The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-09-26
sr. VINCENT HOSPITAL FIRE
Four Persons Burne to Death, one Oh
ts.cm Miss Pippin of TarbOrO-Others

Four Persons burned TO kPcatHs ono u
tt.em Miss Pippin of Tarboro-Others
Injured
Norfolk, Va, September 21.-Four
lives were lost in the great fire which
destroyed st. Vincent's hospital early
this morning. The remains were taken
from the debris and removed to the city
morgue today for Identification, prov
ing to be as follows:
Mrs. Margaret McEween, about 20
years of age, a lady Of weak mind,
who was there for safe-keeping. Inc
only way she could be identified was
by ear rings, the body being SO badly
burned
Mrs. Elizabeth White, an old lady
who had been at the hospital for a long
time as a boarder. She vas on the
fourth floor and the body had fallen
through to the third. She was identi-
fled by the structure Of her body.
Cherry Boswell, a 3-year-Old child
from Lewiston, N. c., who had a club
foot and was there for treatment
Miss Pippin, of Tarboro, N. c., who
had just entered the hospital and was
to have been operated upon today. The
body was found in the ruins of the bed
in which she slept.
Inc injured are.
Fireman Thomas A. Barrett, of the
Queen Street engine house, left leg
| broken, right arm fractured in three
places and cut OF forehead. He is still
alive, but has not regained conscious
| ness, and but little hope of his recovery
is entertained.
Fireman Robert A. Foster, driver,
hurt about head, but no seriously
Barrett, Foster and several other fire.
men had run a line of hose through the
main entrance of the building and were
driven out either by the fire and smoke
or by the ~premonition of an impending
collapse above them. Had they re-
manned in the porch they would not
have been injured at all, but as they
wen down into the yard from the
front steps a mass of timber, brick
| wall, ETC., pitched out and down from
above upOn them.
| Miss Kate Dolan, of Washington, D.
c., one of the nurses Of the institution.
She jumped through the stair we'll from
the thirty story to the first, landing in
| a sitting posture at the feet of Sister
/, Bernard, the sister superior, who hap
pened atthat point just at that mo-
ment. She was hurt about the neck,
hands and back, n is considerably
injured.
Miss Teresa Glass, of Richmond, Va,
| dloo IluI SC Div ID UdOly Jul lSu dUOul
| n hand and foot and slightly about
the face. h was carried to a resi-
| dence on Wood street.
Sister Bernard, who is in charge OF
the hospital, estimates the loss at $500,
900, on which there was an insurance
Of only $50, 1000.
Tha the hospital will be rebuilt there
is scarcely a doubt. Many of the walls
are intact and can be utilized.
There are many interesting incidents
connected with the fire. Young Hal
| stead, who had a leg a1nputated Tues
day, worked his way to a stairway AND
rolled down the stairway Ito safety. A
nurse carried out a nan weighing 49,
| pounds. Rev. J. B. Merritt, pastor OF
the Seamen's Bethel, worked like 8
Trojan, although an old man, and later
filled his home with sick sailors from
the hospital.
The Portsmouth and navy yard fire
| departments rendered valiant service.
The coroner'S jury will tomorrow rem
der a verdict in the cases of the fou.
:; bodies recovered from the ruins.