The age-herald., 1899-08-29
SISTERS STOPPE[z.5J PRAY Heroic Work of $ , ;ue Done by the Youn9 mates.
 0- MANY JUMPED FROM THE WINDOWS Bremen Hurriedly Summoned, But the Most They Could Do Was to Save the Surrounding Build
 ings from Destruction.

Sparkill, N. Y., August 2S.-Fire that broke out at 1 o'clock this morning destroy ed nine of the ten buildings of St. Agness convent and orphanage, and caused the death of four persons. They are:
 HELEN BROWN, aged 6.
 EMMA MACKIN, aged T.
 JANE, a pensioner. aged TO. z
 MARY KATE MCCARTHY, aged 2S.
 The missing are: Therest Murphy, aged 6; Mary Brown, aged 1.
 The seriously injured are: Sister Marie, burns and concussion; Sister Bertrand, concussion of the spine and shock; Sister Katherine arm broken; Hanna Shea, leg broken.
 Twenty-Five inmates were injured by falls, jumps and burns. none seriously. 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 four hundred inmates of the in- stitution were asleep Most of them were gotten out in almost perfect order, but score who risked their lives to save others were finally forced to either jump from the upper stories, or to make desperate dashes through stairways and corridors filled with flames and smoke.
 Flames lsapldiy np- eAd
 The fire was discovered in the lavatory and soon spred to the adjoining buildings, attacking first domitory in which 200 of the older boys slept. Sister Reginald, who had trained the lads in the fire drill, rushed down the line of white beds and arousing the sleepers, clapped her hands, the simple fire signal followed in the orphanage.
 The boys turned out In a rush, and gain ed the lawn in their night clothes. By that time the second dormitory. where the smaller boys slept, was ablaze The older lads made a dash for the building, and were soon carrying the smaller ones out. The buildings were all finished with Geor- gia pine, and the wood burned furiously. The convent and chapel made a great stack of flames and between them and the second dormitory blazed and cracked as the fire leaped up its wooden walls.
 A dozen sisters were cut off in the upper stories of the convent building. They were forced to the windows, and while some climbed out to the sfTls. others knelt at tho easements in prayer. Engineer Otto placed a long ladder against the outer wall and rescued half dozen.
 Forced to Jump for Life
 Six were forced to jump for their lives. and finally all but Sister Bertrand escaped without serious injury. The escape of Sis- ter Agnes seemed almost miracle. She was cut off on the fourth floor, and jump- ed from her window. She climbed out on the sil swung out clear of the building, and then leaped. She struck the ground squarely upon her feet, and then fell over on her side. Before anyone could reach her she got up and walked quickly away unhurt. The fire reached the girls dorri- tory last, but once 1t took hold of the building, it burned fercely. Most of the girls were on the upper floors, and 1t was with the greatest difficulty that they were gotten out.
 Shortly after the last of tho rescuers left the second dormitory there was a counting of heads and the discovery was made that two baby boys were missing. John Cody, a 17-year-old-boy made straight for the door paying no heed to the warnings of danger. A moment later Cody came dashing out of the building car- rying under each arm one of the missing boys.
 Firemen Were Poweriess
 Bremen came from Piermont and Nyack, but the best they could do was to save the hospital a large two story building. The sisters and children were conveyed by teams to the Blauvelt convent.
 As far as known, but one person actually perished in the fire itself. That was Jane, an old pensioner, aged 70 years, who was asleep in the servants quarters. Helen Brown and Emma Maekin died from con- vulsions that resulted from fright. Kate Mccarthy was a servent in the convent and had organic heart trouble. She badly frightened, collapsed on the grounds and died later in the day. It is believed The- resa Murphy and Mary Brown both es- capped from the fire, but that the former become demented and is leading the other girl through the woods. There were 326 children in the orphanage, sixty of whom were girls and their ages ranged from to 16. Most of them were from New York city.