The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-29
BLAZE IN A LARGE 0RPHANAGE.
-FOUR MET DEATH AND MANY WERE
SERIOUSLY INJURED.


Ten buildings of the saint AI0nes
Convent and Orphanage at Spark
i'll, n. Y. Destroyed at n Loss OF
$3.50, 0,000-Many Inmates saved
Through the Heroism of the Sis
ters and the Young Boys ResIdent
There-TwO Children Are Missing.
Sparkn. N. Y, Aug. 2s.-Fire that broks
out at / o'clock this morning destroyed
nine Of the ton buildings Of Saint Agnes
convent and orphanage, entaillng loss of
$4,000, and causing the death of four per4
sons. The deud are:
Helen Brown, aged 6.
Emma MacSln. aged 7.
Jane pensoner, aged 70.
Mary Kate Mccarthy, aged 2s.
The missing are, Theresa Murphy, aged
l6; Mary Brown, aged 4.
The seriously injured are: Sister Sienna.
shock and collapse; Sister Marie. burns
and conclusions; Sister Bertrand. concus-
sion OF spine and shock; Sister Katherine,
arm broken: Hannah Shea, leg broken.
Twenty-Five inmates were injured by
fails, jumps and burns, none seriously.
That more lives were not lost was duo
TO the heroism of the Sisters and some OF
the older inmates, When the fire broke
out the 400 inmates of the Institution were
asleep. Most of them were gotten out in
almost perfect order but score who
risked their lives 10 save others were final
iy forced to jump from the upper stories
or make desperate dnshes through stair
ways and corridors nlled with flames and
smoke
The fire was discovered In the lavatory
and soon spread to the adjoining buildings,
attacking first dormitory In which 200 of
the older boys slept. An excellent fire
drlll enabled them easily to escape BY
that time the second dormitory. where tha
fmaller boys slept. was ablaze. The older
lads made a dash for the building, and
were soon carrying the smaller ones out.
Many Had TO Jump.
A dozen Sisters were cut off in the upper
stories of the convent building. They were
forced to the windows. and while soma
climbed out TO the sllls, others knelt at
the easements in prayer. Engineer Otto
placed long ladder against the outer
wal! and rescued half dozen. Six wera
forced TO jump for their lives and fortu-
nately ali but Sister Bertrand escaped
without serious injury
The escape of Sister Agnes seemed al
most a miracle She was cut off on tho
fourth floor, and elected 20 jump from her
window rather than plunge into the fur
mace that had once been a stairway. She
climbed out on the sill. and then sezing
the shutter, swung out clear OF the build
ing. Then she losed her hold. She struck
the ground squarely upon her feet and was
uniniured
The fire reached the girls dormltory last,
but once It took hold of the building ii
burned fercely. Most of the glr5s were on
the upper floors, and It was with the great
est difncuty that they were gotten out.
A noy's Heroic Deed.
Shortly after the last of the rescuers
left the second dormtory there was "a
counting of heads and the discovery was
made that two baby boys were missing.
John Cody, a l5-year-od boy, made
straight for the door. paying no heed 10
the warnings Of danger. A minute later
Cody came dashing out of the building un-
der each arm carrying one of the missing
bays.
The Sisters and children we're conveyed
by teams to the Blauyelt convent. As far
as known but one person actually perish
ed In the fire itself That was Jane" an
old pensioner, aged 20, who was asleep in
The servants quarters. Helen Brown and
Emma Mackln died from convulsiOns that
resulted from fright Kate Mccarthy was
a servant In the convent and had organic
heart trouble. She was badly frightened
and died later in the day
II Is believed Theresa Murphy and Mary
Brown both escaped from the fire, but the
former became demented and is leading
the other girl through the woods.
There were 326 children In the orphanage.
sixty Of which were girls. and their ages
ranged from two 10 sixteen years.