Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-11
BREAKINCs THE TIDINGs.
Pathetic Scenes at the Ruins of the
BelleviIIe Convent.

DEAACNlAAG &gnNCnts
St. Louis Specialize Eeu York World, It'll.
The search for the bodies Of the dead
among the ruins of the convent at Belle
vile. H.. was continued to-day. Several
bones and pieces of hands and legs were
found, but no whole bodies.
Last night the orphan asylum opposite
the convent, where lay the bodies Of Mary
Campbell and other victims of the fire,
was visited by many people, and it was to
this building that friends and relatives Of
the missing were directed in their search.
Pitiful indeed were the incidents seen
there. Fathers would push open the
doors and demand Of the trembling Sis
tiers: ''Where is my daughter? Tell me,
where is she?" Mothers would throw
their arms around the necks of the atten-
dants and beg of them: ''1ell me all;
oh, tell me all. l feel very strong now; /
can bear it."
Antoine Geyer, a boy Of IS, who lived
near the convent, and who has played the
part of a hero through all the terrible
scene, received the callers at the asylum,
his cheeks wet with tears. During the
early part of the night he witnessed the
fainting of So many mothers and fathers
that he became nearly broken down him.
self.
81 can face it no longer" he said; 81
must put them off until morning"
just as he made the resolve the father
Of Mary Manning, of st. Louis, came into
the building.
'Tell me if Mary is safe," he cried with
trembling lips.
Antoine turned away and hid his face.
"Why don't you tell me? Is she lost?
L must see her.
"You cannot see her tonight" said one
of the Sisters, gently.
sBut | must see her"
'No, no." pleaded the Sister; ''wait I'M
til morning."
The suspense was terrible, and beads
of perspiratiOn stood out upon the old
mans face.
1T is better that you know now,'' a
gentleman said. "Your daughter is
dead"
Mr.. Manning sank into a chair and
wept as only a man can weep.
The bell at the door rang again and a
| handsome young man entered.
"What can YOU tell me of Martha
| Mauntel" he asked.
eve cannot tell YOU anything about her
| now" said one Of the attendants.
But she is my sister. Unjust see her.
eve hope for the BEST" stammered An
tome.
"0h, let me go to her." cried the young
man.
"For Gods sake, tell him; l CAN'T
| whispered Antoine to gentleman near
| him.
The latter handed the death list to the
! young man.
Martha Mauntel was tbs first name he
saw and he fell back with q great sob.
These two incidents were probably the
most pathetic that occurred during the
night.
An inquiry into the facts of the terrible
! holocaust shows that the absence of lad
ders and the locking of the great front
door caused the terrible number of deaths.
The firemen and some of the citizens bit
terly blame the convent managers for
locking the doors and not providing exits.
On the other hand, the friends of the con.
vent are loud in their complaints against
the fire department for not having lad
ders.
ga half dozen good ladders would have
saved every inmate of the convent" a
! local priest said to a fireman.
''The convent was worse than a peni-
| tentiary,'' retorted the fireman. '''They
lock the doors of a penitentiary, but they
have a man at the door who can provide
for the safety of the prisoners in case oil
fire."