The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-22
FOUR MET DEATH IN FIRE.
DESTRUCTION OF ST. VINCENT DE
PAUI's HOSPITAL.

Several Were Severely Injured.
Among Them n Fireman Who was
So Badly Hurt THAT His Recovery
Is DoubtfuI-LOss Is Estimated ae
$5O0,O0O with Only $4,000 Insur-
"nce-Iioy with Leg Amputated
Rolled Down the stairs.
Norfolk, Va, Sept 2l.-Four lives were
lost in the great fire which destroyed ST.
Vincent de Pauls Hospital early this
morning The remains were taken from
the debris and removed to the city morgue
to-day for Identification, proving to be as
follows:
Mrs, Margaret McEwcen, about 70 years
of age, a lady of weak m.nd who was
there for safe keeping. The only way She
could be Identified was by her earrings,
the body being 50 badly burned.
Mrs. Elizabeth White. an Old lady who
had been at The hospital for a long time as
a boarder. She was on the fourth hoor and
the body had fallen through TO the third.
She was Identified by the structure of the
body.
Cherry Boswell a 3-year-oid child from
Lewiston, N. c., who had a club foot, and
was there for treatment
Miss Pippin Of North Carolina. who had
just entered the hospital and was to have
been operated upon to-day, The body was
found in the ruins Of the bed in which shs
slept. Miss Pppin was from Tarboro, n.
c.
Fireman May Die.
The injured are Fireman Thomas A.
Barrett OF the Queen street engine house.
left leg broken, right arm fractured in
three places and cut on forehead. He IS
sim alive, but has not regained conscious
nes. and but little hope of his recovery il
entertained.
Fireman Remsert A. Foster driver. hurt
about the head, but not seriously.
Barrett. Foster and several other fire.
men had run a line of hose through tho
main entrance of the building ana were
driven out by the fire and smoke and by
the premonition Of an impending collapse
above them Had they remained In the
porch they would not have been injured
at all, but as they went down into tho
yard from the front steps a mass OF tim
Der. brick wall etc, pitched out and down
from above upon them. The mass that
fen upon the tiremen Is said 10 have been
q water tank that was located in that
part of The building for the purpose of
running the elevator.
Jumped From Third story.
Miss Kate Dolan OF Washington, d. c.,
one of the nurses OF the institution jump
ed through the stair well from the third
| story to the first landing In a sitting pos
| ture at the feet OF Sister Bernard, the
| sister superior, who happened at that
point just al that moment. She was hurt
| about the neck, hands and back, and Is
considerably injured
| Miss Teresa Glass OF Richmond, Va,
also a nurse, is badly burned about one
hand and foot and slightly about the face.
She was carried to a residence on Wood
street
Sister Bernard, who Is in charge Of the
hospital estimates the loss at $50O0 900. on
which there was an insurance of only
S33, 900 That the hospital viii be rebuilt
there is scarcely a doubt. Many Of tho
walls are intact, and can be utilized.
There are many interesting Incidents
connected with the fire. Young Halstead,
who had leg amputated Tuesday. worked
his way to a stairway and rolled down
to the stairway to safety.
A nurse carried out a man weighing $50
pounds
Rev. J y. Merritt, pastor OF the Sea-
mems Bethel, worked like a Trojan, all
though an old man, and later filled his
home with sick sailors from the hospitals
The Portsmouth and navy yard fire de-
partments rendered valiant service
The coroners jury will tomorrow ren>
! der verdict in the cases of the four bod-
les recovered from the ruins