The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-22
SHE IS A HEROINE.
Brave Rescue of Deaf Mutes by Sister
Margaret.

Margaret.
The other day st. Vi%ncent's convent at
Montreal, controlled by the Sisters of Prov
idence, was destroyed by fire. The story of
a woman's bravery is told in a press dis
patch:
Shortly before four o'clock Sister Mar
garet France, who was in charge of the
dormitory on the sixth floor, was awakened
by a strangling sensation. %Springing to
her feet she was Mortified to find that the
dormitory was a mass of flames and was
burning ~iiercelv at its far end.
Flocking toward her from every side the
nun saw the white-robed figures of her I'M
fortunate little pupils, while from other
parts of the building came shrieks of des-
pair from the sisters, who thus early had
discovered the fire in the upper flats, but
were powerless to aid the mutes confined
there.
Sister Margaret. seeing that the fire was
in possession of the corner of the building
III which the stairways were erected, had
but small hope of saving her silent charges,
but with heroic bravery and without a
thought of self she gathered the little ones
around her and taxed her brain to devise
some plan for their safety.
The unfortunat children were making
that peculiar awful groaning of fear pecu-
liar to mutes, and it was distracting in it's
anguish, said Sister Margaret. She was
powerless almost to direct their efforts IN
d~erstandingly, but motioning them to fol-
low her example, she put a wet towel around
her head and, taking sheets and quilts from
the beds, with her terror stricken charges
she ran to 70 the windows of the hall, which
had not yet been attacked by flames,
By this time the %neighbors from st.
Hilaire village had been attracted to the
scene. but without ladders or other fire ap-
pa'atus they were powerless to aid the nuns
or do anything to stop the work of destruc-
ton going on before their eyes.
The removal of the furniture was at once
begun, but hope of saving the inmates on
the upper floor was almost abandoned from
the start. Then suddenly from the far cor
ner OF the building near the roof as vet I'M
lighted by the roaring flames a little white
robed figure WAS seen to appear. Forced by
loving hands from the window sill it beam
slowly to descend.
Then cheer upon cheer rang out right
above the noise of the conflagration as il
was evident that Sister Margaret was
battling bravely to save life, for without
almost u hope sho had made n rope ladder
out of the bed clothing, and with the I'M.
fortunate scholars tied securely to one enc
she was lowering them to the ground.
For half an hour she continued this bray,
work. SloWly but terribly sure the flamel
crept on to the corner in which she and he
charges were confined. The brave sistel
sipntu Nv Ithf. Ililully, anna inc cheer
of the anxlons watchers, the Inst of the on,
, hundred and forty pupils in the dormitor,
Was let down in safety.
!, Then Sister Margaret, with the hal
, singed from her head, with the flesh blister
ing on her face and arms, grasped the slcn
dor rope herself, and, her work nobly done
reached the ground in spflty only to fnl
faintlng INTO tho arms OF those VIII,
watched.
Hardly had she been removed when tn
| roof fell III and In less than IN hour all tina
remained of what was known to the POW
dence oruer at st. N%ncent's mapniticeu
/ convent was n heap of smouldering ruins.