Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-09
DEAD NUMBERS %.
Sad Scenes at Rochester, N.
Y, Asylum Fire.
Twenty-Seven Injured and Several
More Inmates Ere Missing.
Two Fireman Killed 4! alo.h3r Fire Following
The Asylum Disaster.

Rcche7ter. n. Y, Jan. S.-Twenty-
c'git dead bodies lie at the morguc
and II persons more or less seriously
injured, lie at the different hospitals
in the city, tonight, as the result of
the terrible holocaust which, early this
m crning. occurred at the Rochester
Orphan Asylum. OF the dead, 26 were
children CT both sexes. ranging in age
from two to four years. while the re-
naming were two adults.
The fire. which was discovered at Ito
A. NJ, and was doubtless caused by
an explosion of natural gas in the boil
er room, adjoining the west wing of
the asylum, spread so rapidly that
many of the 100 inmates of the insti-
tuition were overcome by the flames
end smoke almost without warning. A
corrected and revised list of the dead
follows:
Arthur Kelly, Bertha Hall. Mildred
Slocum, Hazel Murray, Isabel Marth-
age, Loreo Owen, Bertha Potter. Mary
Kane, Beachnell Carey. Mrs. Martha
Gillis, nurse, Gladys Hill. Viola
Stuck, Mary Alexander. Minnie Tigany,
Gertrude McCaw, Charlie Benham,
Mildred Wright (colored). Cora Potter,
Evangeline Carey, Gertrude Toner Lii
Tan Stone, Helen Hamilton. Myrtle
Patterson, Marion McCaw, Rhea Con-
we'll Minnie Skinner. Charlotte Bry-
ant, Mrs. Maria Gordon, cook of the
asylum.
y partial list of the injured: Lorena
Ownen. suffocatcd. condition serious; Al
len Bellmore, badly burned; Miss +. NJ
Hibbard, face, arms and chest badly
burned condition serious; Miss Cline
foot broken; Miss Kate CottreII, leg bro
ken. badly bruised: Morris Heating fire
man, hand injured; Blanche Addison.
badly burned. condition serious Paul
Dunn. colored, badly burned; Miss Brad,
Miss Lawson, Mary Brown.
In the record of fatal fires in Roch-
ester none can be found which is
equallcd in the pathetic scenes sur
rounding 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 hospitals and morgue
That so many children We're saved
from the west wing of the building
seems little short of miraculous, and
il is remarkable 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 fol-
lowing almost Immediately upon the
discovery of the fire and the accom-
panying explosion was one which turn
ed the stoutest hearts sick and filled
the spectators with horror The win
doWs of the west wing were filled with
the terrified faces of the tiny waits.
Working like men possessed, the fire
men struggled to release them from
their re"ilouS positions. The rooms OF
the dormitory were filed with smoke
and the little ones were being slowly
suffocatcd 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 ambulances from every hoSDitaI
in the city reached the scene almost as
soon as the fire department. but they
proved totally inadequate in providing
for these 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
We're many. The intense heart sick
ness of the spectators and those work
ing is beyond description. Most of
those rescued from the building We're
unconscious from the effects Of smoke.
1t soon became apparent that the
building was doomed. A general alarm
was sent in and the entire fire depart
ment was soon on the scene. The fire
was stubbornly fought from every
available point. but it was over an
hour after its discovery before the fire
was under control.