Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-01-09
-..9,LLING SCENE.

Fire Sr,eeps Away q Catholic Institute for
Orphans III Erooklyn-Fears that Sever
r al Children and One Sister of Mercy
Lost Thek. Livcs-Nearly Eight Hundred
Fatlnerless Children Turned Adrift in a
SnowGStorm. !,
New York, Dec. 19.-The Catholic
Male Orphan Asylum, at St Marks and AL
bany avenues Brooklyn, burned yesterday
afternoon, and it is feared some of the chill
dren persisted in the flames. The sisters in
charge think all escaped, but can not
tell until the roster of boys is
called. The little fellows are now
scattered about in care OF residents in the
neighborhood. The fire started in the
drying-room, which adjoined the southern
end Of the main building. This drying-room
also contained the boilers and heating appa-
ratns, with a dormitory OH the third floor, in
which there We're sixty orphans suffering
from various complaints. 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 i'll the
room until absolutely driven out by the
flames. Then she ran to the window, where
she stood upon a cornice until a fireman
from the roof of tile building swung his
coat to her. The sister caught the coat, but
when the fireman tried to pull her from her
perileus position she lost her grasp and fell
to the ground, striking upon her shoulder
and head. She was conveyed to ST. Cathe-
rine's Hospital in an unconscious condition.
Joseph Ryan, a boy, tried to descend by q
ladder from the same 1oor-the third. He
got within eight feet Of the ground, when
the ladder parted. He received severe in
juries. John McGrath, eight years old,
jumped from tire third story and was badly
injured.
Mother de Chantel and Sister Anthony
were in the Office when the fire was discOv-
cred. They at once gave the alarm and
building.
There were 7s5 orphans in the main
building, which is also known as st. Johns
Home. They were told to leave the home
and seek shelter in any neighboring house
until called for. Hundreds of the little
fellows ran out into the falling SNOW, hat
less and c~oatless. Tho flames spread with
great rapidity, and the buildings were al
most completely destroyed. The asylum
and grounds occupied the entire block. The
asylum building was 210 by $50 feet, three
stories high, With mansard roof, and was
constructed Of blue-stone.
lncre were aDOUt tllly SlSterS III Lle
asylum, and n 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. Children We're running
out Of every entrance on both st. Marks
and Albany avenues. Many of them were
tlinly clad, but We're soon provided with
clothing of one kind or another by the
neighbors.
On of the boys in the asylum said the fire
was caused by another boy who went into
the dlying-room with a lighted candle and
accidentally set some clothes on fire. The
flames, the boy said, leaped up in a moment
and all who were III the room ran out.
Father Eugene p. Mahoney, who was in
charge Of the building, thinks all the chill
dren escaped. He gives credit to the fire
men for their work.
1t was announced at a late hour last
night that Sister Mary Josephine, who fell
from a third story window, was dead.
There were 1ire-escapcs on the inside
courts, but beyond this there were no APP
planes for saving life or extinguishing a
possible fire. Tn wooden mansard roof
and massive wooden tower, with a high
wind at the time, contributed much toward
the destruction of the asylum.