Daily inter mountain., 1899-08-28
In a Fire in the New York
Orphan Asylum.
OCCURRED EARLY TODAY
Several Helpless Young People We're
Seen to Fall Back in the Flames
The Sisters in Charge Performed
Many Acts Of HerOiSrl.

New York, Aug. 2s.-A special to the
World from Nyack says: Fire was dis
covered in the large boys and girls or
phan asylum connected with ST. Anne's
convent at Sparkhill. Orange county, at
a. m. today (Monday), but not before
the entire structure, a frame building,
was wrapped in flames. Many of the in
mates, children We're burned and suffo-
Gated, it was reported early this MORN
ing. The exact number of the dead could
not be told at 3:15 a. M, when the first
dispatches rea ched this city.
George A. MARITIME of Sparkhill, one of
those who first discovered the fire, tele-
graphed to Nyack for assistance. Ma
zeppa Engine company responded from
that place. Eight doctors also went from
Nyack. A request for aid was also tele-
phoned to Piedmont Empire Engine
company was dispatched from Piedmont
to the scene Of the fire. Piedmont is this
side of Nyack and both engines with
their compliments Of fire fighters arrived
at about the same time. Eight doctors
also went to the fire from Nyack to give
relief to the injured.
The asylum, which is conducted by the
Sisters of Mercy, held about 1000 chill
dren. 1t was a long frame building three
stories high. The flames We're not dis
covered until the whole building was one
mass of flames. The children had scant
chance for escape. Special trains over
the New Jersey Northern road We're
rushed to the nearest railroad station
The asylum was situated between Spark
Hill and Orangeburg.
The scenes at the conflagra ton We're
heart rending. The children, clad in their
night robes. could be seen falling back
ward into the flames, while the shrieks
of the dying could be heard above the
crackle of the devouring flames. Some Of
the children We're crippled for life by
jumping from the windows. Many of the
sisters also We're injured while others
lost their lives herocally while trying to
rescue their charges. Although the SER
vice of the fire department from neigh
boring places had been promptly rem
dered, the engines arrived too late to be
effective in saving life or property. The
fire started on the upper floor of the
three story building. Nearly 300 occu-
pants of the convent occupied rooms on
this floor and all the dormitories were
lighted with kerosene lamps. There is
little doubt that the fire was caused by
the explosion Of one of these lamps The
fire spread rapidly upward and burned
through the Single roof Of the building
in two places. At the time of the discov-
cry the fire had made such progress that
the sisters could not waken the hundreds
of children under them ard march them
out Of the buildings as was the practice
at fire drills. Many of the little victims
We're sulfoeated in their sleep.
1t is now believed that not more than
six lives were lost in the fire at Sparkhill.
The property loss will exceed $1OO, 600
---
New York. Aug 2S.-The entire group
of buildings, with the exception of the
hospital which comprised the convent of
st. Ignatus and the orphanage in charge
of the Dominican sisters, situated near
Sparkhill, Rockland county, We're burned
early today. and so far as known four
lives were lost and many injured, two OF
whom will probably die.
The fire started in the lavatory at the
northwest corner of the group of build
ings, nine in number. 1t soon commune
Gated to building No. l, occupied by the
older boys The lads were awakened
and rushed out.
Word was quickly passed through the
nine buildings, and the sisters in charge
of each had all the occupants of the dor
mitorieS out of bed. The work of getting
the children out of the buildings was
heroically performed by the sisters, as
sisted by some nurses as we'll as many
| of the older boys.
The alarm was telephoned to the near
est towns. but when the fire company
from Piedmont arrived, all but the hospi-
tai buildings had been demolished. All
the children We're taken out alive but
two little tots died in convulsions after
rescued.
An aged woman nurse known as Jane
is supposed to have perished in the build
ing Theresa Murphy, 16 years of age.
escaped, but went back to save baby
and pershed. Six of the sisters jumped
from second, third and fourth floors of
the building, but only one, Sister Bert
rand was seriously injured. Sister
Marie is severely burned. Sister Cath
crime had an arm broken. Sister Sienna.
who assisted in the work of rescue. show
; ing wonderful courage, collapsed after
/ the children We're gotten out and re-
tnlained unconscious several hours. Sis
1c, Agnes had miraculous escape from
injury and possible death. After climb
!. = out of a fourth story window she took
tcla of Il swing shutter swuag herself
free of the building and dropped TO the
ground without apparent injury. In all
, there were 326 children in the building
when the fire rtarted.