brick, which
have not yet been removed, may entoml
many more corpses than has been recovered
The trustees of the home have hired fore
of workmen to continue the search until