The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-12-26
A THwILLING SCENE.


fire sweeps Away Catholic Institute for
Orphans in Brooklyn-Fears that Sever
al Children and One Sister of Mercy
Lost Their ives-Nearly Eight Hundred
FatIlerless Children Turned Adrift in a
SnowStorm.
NEW YORK, Dec 19.-The Catholic
Male Orphan Asylum, at st. Marks and Al
bany avenues, Brooklyn, burned yesterday
afternoon and it is feared some CT the chill
dren persisted in the flames. The sisters in
charge think all escaped, but can not
tell until the roster of boys is
called. The little fellows are now
scattered about in care of residents in the
neighborhood. The fire started in the
drying room, which adjoined the southern
end Of the main building. This dryingroom
also contained the boilers and heating appa-
ratus, with dormitory on the third floor, in
which there were sixty orphans suffering
from various complaints. Sister Mary
Josephine, who was in the dormitory at the
time the fire broke out, made heroic efforts
to save the little ones. She remained in the
room until absolutely driven out by the
i
she stood upon a cornice until a fireman
from the roof of the building swung his
coat to her. The sister caught the coat, but
when the fireman tried to pull her from her
perilous position she lost her grasp and fell
to the ground, striking upon her shoulder
and head. She was conveyed to st. Cathe-
rine'S Hospital in an unconscious condition.
Joseph Ryan, boy, tried to descend by a
ladder from the same f1oor-the third. He
got within eight feet of the ground, when
the ladder parted He received severe in
juries. John McGrath, eight years old,
jumped from the third story and was badly
injured.
Mother de ChanteI and Sister Anthony
were in the office when the fire was discov-
cred. They at once gave the alarm and
proceeded to get the children out Of the
building.
There were 7S5 orphans in the main
building, which is also known as st. Johns
Home. They were told to leave the home
and seek shelter in any neighboring house
until called for. Hundreds of the little
follows ran out into the falling snow, hat
less and coatlesS. The flames spread with
great Tapidity, and the buildings were al.
most completely destroyed. The asylum
and grounds occupied the entire block. The
asylum building was 80 by $50 feet, three
stories high, with mansard roof, and was
constructed of blue-stone.
There were about thirty sisters in the
asylum, and number of them went out
with the boys, but twas impossible to keep
the little fellows together. They sought
refuge in car-stables, dwellings, saloons
and stores near by. Children were running
out of every entrance on both st. Marks
and Albany avenues. Many of them were
thinly clad, but were soon provided with
clothing of one kind or another by the
neighbors.
One Of the boys in the asylum said the fire
was caused by another boy who went into
the drying-room with lighted candle and
accidentally set some clothes on fire. The
flames, the boy said, leaped up in moment
and all who were in the room ran out.
Father Eugene P. Mahoney, who was in
charge of the building, thinks all the chill
dren escaped. He gives credit to the fire.
men for their work.
1t was announced at late hour last
night that Sister Mary Josephine, who fell
from third story window, was dead.
There were fire-escapes on the inside
carts. but beyond this there We're no APP
planes for saving life or extinguishing q
possible fire. The wooden mansard roof
and massive wooden tower, with high
wind at the time, contributed much toward
the destruction of the asylum.