Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1890-05-14

" uaanAes 70 sno e4irceoos 0us thoy were
met BY sheet Of nams and all perished.
None Of them were over 20 years Of ass.
The sisters worked With The persistence
OF hsroinss, By turns imploring. bsssschine
and commanding The patients, and finally
saving very large number. In view Of the
inadequate facilities d hand. Sister
There's. the supssioress, - broken hearted
and, being at present In ill-health, her
name may b added to the already long
list OF victims. Drs. Bourqua and Baralst
wsrs carried from the building unoon.
scious. and whatever must bs said Of the
management % . whole, the individuals
exercised every power TO lessen tho calam-
tty they had neglected 10 avert.
Loud Explosion
was followed BY crash Of beams. The
interior was giving way. The Wild faces
shrank from the windows and the shr1eks
Of the maniacs were lost in the general ND.
roar. One BY one the walls topplsd In.
ward, and the Aerce blaze burst m from
the nsSiy addsd fuel, rose TO the dark sky
and shot ito glare over the st. Lawrence to
the southern shoEs and even tinssd the
g siasa - = !.
nothing but . few broken towers remained
bounding the seething mass Of metal and
debris under which are now not the bodies,
but the ashes, Of 100 victims.
BY this time il was 6 O'Clock and vas
growing dark aud very cold. The spring
rains had converted the place into quag-
mire, and only horsemen could got from
place to place. The poor sisters, most Of
them young and delicate, stood ankle deep
in the mud securing and superintsnding
the removal Of such furniture a. had been
saved. The patients wandered about
aimlessly, clad in scant garments.
When released many Of them leaped
for joy and bounded like deer
across the fields to the woods. Patients of
both sexes escaped, and though Gordon
OF police was thrown around, not all were
included, and horribly suggestive tale
WAS borne in BY habitant who was com.
ing through the woods to the scene OF the
disaster. A new decade had come upon
tho inhabitants from the presence of so
many escaped lunatics, and they will
count themselves fortunate il they are not
'AoAs0u W y e0SA00 u 0uCA CIlmcS ID OUly
madmen can devise.
All the time the fire was burning every
high house top IN Montreal had its curious
sight The long road was thronged
with carriages. The transport service of
Montreal WAS pressed into service, and
every available cab, omnibus and hack went
out filled with people.
Premier Aercier has placed the Montreal
exhibition buildings at the disposal OF the
nuns, and TO- o-morrow the buildings will bs
stocked with provisions.
The Strsngost Wonder
to the firemen 10 that such an absence OF
fire fighting facilities could exist. Although
the appliances were there they we're utterly
useless. The institution had excellent en-
gines, ten good pumps and new boilers.
but no connection existed between the
pumps and the boilers.
The Sisters Of Providence spend in
founding and organizing this institution
81, 1S2, 1882, OF which 500, 900 vas spent on
the buildings. The building vas insured
by the governments for $3OQ,00 With
the exception of the medical department,
consisting Of the doctors, the sisters re-
tanned complete control Of oil the depart
ments Of the asylum.
AT latest reports the death roll 10 ssti.
mated At 6fty. although many more are
missing. but ere expected to turn mp. 1t
is feared that seven tertiary nuns were
burned, - three more are missing besides
those named above. They we're not, how
ever, seen in the flames. and the sisters
prefer not to give out tho names at pres
ant