The Portland daily press., 1901-01-09
Escape Of Many Children Was
Miraculous.
Deeds of Heroism w ere
Many.
Most of Those Rescued Were
Unconscious.

Rochester, N. Y, January S.-Twenty-
eight dead bodies lie at the morgue and
twelve others, more or less seriously In
iured lie at the different hospitals in the
city tonight as the result Of the terrible
holocaust which, early this morning,
occurred at the Rochester Orphan Asy-
lum. or the dsad, twenty six are .chll-
dren Of both sexes, ranging In age from
two to four years, while the remaining
two were adults. The fire which was
discovered at Ito a. m, and was doubt
less caused by an explosion Of natural gas
In the boiler room, ad joining the west
wing OF the asylum, spread so rapidly
that many OF the 100 inmates of the
Institution were overcome by the flames
and smoke almost without warning.
In the record OF fatal fires In Rochester
none can be found which is equaIled In
the pathetic scenes surrounding the loss
of so many young lives in the gallant
sacrifice OF life in the effort to save
them, or In the sad scenes at the hospital
and morgue.
That SO many children were saved from
tie short of miraculous, and 1t ie remark
able that the death roll was not even
larger. The story OF all the heroic efforts
to save the little ones will never be told.
The scene following almost Immediately
upon the discovery OF the fire and the
accompanying EXPLOSION was one which
turned the stoutest hearts sick and filled
the spectators with horror. The windows
of the west wing were filed with the ter
rifed faces of the tiny waits. Working
like msn possessed, the flremen struggled
to release them from their perilous POSI-
lions. The rooms of the dormitory were
filled with smoke, and the little ones
were being slowly suffooated in spite OF
every effort to release them from their
charnel house. Most OF those rescued
were lowered by means OF ladders to the
ground from the second and third
stories.
The ambulanoes from every hospital
in the city reached the scene almost as
soon as the fire department, but they
proved totally inadequate in providing
for those rescued. Many sufferers and the
dead were removed to the houses in the
immediate neighborhood.
There were awful scenes around the
asylum at this time. Deeds of heroism
were many. The intense heart sickness
OF the spectators and those working IL
beyond description, Most OF those rescued
from the building were unconscious
from the effects of the smoke It sooD
became apparent that the building was
doomed, general alarm was sent in, and
the entire fire department was soon on
the scene. The fire was stubbornly
fought from every a valuable point, but
1t was over an hour after It's discovery
before the fire was under control.
Rochester. NY, January S.-Not sinos
the great lantern works fire of 1883, In
which many persons met their death
and many more were injured has a dis
aster occurred In this city, W ith such a
loss of life as has been caused by fire
which broke out in the Rochester Orphan
asylum, three-story structure on the
corner of Hubbeli Park and Exchange
street, this morning.
or the 1866 to 1876 inmates. between 20
and 30 lives have been Lost and many
moro of the children and women taken
from the building will die from the
terrible burns and injuries received.
1t was but a few minutes after O'Clock
this morning when a nurse In the hos
pitaI, Miss Cline, smelled smoke. She
Immediately notified another nurse. Miss
Vallient, and the latter reported the
matter to the matron, Miss l.. Dinehart.
The smoke was speedily located in the
boiler room and word was sent to Police
headquarters. All the fire apparatus
was rushed to the burning building, but
before the IRE engines arrived the neigh.
bors for blocks around were doing their
best to rescue the inmates.
Shortly after the tire was discovered the
boiler blew up with terrific explosion,
completely blowing out the lower part of
the connecting wing between the east
and west buildings. thereby cutting or
the escape Of the children In the east end
OF the building. 1t was learned that
those children who were nearest to the
connecting wing were stunned by the
force of the explosion and with them 1t
was matter OF great difficulty to take
in their surroundings when finally
aroused.
In the seat wing were the sleeping
apartments OF the asylum. Thsss were
located mainly on the second and third