The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-07

Roberval. Que, Jan. 6.-At o'clock
this morning, fire broke out in the chapel
of the convent here caused by a lighted
| candle near the cradle of the infant
Jesus. setting fire to the draperies and
/ floral ornamentations and in an instant
TIE whole was a mass of flames. The
alarm was given by a sacristy nun, but
| the fire spread with such rapidity that
| nothing could be done to save the build
ing Seven nuns were smothered in the
smoke. Their names are:
| Mother ST. Francois de Paul elise
| Gosselin, of St Jean Chrysostome).
Sister Providence Emma La Tourneau,
| of Quebec.
Sister Ursule (Corinthe Ga1neau. of st.
/ Sister Anne Oaura Pudon. of Herbet-
ville).
Sister Antoine de Padorine Catherine
Bouille, of DeschambaulD.
! Sister st: Dominique Marie Louise
Girard, of RObervaD.
Sister st. Louis Rose Gosselin, of st.
! Jean ChrsostOme).
Another nun was badly burned in try
ing to extinguish the fire. The convent
and school are mass of ruins. The total
, loss is $4,000, with only about $4,000 in
surance- The school was closed on ac-
count of the holidays and most of the
pupils had gone home
The convent burned was that of Our
Lady of Lake st. John, in charge of
the Ursuline Sisters. a cIoister order
and one of the oldest sisterhoods in
Canada
Usually there are about so young
ladies in attendance at the school be-
sides the nuns and the other attaches
of the establishment, making in all
about 100 inmates.
When the alarm was given the nuns
bravely undertook the task of rescu-
ing those in their charge. and in this
heroic task those who persisted gave
up their lives.
From floor 20 floor of the doomed
building these Christian devotees
rushed through binding smoke AMI
lurid flames, sounding the alarm, and
not until every one in their charge was
warned of the danger, and safely out
of the building, did they turn to the
saving of their own lives. 1t was then
too late and, overcome by the heat
and smoke, seven of these heroic sis
ters gave up their lives. Having seen
their charges reach place of safety,
they then endeavOred to save them
selves, but their escape was cut off
and they were not even able to reach
windows from which to jump and take
their chances IN a leap for life. On
every floor their dead bodies were
found some burned terribly and others
suffocated to death and kneeling in the
attitude Of prayer. Those who es-
caDed are being well cared for at the
hotels and private residences of the
village, the doors of which were
thrown open to them in their dis
tress. So far as known none of the
scholars, who did not go to their
homes for Christmas and New Years
vacation, are missing and it is be-
lieved the seven names given above
comprise the total fatalities.
This village is about 20 miles north
of Quebec City and rests on the east
ern shore of Lake st. John.
A private dispatch just received from
ROberval says the remains of three of
the nuns have been recovered from
the ruins, but the work of clearing up
the debris has had to be stopped on
account of terrible heat in the base
ment. Mgr. La Becre, bishop of Chi
cOutimi and Lake St. John, and the
lady supeTioress of Meyer house of
Quebec, and her assistant, together
with an architect, will leave tomorrow
for ROberVal.