Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-12-26
ORPHAN ASYLUM HORROR
TOTALLY DESTROYED BY FLAMES.
A Catholic Male Orphan Asylum ut Brook
lyn Reduced to Ashes-It Contained
Nearly 800 Inmates--A Number Be
lievcd to have Perishcd-A sister
of Mercy Killed.

NEW York, Dee. 1s.-Shortly after 3
o'clock this afternoon, fire broke out in
the driving room Of the Catholic male
orphan asylum which Is in the building
adjoining tie RIGHT wing Of The southern
end Of NE building at The corner of st.
MARX. aud Albany avenues, Brookyn.
The huildpg. which with the grounds, oc-
cupcd the entire block. was 22pby $50 feet.
II wa, If Three sturic, with mausard
roof. AMI was constructed ut blue stone.
The building wherein the fire originated
contained the boilers and heating appara-
tuS with a dOrmitory on the third floor, in
which there We're sixty orphans, suffering
frcm various complaints. Whether or
not they all escaped cannot b. toll until
roll call is had The opinion obtained TO-
might was that some were lost. Sister
Mary's Josephine who was in the dOrmi-
tory at the time the fire broke out made
heroic efforts TO save the little ones.
She remained in the room until driven
out by the flames, then She ran to II
coruicc until Foreman NcGroarty of
engine H. from the roof of the
building swung his coat to her. The sis
caught the coat but when MCGroarty tried
to pull her from her perilOus position she
lost her grasp and fell hcadlOng to the
ground. She struck upon her shoulder
and head and was conveyed to 1t. Gather
ines hospital in an unconscious condition.
Joseph Ryan, boy, fell from ladder and
received severe injuries. John McGrath,
SNclr> old, jumped from the third story
AMI was bndly injured. Mother DeChan-
tel and sister Anthony were in the office
when the fire was discovered. They at
once gave the alarm and proceeded to get
the youngsters out Of the building.
There were were 1S5 orphans lin the
building which j. also known a. st Johns
Home They were told to leave the home
and seek shelter in any ncighbOrinr house
until cGli"d for. There was great excite
mcn' among the inmates. but il j. be
li"Nvj tlu all escaped excepting pos
SiG.N SOME Of those who were in the
GOrluItury VIM. Hundreds of the little
fellows ran uut into the falling SHOW. hat
less auu Cuatlc~S. The flames spread with
great rlpidity and the building, were al
most completely destroyed.
There we're about thirty Sisters in the
asylum and a number ni them went out
with the boy, but it was impossible to
keep the little fellows together They
sougt, refuge in car stables, dwellings,
saloons. and stores near by Rev. Father
Bronson took nearly Il hundred of them to
his home John Wathcld and George
Irish placed Il ladder against II second
story window on Albany avenue and Irish
handed down seven boys, when the
crowd called to him t. come down
on account Of. the proximity of
the hmcs which were bursting out
of til" windows Just beneath him. Patrick
Cahill says he is confident he saw Il wum-
an tall back from Il window into the
smuka. He also believes ali the boys did
not e, out though all except those in the
boiler wing escaped without trouble.
One of the boys in the asylum said the
fir was caused Ivy another boy who went
into the drying room with II light
ed candle Their" were some clothes dry
ing on rack and he accidentally
touched them with the candle flame
The flames he said leapcl up in moment
and all who were in the room ran ont.
Two iircmen were thrown from ladders
ANA badly injured. Ats o'clock only the
cha"rcl walls remained. II could not be
learned tonight whether or not amy lives
wee lost, but the best is hoped for. The
building WAS valued III S3uO,OOO and is
fully covered by insurance. 1t was AN
uOuuccd AT Il late hour that sister Mary
Josephine had died from her injuries.