Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-01-08

0o1oCAG8H.
Dssssaesbsa, win Fearful Lsss - la1e.
- he Csaveaa - The B0oaeolase
CeneeVasoa.
81. Loom, Jan. The following dis
patch 10 the Associated Press gives fur
Their particulars Of the friRhtful calam-
ity By dre at the Convent Of Notre Dame
last night. Il vas the most destructive
70 life and property that Belleville has
ever experienced. A visitor to the scene
this morning found the IRE department
still on duty, endsavoring TO qusnch the
aanes, 50 a. 20 preserve IN reooRniz able
ahaFe the bodies OF the victims. When
the ruins were sufficiently cooled, volun-
teers went 70 work to bring DOT the bod
les. IL vas Q terrible sight. At times
the searchefs would find tWo or three
charTed masses huddled close together,
seemingly seeking protection in ono an
other from the advancing and terrible
flames. Two bodies were found IN the
rear part Of the building burned into an
unacceptable mass, bat the majority
have been found beneath where the dor
mitofy vas situated. They seemed to
have sought shelter in this room too late
to recognize that their escape VS. inn
possible. The flames beneath were eat
ing away the support, and they we're let
down through the floor into the
seething fire and smoke. The
loss Of life il mach greater than
mentioned in last nights brief dis
patch Instead Of being two, a. first
supposed, the total known deaths are
q; Y only of which were pupils, and
i've sisters. Among the latter is the
sister superior. On the fourth floor the
pupil bOardsrs with their sisters slept:
on the third door the remaining sisters
slept, and ON the second floor, above tho
basement, what are termed orphans"
slept. On this second floor the inmates
escaped, and we're saved. The fire had
its origin in furnace in the basement,
and when discovered the floor imme-
diately above vas ablaze, and volumes
of smoke and flames were rapidly pour
inR through the stairWays, corridors
and halls of the building. BY the time
tho sleepers wore thoroughly aroused,
all avenues of escape we're filled with
binding smoke; then a panic ensued,
and it 10 for the imagination to paint
the sorr0vful and heart rsnding pic
tore. The extreme cold retarded the
work Of the dremen, and even il thew
could have reached the scene without
delay they could have been of but little
service in scuing the victims. There
are no ladders in the fire department.,
aud no provision for such q depl0rable
had been made by the man.
ayers of the institute IN. The unfortun-
ate inmates were therefore p0werless to |
relieve themselves, and those who were
witnesses of the horrible holocaust were
unable to assist them. The manner Of |
$50 ape Of each of the survivors could |
not b learned.
Among tho injured are. Daisy Eber-
man, sliehtly injured; Agnes Schneider, |
Who jumped from the window, bat not |
injured; Lou Mott, quite |
badly hurt; Dena Horne and Fannie |
seriously but not fatally in
jured. At 4 p. n. there had been eleven |
bodies recovered from the ruins, and |
The Sisters and friends of the unfortu- |
mates had succeeded in identifying the |
Mics WeYman, Miss Strunk, |
Miss Manning, Miss Heiuselman, Miss |
Isch, Ni0 Puize. The bodies could only /
be identified by the olnthing ~ p0f- |
lion Of the clothes, which having been |
with water escaped tho flames. |
All that now remains Of the famous |
oonveut Of tho immaculate CONGESTION |
IL tho charred and broken walls, and in |
the debris there yet remains the bodies |
Of several of the unfortunate victims. |
The building and furnishings we're |
valued ct not far from &66y 900 to $751;
900 Il was insured for 81, O0O.
ST.. LoUB. Jan. THE search for the |
dead ct Belleville vas resumed this |
The bodies we're all near each |
other, and the Mother Superisr's body |
seemed to be the center of Q Rhastly |
circle Of black remains. Her bones |
were picked up. and ON being raised
came apart With some particles Of |
roasted hesh. Her skull was found here, |
while the trunk was burned to q solid
crisp. The ground was dug mp imme- |
diately under some of the remains. |
Such was the awful exhamation. and
more than once the work faltered be- |
cause of the sickening sensation which |
0vercame the workmen. Il seemed - |
though the h0rrid heap would never be |
and every few minutes il |
vas reported that new bodies had been
found. Shreds Of burned clothing clunR
10 the sickeninQ mass. Il was almsst |
to identify the bodies. the
6re having ef{aoed every line of coun-
tenance and form. The bodies In q few
instances olunR together. and the heap a.
il Vas uncovered vas absolutely indie
scribable.