The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1884-01-10
THE NOTFE DANE HOLOCAUsT.

many persons were i1laAeG
THE ROTRE DANE HOLOCAUST.
ST. LOUIS. January T.-NOthing
later is received from Bellevilie a.
noon today but additional infOrma-
ton Il momentarily expected. Search
/ for bodice was resumed this forenoon.
| II the condition Of the walls and other
parts OF the ruins would permit, the
remains Of the still missing victims
might Be found. The following ex-
tract from q description Of the search
/ Yesterday will convey an idea Of the
scenes and the horrible nature OF the
work. The bodies were al near each
other. and Mother SuperiOris body
seemed 70 be in the centre. A bone
was picked ND here, and upon being
drawn became loose from some parti-
Gle Of roasted hesh. Here q burned
skull was found and there an arm,
while trunks burned into q solid crisp
were dug up Immediately under them.
It was an awful exhumatiOn and
more than once the WoTkmen faitered
because Of the sickening sensations
which Overcame the wOrkmen. lt
seemed that
THE HORBID HEAP
would never be exhausted and every
few minutes Il would be reported that
q new body had been taken out with
shreds Of burned clothing elung TO
the sickening mass. It was almost
impossible to find the identity OF a
body, the frey fingers Of death having
efiaced every line and every shape Of
countenance and form. The bodies
in instances clung together, and the
heap, as e was uncovered to the eye,
was absolutely indescribable-
THE MOTHER SUPERIOR.
ST. LOUIS, January 6.-kO press re-
port or specials have been received
from Belleville to p. m, but meagre
private advices say the search Tor bod
les was resumed this afternoon and
several more were recovered. The
number and names were not given
however. Reporters are expected to
arrive at the scene by the 30 p. m.
train when an account OF the morn
ingis work Will be wired As Mary
Jerome. the Sister Superior OF the
convent was well known IN many
parts of the country, the following
brief sketch will be interesting. She
has given all her life segvice TO the |
church. and was known Ia girlhood |
as Barbara Hell. She was born "A |
wears ago IN PittsbuTg. Her parents |
were wealthy, and her education pro-
creased under the most favorable cir
cutnstances. She passed through the |
academy course OF Sisters OF Mercy al /
Baltimore. She entered the convent |
Of the congregation Of NOtre Dame at |
Milwaukee when 16 years Of age as a
novice. When her nOvitiate was CONF |
pleted she was sent as supeTloress TO |
New Orleans and remained there a |
few years. She was next assigned 10 |
Belleville In 1859 as supeTloress OF the |
new convent and academy OF the |
NOtre Dame society. The early ms
tory OF the convent was full OF diincul-
ties, but were overcome by the busl-
ness tact and intelligent direction OF /
the young superiOress. From lme 10 |
time the house was enlarged, costing /
IN all about $50, 900, and was the pfin-
cipal convent OF the society Nearly |
ali the debts Of the society have been
removed by the wise management oi
Mother Jerome.
In addition to the large convent at
Belleville, Mother Jerome founded
several other houses Of the society IN
Southern Illinois, and exercised
through the delegation OF the Mother
General Of Milwaukee probationary
Jurisdiction over the several converts
south Of Milwaukee. Throughout her
Jurisdiction, where she was so well
known and so much beloved, the
sorrow will be limitless. She was q
most unselfish and amiable woman
and loved by every one VINO knew
her.
When the fire was raging she
might have saved herself, being IN
the dOTmitOFy from which all had es-
caped save her. When others des-
cended the ladder to safety her
her thought and action was to save
the lives Of the children Entrusted TO
her care. Her self-impOsed task was
fruitless, for all communication be
tween the dOrmitory OF the children
was cut OFF by flames and surOeating
smoke, and she perished In her heroic
effort.
ST.. LOUIS, January 5.-A reporter
lust from Belleville says the search
for the bodies was resumed about ii
o'clock this morning, but up to the
time he left little progress had been
made. He states that fourteen in
stead Of eleven bodies were taken out
yesterday, but none were identihed
excepting those mentioned in these
telegrams last night. To-day only
two backbones, q hand and few
small bones were discovered. Up to
two O'Clock no more identihcations
had taken place. An inquest began
this morning and several WITNESSES
were examined. The remains OF
Mary Campbell and Miss Wilmer
were brought to the city this evening.