Rock Island Argus., 1897-01-07
SEVEN NUNS DEAD.
Perish BY Smothssing in the Ruins
Of Their Convent.
HORRIBLE DISASTER N QUEBEC.

Pinned II the Fourth Story They Are us-
able 10 Escape Owing 60 the Rapid
Spread Of the Fi.mss-Lsse of the Lest
Whole Building nGass Of Ruiss-rwes-
ty-Four Lives Lost By Fire, Explosisu
and Drowniug.
Ottawa, Ont, Jan.-The convent NJ
the Crsuiine nuns at Roberval. on Lake
st. John. about l2o miles north OF Que
bee, was destroyed by fire which broke
out at s o'clock yesterday morning and
seven sisters are known to have per-
ished in the flames. while about fifty
inmates had very narrow escapes from
q similar fate. weSe Il not that most
OF the students Of the convent had gone
home the loss OF life would probably
have been greater
The students were to have returned
today. The convent is situated on the
shores Of the lake. about one mile and
a half east of the summer and fishing
resort called the Hotel Roberyal. ana OF
the village proper. Shortly before G
O'clock the villagers were alarmed Inv
seeing a reflection from the ncighbor-
hood of the convent
At first II was supposed the fire was
in the church. about half a mile from
the convent. Naturally the greatest ex-
element prevailed, which was aug
mented when the alarmed villagers
hurried to the scene and found the
flames bursting from the convent build
ing. Ordinarily there are about thirty
nuns in the institution and about fifty
pupils.
Nuns sinothcred by Smoke.
The village has no water work.. and
the work of saving the contents was
therefore difficult. while the flames had
made such headway that their extin-
guishment was an impossibiiity. Many
OF the nuns and pupils slept in n domi-
tory on the second story and th.s.
managed to escape: hut others occupied
a dormitory ON the fourth floor at the
north end. There was a fire-proof tow
er near this. hut the rspidity with which
the flames spread prevented the nuns
from reaching IL. They were smothcrei
by smoke. The religious titles and
names of the dead respectively are n-
follows: Mother St Francois de Paul.
Eliza Gosselin. of Sc. Jean Chryros-
tcme: Mother Providence. Emma I.e-
tourneau. Of Quebec: Mother 81. r'rruic
Corinthe. Of st. Foye: Mother Anna.
Laura Hudon. of Herbcrtsviiie: Mother
st. Antoine de Padua. Catherine Bouitc.
O. Deschambault: Mother St. Donin-
QUO. Marie Louise Cirard. OF Robervai:
Mother st. Louise. Rose GossiIn. of st.
Jean Chrysostome.
Probable Origin ss the Fire.
Another nun was badly burned In
trying To extinguish the fire. The con-
vent and the school are nothing hut
mass OF ruins. Just how the ar.
started II not known certainly but the
day being the feast of Epiphany Il is
supposed that lighted sandle near tire
cradle Of the Infant Jesus ignited the
draperies and floral ornamentations.
and In an instant the whole place was
mass Of flames. The fact that parts
OF the convent were uncomplctcd caused
the fire To spread more rapidly. The
monastery was stone building Ave
stories high and 10 feet frontage. ard
was built eight years ago. The ursulinc
nuns Of Quebec. by whom it was con-
trolled. are the oldest cloistercd order
In Canada. and IL was In a cavity made
by the bursting of a shell within their
convent at Quebec that General Mont
calm was buried after his death upon
the plains Of Aabraham.