The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-08-29
uvES1oS1 mn Fierce FIRE
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sPARKILL. n. r.. Aug. &.-F1re that
broke out ct O'Clock this morning de-
ssroyed nine Of the ten buildings OF the y.
Agnes convent and orphanage, entaiiing 2
lose Of $4,000 and causing the death o.
four persons. The dead are:
Helen Brown. aged 8; Emma Mackin.
aged 9; "Jane." q pensioner. aged 70: Aary
Kate Mccarthy. aged n.
The missing are: Therese Murphy. aged
II: Mary Brown. aged 4.
The seriously injured are: Sister sienna.
shock and collapse. Sister Marie burns ana
conclusion; Sister Bertrand. conclusion OF
spans and shock: Sister Katherine. arm
broken; Hanna Shea. lee Sroken:
Twenty-Five inmates were injured Dy
falb, Jumps and burns, none seriously.
Discipline Avests . Panic.
That more lives were not lost was due to
the heroism Of the sisters and some OF the
older inmates When the fire broke out the
900 inmates Of the institution were asleep.
Most OF them were gotten out In almost
perfect order. but a score who risked their
lives to save others were finaily forced 70
either Jump from the upper stories or make
desperate dashes through Stairways and
corridors filed with flames and smoke.
Tho FIRE was discovered In the lavatory
and soon spread TO the adjoining buildings.
attacking first dormitory In which 200 OF
the older boys slept. Sister Reginald. who
had trained the lads IN the fire drill, rush-
ed down the line OF white beds and, arous-
ing the sleepers, clapped her hands. the
simple flre signal followed In the orphan
age.
The boys turned out with rush and
gained the lawn in their night clothes.
BY that time the second dormttory,
where the smaller boys slept, was ablase.
The older lads made dash for the
building and were soon carrying the
smaller ones out. The buildings were all
finished with Georgia pine and the wood
burned furiously.
The convent and chapel made great
stack OF flame and between them and the
second dormitory. the girls dormitory
blaxed and cracked as the fre leaped up
it's wooden walls.
MisacsIous Escape Of sister Agnes.
A dozen sisters were cut OF In the up
per stories OF the convent building. They
were forced to the windows. and while
some climbed out to the stills. others
knelt at the easements In prayer. Engi-
the outer wall and rescued half dozen.
Six were forced to Jump for their lives.
and fortunately ell but Sister Bertrand
escaped without serious injury. The es-
cape OF Sister Agnes seemed almost .
miracle. She was shut on on the fourth
dow rather than plunge into the fur
mace that had once been stairway: She
climbed out on the sill. and then seising
n TSsn sns oosd her q hod sSs
struck the. ground sauarely on her feet
any one could reach her she got up ana
The fire reached the girls dormitory
last, but once 1t took hold OF the build
Ing 4 burned nsrcsly. Most q the 9irls
with the greatest difficulty they were
gotten out. h
Boy saves Two Babies.
Shortly after the last Of the rescusrs left
the second dormitory there was counting
OF heads. and the discovery was made thar
: is-year- Old boy. ' made Straight Tor he
door, paying no heed to the warnings Of
danger. A moment later Cody came dash
ing out OF the building. under each arm
Firemen came from Piedmont ana Nyack.
but the best they could do was 90 save the
henspital, 2 large twSc,s,tory building:
by teams to the Blauvelt convent.
As far as known but one person actual
~ persisted In the fire itself. That was
whs va. an asleep sa snss tho Servants asss
Helen Brown and. Emma MAck:n died from
commissions that resulted from fright. Kate
Mscs Sss wa. Y the s sSnysns
badly frightened. collapsed In the grounds
Theresa Murphy and Mary Brown both
escaped from the fire, but that the former
became demented and In leading the other
girl through the woods
There were 3?6 children In the orphanage.
sixty of whom were girls and their ages
ranged from to IL years. Most OF them
were from New York city. and they were,
In most INSTANCES. committed by the Gerry
society and city courts.
The orphanage was conducted by Sis.
&C., - ,hn nn,niol~un or,ior