St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-22
Eight More Victims Resurrected
From the Ruins of st. Johns
Asylum.
The Work Of Clearing Away the Fro.
zen Debris and the CHASTITY Sights
Being Unearthed.
All the Children Accounted For But Forty
six-Several Fires Reported From
Other Places.

]
tor Mcdonald, wittSa force Of twelve men,
commenced work al six O'Clock and
their picks and crowbars made no
unnecessary disturbance Of the piled
up mass OF warped iron, chsrred
timber and frozen mud that lay on the floor.
At 2 o'clock the Eorkmen,- who had cleared
of the top Of the debris, noticed a section of
thigh bone pnotruding from behind piece
OF iron. Il wks gently disengsged from it,
holding in the frozen mass that surrounded
il, and the trunk and vertebra Of a full
grown adult followed. Less feshy parts Of
the body were burnt 10 the bones. and the
iDtestines and spine were charred. The left
arm was deep in the frozen mass, and inves-
tigatioa showed it stu retained in all its dis
tortion bent form. The latter BODY, from
being smaller and not so well
clad, was burned 10 4 einder. The
little trunk dropped from its resting
| place and rolled until a boulder stopped is
I progress. The two remnants OF humanity
were doubtless all that remained Of the de.
voted father who perished in vain efforts 70
save the life Of the sick and maybe crippled
and therefore helpless son.
AHe "oihheb pfocecoeo- NOW they took
a heap Of burnt ashes and sifted It carefully
only 10 discover a part Of & shoe or some
other article Of wearing apparel that hae been
more fortunate than It's owner. The half
/ square Of space that intervenes between the
boiler and the eastern wall ~ the basement
OF the infirmary had been sifted at II O'Clock.
and the workmen proceeded in their task and
quickly came upon two little bodies
/ lying together against the iron
slanehion. The workmen now labored
on and by O'Clock had unear.hed two more
bodies, and at l 80 had exposed two more.
eight thus far to-day aud eighteen all told up
to the time stated.
The bodies recovered to-day are in better
condition than the ten discovered yesterdav.
The flesh OF the latter had been completely
burned OF, leaving nothing but cracked
spiinters Of the largest bones The bodies
recovered TO-DAY, although burned beyond
Identification, are not cremated beyond
recognition as the remains Of human beings.
The trunks, with the tenders and muscles
torn and burned, were placed in baking pans
that had contained the daily bread Of the
orphans. a heap OF bread, baked beyond
any use, lay I'm the corner. The skulls had
been in most instances detached from the
bodies. The corners have not vet been ex-
amined, and unless ali signs fail they are
likely 10 hold large contingent Of charred
corpses. The remains Of Sister Mary Jose
phine were viewed by Coroner Hesse and
jury, and the inquest adjourned until such
time as shall be liked 70 bold an Investigation
upon all the bodies.
The body Of efzter
afternoon in St. Mary's cemetery, at Flush
ing. The corpse was followed TO the grave
by the Mother Superior OF ST. Johns home.
several sisters and some relatives. Solemn
mass OF requiem was celebrated. Arrange-
ments for the interment OF the other bodies
has not yet been made. The quarters in
ST. Mary's hospital ow being used for the
homeless children was built originally for a
Stable.
The missing children are still being picked
up in the streets. Accounts differ as to the
humber of children in the infrmary at the
time OF the disaster. The mother superior
insists that there were but twenty. while
another claims that the infrmary had thirty
five suffering inmates.
There is no donbt as to where the FIRE
originated. Mary Feeney, who was in the
laundry, made statement in which she re-
iterated what she had previously said, that
the smell OF burning rags in the drying room
was the first indication Of the fire.
Vice President Shannahan, Of the orphans
society, said 10 a reporter: 'sThe wings and
main building were not only supplied with
iron IRE escapes, but had galleries running
their whole length, and upon each floor. so
escape in case Of emergency was easy.''
'But this new building where the laundry
and bakery was had no fra
''No, IL had not!''
'And this was where all the lives were
lostl''
''Yes, Of course such calamity could not
have been anticipated. The gentlemen who
had control of the main building we're very
careful TO adopt measures and plans that
would give the children an ample opportunity
10 escape In case Of an emergency, but when
the laundry building was put up it was not
intended At the time to use IL as a hospital.
and consequently FIRE escapes were not
erected.'
"Can you tell how many children were in
the house al the time of the trel''
yes; the books show there were 724, and
OF this number We have accounted for 663. |
which leaves 81 missing. All the sisters are |
accounted for and escaped uninjured. except
the unfortunate sister, Mary Josephine. In |
addition 10 the sisters (there were thirty-two |
Of them) there were thirty attendants, all of |
whom have been accounted Tor. The bodies |
found leaves forty-six children vet to be ac-
counted for. We, Of course, hope there are |
no more children in the ruins, but we can
not tell until the basement has been
cleared"
Rev. Eugene F. Mahoney, chaplain of the
institution, was asked by reporter.if the
hst OF children was In the possession Of
Mother Superior DeChontal. He said II was.
and when asked If the reporter could obtain
1t, he answered IL was DOT for the press. and
inquired of the reporter thought II had been
made out for the special benefit OF the press.
The sisters, acting under instructions.
refuse any information TO the reporters.
The total insurance is SOS, 600, and the
estimated loss $4,000 The Beach Racing
association makes a contribution of 81 SAG.
OF which sum George H. Engeman con-
tributed s., 900. Colonel Sim, Of the Park
theater, and Mayor Low each give 500.
Other contributions make the aggregate sum
already received SO, 81.
LATER
The delivers in the debris continued their
labors to late hour into the night and Sc
cured two more bodies, making an aggregate
Of twenty bodies recovered. Twenty children
are still missing.
OIL MILLS BURNING.
PHILLIPS CITY, Pa, Dec. 2O.-The fire at
The Thorn creek wells is extinguished except
Fisher No. Switch is still burning furiously.
There is a probability the owners will allow
he well to burn until the tank isready, rather
han let the oil run out and endanger other
property. The loss is greatly exaggerated,
md will NOT exceed 22n nnn rrhinh in nl,,da. |