The Portland daily press., 1899-08-29

soma climbed out to the sIlls others
knelt In prayer. There were cries for aid.
Engineer Otto placed long ladder
against the outer wall and by speedy and
heroic work managed to rescue half q
dozen. Six were forced to jump for
their lives, but with one exception, Sis
ter Bertrand, all escaped without serious
injury. The escape Of Sister Agnes
seemed almost q miracle. She was cut
of on the fourth. floor. Climbing out up
ON the window siil she seized the shutter
and swung out clear OF the building.
Then she lost her hold and shot down
ward. She struck the ground squarely
upon her feet and then fell over on her
side. Immediately she got up and walked
quickly away from the burning wall.
She had escaped unhurt. The fire reached
the girls dormitory last, but once 1t took
hold of the building it burned fisrcely.
Most Of the girls were ON the upper
floors and it was with the greatest diff
Guilty that they were gotten out. The sis
ters were the last to leave the building.
Shortly after the last OF the rescucrs left
the sscord dormitory It was discovered
that two Of the baby boys were missing.
John Cody. i5-ysar-old boy ran Into the
building, In spite OF warnings. Nobody
expected to see him alive again, but a
minute later Cody came dasning ont OF
the building and under each arm he car
ried one OF the missing boys. His friends
embraced him In their joy. Inc fire was
seven minutes in speeding down the
length OF the arohway that connected
the buildings and 10 minutes In reaching
the convent. Eiremen hurried from Pier
mont and Nyack but the best they could
do was to save the hospital large frame
building, two stories high, that stood in
the rear of the main group. Hundreds of
persons from Sparkill and the surround
ing country gathered quickly and they
and the sisters Joined In caring for the
injured and unhoused children. Teams
were provided and the scantily clad chill.
dren were carried to the Blauvelt convent.
As far is known but one person actual-
ly perished In the ire itself. That was
Jane,an old pensiner, aged 40 years. She
was asleep In the servants quarters.
Helen Brown and Emma Mackin were
safely carried from the buildings, but
they soon died from commissions that re-
suited from fright. Kate Mary MCCARTHY
was a servant in the convent and had
organic heart trouble. She was badly
frightened, collapsed in ths grounds and
died later at Blauvelt convent. 1t is
believed that Therese Murphy and Mary
Brown both escaped from the fire but
that, the former became demented and
is leading the other girl in wild chase
through the woods. The Murphy girl
was 16 years old and was the sonool
monitor. Mary Brown was her pet child.
There was a rumor that both perished
in the flames. but the convent authors
ties assert that Therese was seen near
Sparlxill at 5 o'clook.
Neither Superior Dominic. who ruled
the house from the headq quartera OF the
sisters of the third order Of St. Dominic,
in New York city, and Mother Peter,
who had direct char Ge, declined to make
statement Through DIR. George Lett
ner, physician at the institution, they
expressed the opinion that the fire was
incendiAry.
There were 326 children in the orphan
age. 60 Of whom were girls and their ages
ranged from to 16 years. Most of them
were from New York citya we're in
most instances committed by the Ger-y
society and city courts.
The value of the property destroyed is
placed at sl5O.OOO and the insurance is
roughly stated at $40,
The heaviest individual loser Is Rev.
Father Edward Cronin, chaplain, who
lost his library, valued at $4,000 and bis
personal effects.
The children are to be distributed
among different houses of the order un-
til tire proof buildings are erected.
Coroner Kirk viewed the bodies of the
dead today issued burial permit and
will hold an inquess on Monday.