The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-07
HUMAN HOLOCAUST.
Burning of Seminary at Belleyille,
Illinois.
The Remains OF Not Less than Twenty.
Seven Victims Found in
the Rims.

ST. LOUIS, Jan. 6.-The institute of the
immaculate Conception of the Sisters of
Metre Dame, at Belleville, H., was de-
stroyed BIZ fire Saturday night, and the
details show that great loss of life
occurred. About sixty pupils were in the
school. ranging from 10 years to full
grown girls, and several teachers. TIE
fire is said TO have started near the thi. j
story, which is used as dormitory. and
an attempt was made By the sisters TO
extinguish ii, but this failing, efforts were
made to remove tue pupils. The flames
spread so rapidly, however, that no order
could be preserved. A panic seized both
children and the sisters, and there was
wild, confused rush 10 escape. Forty or
more pupils are known To have gotten
out or were taken from the building and
given shelter in the neighboring houses
But several, in their fright. jumped from
the windows and were killed or badly
injured. Miss Mary Campbell, g teacher.
of East ST. Louis, leaped from the third
story and died in few minutes. Another
whose name has not been aesafained,
climbed TO the roofsef the ~ Is, and
either fell or was blown eff and fatally
| injured.
A later dispatch says that the bodies of
twenty seven pupils and five teachers,
including the mother superior, have
either been recovered or known TO be in
the ruins They all sought shelter in one
room, and too lat. recognized that their
escape was inps~aae The flames be.
| meath eafinfr a y.zsss ~. s,,,1,,,o-,. l.. ! -
the floor into the seetbins sezsexsf fire
and smoke. The loss lei lin esash
greater than At first supposed -
being two. il Is known that the dessSS
viii reach twenty seven. twenty two of
which are pupils, and FIVE sisters Among
/ the latter are the sister superior On the
| fourth floor The pupil boarders. with three
/ sisters sleat.ea The third floor the remain
iPg sisters slept and on the secoud floor.
| the floor shove the basement. what are
| termed tie orphans and half orphans
slept On This secopd floor the inmates
! escaped The following lives were saved
Pro2je Scllesutzeur. Mamie Fitzgerald.
Anna frankie, Maggie Donahae, Ossa
Montgomery, Emily Fournie. On this
floor slso were the following candidates
| fer the veil escaped Miss Josephine
Miss Johanna. Mss Geteher, Miss Eliza.
The missing srs: Martha Mauntcl,
Carondolel. No. Mary BartelI, Missouri
Jose phine Pioud7e. daughter of County
Commissioner Pioadre, OF Centreville. III.
Loi'a PaIrsen s. Louis: Sslsie Welmar.
| ST Louis Enms Stark C4FbonsiaIe III.
Mamie Sehal4ius :. LoGSz; Lizzie Isca-
! CenleTyille IL. LsHra Thompson. Ches-
| ter III; Masie paDl. Columbia, Ill
Alinsie Bailey. BtAviltr; Hai4 HauneI.
| Trenton. H.: E-hcsv I.eonhar!i. Trenton.
Virginia Heipzlemau, Beliyille, kIttie
Ar5uis, Nan,i1iia: Gertrude Struux Ger
many: Mary B-in, Dcll~illg. M4rv Man
n:ng, 81 Louis Deldhjs Schlerui,zeur.
| Bellville. Sister Superior Mary jerome and
Sister Ageelia E53wiDa.
SEARCHING FUR THE B3DIEs-
A visit to the scene this morning found
the fi7c department still on duty. ensleay-
orin- ID guench The flames. 81 as 20 pre-.
serve in s recognizable siIapc the bodies
| OF I'se victims. When IAe rufus
were sufficiently cool. volunteers
went la work 10 bring ont the
bodies. II was terrible sighl. Al times
| the searchers would fad tpo or tAree
ciiarred masses ltusidlezi close together.
seemingly seeking protection IN one an
other from The advancing flames. Tive
bodies were found ia the rear psrt of The
| building burned into an unacceptable
mas oui = Ulsi,,rity were found beneath
the iorma;oTy.
Miss Bsiiey WAS granddaughter 0:
| Col. John Thomas Of this ci;y. Sister
| MARI jerome was known in the world 3.
Barbara He'll. She was bora in Piitsburg,
Pa Sister Modri9s was known as Jennie
Riley, and was horn near Milwaukee
Sister Eiwina's name was Bridget Mccall
rev, and she was born in Ireland, anG
sister Agnelia wss known as Margaret
| Shanh2n. sud was born 10 New Orleans
The fire had its origin at the furnace il
the basement Tie extreme cold retarded
| the work Of the bremen. Daisy EberInsr
wss slightly injured Agnes Schneider
Jumped from the window. but was no
dangerously injured Lou Matt was quit
badly hurt Lena Horn and Fanni,
Bzinker were seriously bat not fatally
injured
All tbSt n0N remains If the famOu.
convent OF the Immaculate Conception i.
the charred and broken walls. In tn,
debris there We; remains The bodies o
severaluntortunate victims The buildings
and furnishings were valued IS from Sos
0a1 TO SIS, COO Insured for $25.010.