Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1899-09-02
HEROISM AT A FIRE.
Sc. Agnes Convent at Sparkill
Completely Gutted.
NUNS AND BOYS DISPLAY CALLly1RY
Four Are Dead. ssd hnt For RAPID
work ny Inmate. Many More
Victim. Would Have FaIlca
In the FIames

SPARklLI.. y. Y. Ang. 29.-A fierce
hrs. swift and terrifying In It's de-
structive power. swept through the group
OF buildings az ST. Agnes convent Yes
terday and left IN its ashen wake the
bodies OF four victims. IL wiped out
nine out OF total OF ten buildings in the
group, and that IL did not claim more
victims is due alone 90 the bravery IN the
face of-danger and death of the Sisters
OF Charity who conducted the convent
and orphauage and the hcroiSm Of some
OF the older inmates
The fre occurred about I O'Clock In the
morning and found the 400 tenants ~ the
institution asleep There was haSfv
hut timely warning that started che hc-
roic work ~ rescue. Hendricks were gut
out IN almost perfect order. bat scnre
who risked their lives Co save others were
finally forced 90 either jump from the up-
per stories or make desperate dasheS
THROUGH -tairway~ and corridors hied
with flame and smoke.
The known dead are. Helen Brown,
aged g years. Emma Macsin. aged =
years. Jane --. aged go years. and
Mary Kate Mccarthy. aSrd - years.
The missing and unac,ountcd for are.
Thqrese Murphy. acrd i6 years. and
Mary Brown. aged 3 years
The ere was discovered in the lavatory.
"A separate building. which stood in tho
northwest corner OF thr almost perfect
square formed hy the ten buildings n thr
group IN was seen FIRST hy Watchmnn
John lynch. who gave an immediate
alarm. The clanw 90 the electric gong
and the loud cries 81 this watchmnn bad
hardly begun to rin- through the convent
before the FIRE had attacked the arehway
mad was eating ifs vnv into thr first dor
mitory. I'm which slept 2Oo boys
The boys in the first dormitorv got thr
hrst warning Sister Reginald. who had
trained thc lads in the fire drin rushed
down. the line of white beds aud. arous
ine the sieeper>. ciapped her hands. the
. simple ORE signal followed boz the orphan
age The httle chaps turned out with d
rush. ana. while some waited to hustl,
r iEto yloth,~ the majority rushed to th'
; front 81 thl nuiishuV. By THAI time th'
r secont. .io 7astory. where sic Vttse shaw
: ers slept. was ahiaxe. and the Older lad
soon realized that there wss work a.
them So do. To a boy they made das
7 7 for the building and were soon carryin
the smaller fellows out There wa
death In the flame and death in th
= smoke. but no one hc~itated The sister
Z stood az their posts. and little squads
e truly great hcru,~ dashed in. bundled ID
r. the sleepy waits and dashed ont wii
- them These lau~ ARE the Walf~ OF m
streets. the tough little lads that ti
Gerry society reaches ont for. hut IN,
were offering ap their lives for the
- weaker fellows.
Meantime there were other stirrif
'E Scenc~. The convent and chapel made
+ grent stack OF dame. and between The
a and the second dormitory the girls do
" mitory blazed and cracked as the ii
N leaped up It's wooden walls. doz
" sisters were cut OF in the upper stori
= OF the convent building They we
;- forced % the windows. and while sOi
=. climbed out to the Sills others knelt
the easements ia prayer. There We
cries for aid Engineer l.. otto placed
A. long ladder against the outer wall and
& speedy and heroic work aged 90 30
~ cue half a dozeu. Six were forced
rs jump for their lives. and fortunate
Is with one exception. Sister Bertrand.
OF escaped without serious siury.
al The fire reached the girls dormit,
- last. but once il took hold of the build
:. it burned dercely. Most OF the girls "
, on the upper floors. and IL was with
=, greatest difficulty that they were got q
III Here again did the sisters make a W
nd dcrfui display or self sacrifice. IT
were the last 70 leave the building.
as Shortly after the last OF the rescu
ed left there was counting OF heads,
aS- tile discovery was. made thar gwo b;