The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-01-09

s<sa 81 5
SDAY MORNING.. JAl
| THE BURNED CONVENT.
Further Details Of tho Awful scenes o
Saturday Night. t!eF
BRLLxvlLLE, Ill. January 8.-The fri
was first discovered by the iwAtchman al
Harrison's machine works. He gave mo-
tice ofthe fact to the fro department, and
the engines were started to the scene
When they reached the building, the win
dows oi'the third story presented spec.
tacle to send thrill Of horror shrough the
stoutest heart. In their night clothes
about the windows, stood the inmates o
the convent, with faces white as snow, and
wringing their hands In agonizing despair;
They had been aroused from their elum.
bore, and in their fright and desperation
ran to the first point which offered posi-
bic means OF escape. But the building
bad already become wrapped In flames,
and there was nothing left for them TO do
but jump, and some Of them accepted the
dreadful alternative. Suddenly there was
d heavy explosion, and almost instantly
the upper portion Of the building wrap
ped in smoke. Most OF the faces at the
windows disappeared with this explosion
and were not seen again. 81
| LHAPING FOR LIFE.
h A few Of the girls remained at the win.
dows, determined to try the ordeal Of leap
ing for life. The first to try was Mies Mary
Campbell, Of East st. Louis. She threw
herself out Of the window, but caught hold
Of the casing as che passed through. In
the meantime the Gremen bad thrown a
ladder up against the building Immediately
under her. The ladder proved too short,
and ehs hung by the hands, her feet al.
most touching its top. Suddenly she re-
leased her grasp OF tho window.sill, and
falling down struck the ladder about four
feet from the top and bounded of to the
hard pavement below. She was picked up
and borne to the office Of the Harrison
Machine Works, where, alter a few gasps,
she expired. Her back and neck were both
broken in the fall. ~
Soon after this fearful scene Sister Mod
rata WAS found in the court on the south
side Of tho building, still in death. 1t is
not known how she died, but it is supposed
that she leaped from the porch Of the Sec
ond story. At The same time two girls
were saved from the top Of the veranda OF
the second floor. They bad leaped out OF d
window above and in striking the roof
were stunned. Being in their night clsthea
they we're very cold, but soon recovered. ~; !,
THE HOLOCAUST, , s-s..lzs;s
AT this time the engines had been placed
in position and were fighting the FIRE with
energy and determination. But the inside
Of the building began to surrender to the
flames, and in the west end. all the f,ors
seemed 10 give way at once and commenced
to lall. The walls on the west were the
first 10 fall, and as they went down they
carried with them the timbers and fl ,oring
OF the different stories and also the poor
girls who had sought safety In that part Of
the building. 1t is believed, however, that
many OF the inmates had met death before
the falling Of the walls in this wing OF the
building. 1t is thought that they were
sudocated in the first explosion ei coal gas,
as the smoke was seen 70 shoot up the
staire, and Immediately thereafter nearly
all those known 10 have been lost disap-
peared from the windows, and their cries
lor help were no longer heard
EIHyMlNG THE DEAD.
About s o'clock, A. ", volunteer corps
ofworkeis we're organized, and an effort
was made to recover tho bodies OF the vic.
Tins. Up to 4 o'clock the remains Of four
teen had been recovered. Some were hud.
died close together, Indicating that in their
despair they had sought consolation in
each others arms. One young lady, Miss
Aguts Schneider, whose remains were
identified by her name on her undercloth.
ing, had met death in bed. Bed and all
had gone down to the basement, and was
go quickly covered over with falling brick
that the bsdstead and q portion Of the
clothing remained in fair safe II pre-
servatiou. ~ Is
Frem the position in which the bodies
were were found it is certain that escape
was near at hand when death came upon
the helpless women. The Mother Su.
perior had forced her way from the sisters
dormitory TO that Of the children, and had
led them along the corridor 10 the windows
at the rear OF the building. Here the
flames and smoke came upon The group.
There was death above, below, behind and
before. Death A. in The air, and the IN.
fortunate group OF human beings expired
within sight OF the free air Outside.
a PICTURESQUE TRAGEDY.
A grand tragedy was enacted there, and
mans helplessness in battling the elements
was once more illustrated. Parents who
had children at the institution flocked
there in numbers and hoped against hope
that the form Of some dear daughter would
not be found among The ruins. The few
that were saved were all safely housed and
friends who inquired for them hnstened to
find them. An elderly man came down
The street at q rapid walk with his eyes
fixed upon the ruin and found there
man, OF whom be asked the whereabouts
of some name. The interroga!ed person
looked at the interrogator with an e1pres-
sion which meant more than could be put
into words. The man cast lock at the
men and then puttirg his hands to his face
groaned, "My God!' the expression being
wrung from the depths Of his heart, and
coming with tone that might have been
construed rs reproach tothe Almighty.
While the night WAS full OF horrors,
there were ASP some pleasing acts OF he
roism Miss Mapyia Donohna IN 4. (f,noo
Of warnings Of the danger in running
down Stairs, snatched little Proxie Schler.
niizauer, from her bed, and, wrapping her
in sheet, took her in her arms and ran
down stairs. She did not stop until she
reached ST. Agnes' O.pnans' Asylum, over
a block away, and they both were saved:
Her appearance on the street, carrying her
precious charge, WAS greeted with loud
cheers. ,35s5
fato orn Dinn nond Brooch.
NAw YoRK, January S.-Mrs. Dyer, Of
L