New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-14
A CONVENT BURNED DOWN.
ALL THE SACRED HEART BUILDINGS DEr
STROYED.
NO WATER TO PUT OUT THE FrRE-MUcH OF
THE FURNITURE SAVED AND NO ACcI.

DENTS REPORTED-LOss OVER goo. 600.
About Thirty children and several nuns wers
on their knees at prayer in one OF the dormitories
at the Convent of the Sacred Heart. on Convent
Hill. at a few minutes after ) o'clock last even
ing. when there sound OF scurrying in tho
air, Immediately followed by piercing shrek OF
Fire Fire." and the loud peal Of the convent
bcll giving warning to everybody within the
building to run for life Fire had been discoy-
cred on the roof Of the main building. and imme-
diatey after the alarm had been sounded there
great excitement in the place. but everybody
got oIt safely and uninurcd.
The grounds occupied By the order Of the Ladies
OF the Sacred Heart, which known as the
Convent OF the Sacred Heart extend from West
Observation-Disclosures -ifth-st. to West One
hundred-and-th d-thirty-scventh-st between St. Mich
olas and Tenth aves There are many buildings
about the grounds, which are used schools and
living places for the students and instructors.
1t is the vacation and only about
forty pupils out Of the $50 who live at the con-
vent are there. the rest having gone to their
homes. The main buildings are about in the
centre Of the grounds upon a lofty knoll, being
200 feet above ST. NichOlas-ave. The largest
building faces south, and is of brown stone. four
stories high and with large portico at tho
entrance and mansard roof. On the first floor were
the basement, kitchen and dining grooms; on tho
second were the parlor, offices and recepton-rooms,
and the third and fourth stories were used as
a dOrmitOry and hospital This building had
frontage OF 200 feet and depth OF fifty feet.
On the cast end extension, running as
right angles about 125 feet. in which tho
chapel The chapel was being decorated and tho
painters had been ab work s.ncc the vacation.
the services were conducted in building on
the west side Of the main structure, which was
also an extension and ran north about | 75 feet.
During the school this was used
as study. 1t was three stories
high, the upper floor being occupied by the stu
dents whose homes are ont of the city and who
lived in the grounds. Running westward from
this temporary chapel at right angles was another
extension 17j feet long and fifty feet wide used
as a schoolroom. museum and library. Still
further westward was another large extension run
ming at right angles to the museum. and it was
in this building that the children were at evening
prayers when the fire broke out. There were at
least 2jO. far away from danger. and for this
they were got out without beiag panic
stricken
HOW THE FIRE WAS DISCOVERED
Mother Alden saw the fire first on the roof OF
the main building On this roof was a dome
about twenty-five feet high, upon which cross
had been placed last week. The smoke came from
the interior OF the dome. Mother Alden did not
get excited. but TO Mother Duffy who was in
charge during the absence OF the Mother Superior.
and told her that the roof was on fire. Mother
Duffy, though feeble in health walked up the
spiral staircase leading to the roof to satisfy her
self before alarming those under her charge, and
driven back by shower of sparks
and dense cloud of smoke. Then she
sounded the alarm bell in the dcme and hurried
10 the extreme western wing to look after the chill
drcn.
There has never been any fire-drill in the school
bat the children are under perfect discipline. and
when Mother Duffy said TO them quietly Gene
with me- every one OF them followed implicitly
and all were led TO place OF safety. IL l. sup
posed that at this time the-c we-c l50 sisters
IN various parts of the building but every one OF
them has been accounted for. Their
out %TS before Ss the @ fire. had adj extended from @
the roof TO the sleeping apartments. At0gctn,t
there were about 25O nuns on the grounds, and
those not in the college buildings were living IN
the cottages close by. They were all greatly eX-
cited, and little groups Of them could be seen under
the large maple trees in the OF the fire lnecl
ing in prayer Many of the sisters were taken -
Manhattan College, where everything possible
done for their cumiori, and others went ID
private houses in the neghborhood, which wero
kindly opened for their reception.
HARD WORK GETTING UP THE HILL
Policeman jefferson, who is detailed az tho
convent sent out special building signal
No. 1874. which quickly brought three engines
and three trucks But they might we'll have
been miles away. The horses could not d:aw III,
heavy machines up the steep hills A long rOp,
was finally procured and with the aid OF several
hundred people one Of the engines and trucks was
dragged up close to the invent kOundsman
Sweeney and officer Jefferson in the meaniim,
had gone to the roof and engaged in IA battle with
the flames with hre-eXtinsushers and pals o.
water. They were soon compelled TO 1y to. thci.
lives the stairway below them had taken fire.
When the engine finally got to the top OF tho
hill there was no water 10 be found and thece was
another long delay while the water was being
turned into fountain about fifty feet from tho
front of the structure. When "a feeble stream
finally sent through the nozzle. the dome WAS all
ablaze. and the fire was raging iercey in the half
gale that WIS blowing from the wcs twarL EN-
Fire Chief Bates shook his head sadly when the
wind turned the dome around II il a top
and it crashed with great force through the roof.
the sparks flying IN every direction
The flames spread through the top story rs II 10
was filled with tndcr. and sheet OF blaze over
200 feet long burst from the roof and threw ~
weird light upon the thousands Of upturncd faces
that could be seen through the waving trees
Second and third alarms were speedily sounded,
and Chiefs Bonner, McCaDe and McIil took charge
half dozen special calls we're sent Tor engines,
but the machines were Of little use when they ar
rived All the water had to be taken from the
streets below, and when it reached the fire il was
little more than yapor and was carried away from
the flames by the strong wind
FIREMANs CALLANTRY
Fireman Kennedy OF Engine No. -, was tho
first to do good work with the little water at his
command He clambcrcd up ladder with the
flames licking his feet and held the nozzle into the
top story window. Fathers Griffin, McKcnna and
Dougherty took charge OF the removal Of tho
valuable paintings from the chapel and museum.
All the altars and fixtures were gotten out safely.
The fire could soon have hccn got under con-
troll if there had been water, but without II there
was nothing that could be done by the iirencn
except to throw all the property worth saving ouU
OF the windows. Hundreds OF people aided IN
carrying out beds and clothing belonging To tho
pupils
The wind increased in fury, and AT midnight
the north wing OF the building in flames, and
the indications that the entire structure
would he destroyed With the small supply OF
water this apuparcd to be inevitable. The loss is