The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-01-08
MEETING DEATH BY FIRE



.-------------
Tvensy-Scven sisters aad Pupils. Unable TO
Escaps from the fast.Spreadins Flames
u-v,ed Under the Failing waits-Iiear'-
ren&sas Cries for Aid.
A 81. Louis special telegram OF the 9th
says: The Catholic Convent OF the !mma-
cuiate Conception at Belleyille, Illinois, one
al the most famous EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
IN the West, caught IRE at III O'Clock last
night and In two hours was reduced
90 ruins. under which were buried the
bodies Of twenty-four and possibly more o,
The Sisters who lived In the convent ana
their pupi,s. The flames broke forth at q
spot Immediately over the furnace, which
vrss IN thc basement, and were first seen by
uassers-by. No watch was kept In the con-
vent. and The sleepcrs were awakened by
abe frantic efforts OF citizens who had
rathored to break In the front door ana
rescue the inmates. The appearance
Of n number OF these ut the win
dows OF the second and third stories.
screaming and making efforts to escape
60 the open air despite the efforts OF the
Sisters. who were seen to be doing all IN
their power to allay the panic, caused the
intcuscst excitement among those who had
xathered to aid in their escape. and for q
time there was as serious panic among
those outside the building as there was IN
eide.
LOCKED IN WITH THE FLAMES.
All efforts to gain entrance to the build-
inc were in vain. The windows were 100
bieb 10 be reached without ladders, and
the doors too solid and ponderous to give
way against any ordinary attacks. by the
time monsfrous bar OF iron was secured
from an adjacent foundry and the front
door broken I'm the flames and smoke had
made sucb Roadway that all hope OF escape
for the inmates by the ordinary means OF
egress was lost. A few daring citizens
brayed the flames and smoke and darted up
the stairs, only to discover that about all
the doors of the sleeping-rOoms were lock-
cd and that IL was beyond their power to
rcspond TO the heart-rendng screams for
helm from those inside. The hallway in
the centre OF the building proved facile
channel for the smoke TO the upper stories.
and those who had gained an entry into The
Mace were forced to seek safety in flight.
Seeing that IL the inmates OF the convent
were to be saved it would have to be done
by the windows, hunt was instituted for
ladders. OF which the fire department,
which was very slow in reaching the fire.
did not possess any that would reach even
TO the second story.
frTEOUs APPEALS FOR AID.
In the mean time the occupants OF the
second and third stories were crowding
the windows and wildly screaming for the
people below to do something In their be-
half. Windows were flung up. and slight
Young girls stood out in the cold winter
wind in their night-garments. their feet
treading the icy cornices, while they chung
with their hands to the window-sashes.
One of them. named Mary Campbell,
novice of ths Order OF Notre Dame, lost
her balance and fell 10 the ground. whore
she was dashed to death. She did not live
to reach the shelter to which she was car
RED. Another girl, named Daisy Eberle.
dared the Jump of fifty feet, and was caught
by the stout men who managed to break
her fall and save her life. The Sisters at
the time were making almost superhuman
efforts TO prevent the other girls from
making the perilous venture.
SWEPT INTO THE FLAMES.
The Lady Superior, Sister Mary Jerome,
was In the centre Of a group of seven young
girls at one OF the windows Of the third
story. but while she was exhorting them
the smoke and flames burst into the room.
For few moments all was darkness, and
when the light came again they had disap-
peared forever. Shortly after this occur
renee two men appeared upon the scene
with splced ladder, which reached to the
third story, and with its aid number OF
the prisoners were rescued. Sister Mode
ratio, while heroically helping some of the
girls to escape down the ladder, slipped
and fell to the ground, and was instantly
killed. The work OF salvation was not COM
pleted, however, before the fire gained COM
plete mastery, and while-r0bed figure after
figure disappeared from the windows and
fell back into the caldron of flames. A
hairbreadth escape was accomplished by
two young ladies, Ora Montgomery and
Emily Faurnie, who leaped from the Sc
cond story in the rear Of the convent and
linded upon the veranda. They were seen
TO leap by two citizens, who, after long
search, found ladder which reached TO
the veranda, from which the girls, badly
injured by their fall and half frozen, were
rescued just in time, rs in a few minutes
the wall fell and crushed to the ground the
vcranaa on which they were found.
The firemen soon found that it was inn
possible to save any part Of the buildings
but the walls. and within an hour after the
fire broke out the worst had been reached.
Another Story OF the Fire.
PANIC IN THE MISUNDERSTANDING THE
RUINS.
Bellevile telegram says: The convent
was known as the Institute OF the Immacu-
late Conception, and was conducted by the
Sisters Of Notrc Dame. The tire was the
most destructive to life and property that
Belleville has ever experienced. There
were about sixty pupils, all girls, from ten
years to adult age. several teachers, and
number Of other inmates. On the fourth
floor the pupil bOarders, with three Sisters,
slept; on the third floor the remaining Sis
tiers slept; and on the second. or the floor
above the basement, what arc termed or
phans and half-orphans slept.
The fire was caused by the furnace IN the
basement. and when discovered the floor
immediately above was ablaze, and vol
umes of smoke were rapidly pouring
through stairways, corridors, and halls OF
the buildings. By the time the sleepers
were thoroughly aroused all avenues OF
escape were filed with binding smoke. A
panic ensued, and the scene that followed
was heart-rending beyond description. The
extreme cold retarded the work OF The tire
men, and even II they could have reached
the scene without delay they would have
been OF little service in rescuing the vic
Tins. There were no ladders In the Fire
Department, and no provisions were made
for such deplorablc emergency by the
managers OF the institution. The uafor-
tuna!e inmates were therefore powerlcss to
help themselves, and those who were wit
nesses Of the horrible disaster were unable
to help them.
The scene at the fire was one OF the wild
est excitement and terror. The streets i'm
the vicinity were thronged with Deople