The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-12-24

NEW YoRK, December 18.-Short-
ly after 4 O'Clock this afternoon fire
broke out in the drying room, # the
Catholic Male Orphan Asylnr,, cor
ner of ST. Marks and Alba,,y Aven-
ues, Brooklyn. The building where
in the fire originated contalr.ed the
boilers and heating apparatus, with a
dormitory on the third floor, in
which there were sixty orphans suf-
fering from various com plants.
Whether or not they all escaped
cannot be told until roll call is
had. The opinion obtained tonight
that some were lost.
Sister Mary Josephine, who was
in the dormitory at the time the
fire broke out, made heroic efforts to
save the little ones. She remained
in the room until absolutely driven
out by the flames.
Then she ran to a window, where
she stood upon a cornice, until
Foreman McGroarty, of Engine No.
IA, from the roof of the building
swung his coat to her. The sister
caught the coat, but when McGro-
ATTY tried to pull her from her per-
ilous position she lost her grasp and
fell headlong to the ground. She
struck upon her shoulder and head.
and wss conveyed to St. GATHERINGS
Hospital in an unconscious condi-
tion.
I Joseph Ryan, boy, tried to de-
Iscend by ladder from the same
floor (the third), got within eight
feet of the ground when the ladder
parted, and he received severe inju-
rleS.
John McGrath, 8 years old, jump
ed from the third story and was
badly injured.
Mother De Chantel and Sister An
thony were in the office when the
fire was discovered. They at once
gave the alarm and proceeded to get
the children out of the building.
There were 7S5 orphans in the build
ing, which is also known as ST.
Johns Home. They were told to
leave the home and seek shelter in
any neighborlng house, until they
were called for. There was great ex-
citement among the inmates. but it
is believed ali escaped except possi-
bly, some of those who were in the
dormitory wing. Hundreds of the
little fellows ran out into the falling
snow batless and coatless. The
flames spread with great rapidity,
and the buildings were almost COM
pletely destroyed.
There was about thirty sisters In
the asylum, and number of them
went out with the boys, but it was
impossible TO keep the little fellows
together. They sought refuge in car
stables. dwellings, saloons and stores
near by.
John Watfeld, Il grocer, and
George Irish placed a ladder against
second story window on Albany
Avenue, and Irish handed dowp
seven boys, when the crowd called
to him to come down on account of
the proximity of tie flames. which
were burning out OF the windows
just beneath him. Patrick Cahill
says he is confident he saw a wom-
an fall back from the window into
the smoke. He also believes all the
boys did not get out, though all ex
cept those in the boiler wing escap
ed without trouble.
One OF the boys in the asylum
said that the fire was caused by an
other boy who went into the drying
room with a lighted candle. There
were some clothes drying on rack.
and he accidentally touched them
with the candle flame. The fame,
he said, leaped up in moment, and
all who were in the room ran out.
At late hour tonight Sister Mary
Josephine died of her injuries. The
confusion among the children at
midnight was so great that the au-
thorities cannot say whether any
lives were lost. Fireman George |
Matthews, of Truck No. 3, was seri
ouslv injured, and another fireman
was badly burned after being knock
ed from a ladder.
LATER-A telephone message from
St. Johns Orphan Asylum at 11:30
o'clock, says that IL bodies in all
have been recovered. The telephone
is working badly and it is difficult to
get reliable information, One of
the bodies recoyered was that of
lady visiting the asylum at the time
of the fire. The cold weather makes
it difficult to work among the
debris.