Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-01-30
HEROIC LITTLE CRIPPLES.
THE REMARKABLE GOODNESS OF TWO
LITTLE HOSPITAL INMATES

Averts What Might Have Been a Dreadf FIJI
Hoiooaust-Ihey Discover Fire and
Quietly Tell the Attendants-otherB Brave
Incidents "A Number of Fatal Confiagra-
tIons with Heavy Money Losses.
New NoRR, Jan. 30 In the hospital for
the ruptured and crippled at Lexington
avenue and Forty second street there are 1863
crippled children under treatment. About
6;I5 Sunday evening the younger of these
children were in bed, others preparing to re-
tire, and few Of the older children were
eating their supper in the basement Two Of
the latter, Louisa Fehlig, aged II, and Mary
Greedy, aged 10, started upstairs to
go to bed. On reaching the second
floor they we're suddenly enveoped in clouds
of smoke. Both children are suffering from
spinal disease and can walk only with diff
Guilty. Without screaming or manifesting
fright in any way they hurried as rapidly as
possible to the third floor found a nurse,
Ellen Dougherty, and told her the building
was on fire. The nurse told them not to tell
any of the children, and sont them to their
rooms. She then sent word by an assistant
to Matron Weber, who in turn notified Dr.
Gibney through whom an alarm was sent
out
As rapidly rs possible the doctors, nurses,
police and firemen, as well as a number of citi-
Gems, carried the children from the building.
The guests in the Vanderbilt hotel opposite
gave up their rooms and "a, of the little suf-
ferers were put to bed there. The Others
found shelter in private houses in the vicn-
ity. There was much excitement among
the spe ctators in the street, among whom it
was rumored that several of the children had
been burned to death. Fortunately all the
children were removed in safety
Meanwhile the fremen fought the flames,
and after stubborn battle subdued them.
The fire had originated in bath room on the
first floor from some unknown cause. The
damage dono is estimated at 81, 800 When
the fire had boon extimguished the lifeless
body of Mary Donney, cook in the hospital,
As years oil, was found in her room on the
fifth floor, where she had died from suffoca-
ten 1t was her day of, and it was sup
posed she had gone out to visit friends, but
il appears that she had taken nap instead,
and was sulfocated in her sleep.
During the fire Michael Mccarthy, the
elevator boy, was overcome by smoke and
fell into the elevator pit. He was discovered
there by Miss Jessie Stranger, young wait
ress in the hospital, who dragged him out
into the air, where he revived Miss Stranger
also saved the life of James O'Brier, one of
the engineers of the hospital. 1t was his day
off, and he was asleep in his room, and was
already unconscious from smoke when she
ran to his room and by persistent knocking
on the door reused him in time for him to
escape the fate of the unfortunate cook.
Little Louisa Fehig was asked after the fire
why she did not run away when she saw the
danger. 81 couldn't run very fast" she said;
al have spinal disease, you know; and, be-
sides, if | had not told Miss Dougherty she
and every one else might have been burned
"What did you do after you told herP Il
went into my dormitory aud told my chum,
Minnie Johnson. She is cripple, and can
never get out of bed without being carried. |
She asked me not to leave her, and took hold |
Of hands with her and said l wouldn't. But |
when | saw the smoke beginning to come up |
to our floor, Il heard every ono screaming |
aud shouting | felt so afraid that | tried to |
got Minnie out Of bed so we could get away. |
But couldn't lift her. She told mo to run |
aud not to mind her, or | would get burned |
up kissed her goodbye and ran out, but |
found man, who went in md got Minnie, |
and we both got out"
Ten-year Old Max SchwarZ, who is suffer-
ng from hip disease, tried to carry out
Johnny Bur e, a little deaf and dumb Grip
pie, but the burden was beyond his strength
Then he dragged Johnny out to the hall,
where a policeman found them and carried
10Th down stairs. There were many other
instances of heroic and unseltish behavior on
he part of the little cripples.