The evening world., 1911-03-02
Children March in Night
Clothes Through Flaming Mt.
st. Mary's Building.
LOSE ALI. BELONGINGS.
Only Walls of 5000, 900 Struc-
ture Oh Watching Noun
tain Left Standing.

PIAINFIEIsD, n. j., MarCn g. Hc
presence OF mind and heroism of a band
Of about twenty Sisters OF Mercy was
responsible for the escape without in
Jury early to-day OF 100 pupils, all but a
dozen of them young girls. from Mount
st. Mary's College. near here. when the
Institution was discovered TO be on IRE.
The building. completed only two years
ago at a cost. OF 500. 90. was practically
DESTROYED only the walls of the main
wing remaining.
St. Mary's College Is on the Watching
Mountain range, back OF this city. n
occupies a commanding location. Tho
pupils, aged from twelve to twenty
years. are from the Eastern states.
The few boys are all under twelve
years OF age. Although considerable
wood entered into the construction of
the big building, It was supposed by the
sisters and the pupils TO he as good as
freproof.
The Waterman OF the institution. MAX
ing his rounds in tie grounds an hour
before daylight. happened to glance to-
ward She tower. He saw a red glare
in tho windows, and al the moment he
watched some Of the panes OF glass
broke and puffs OF smoke and hre
belched out. Before he could give the
alarm the whole tower vas 1blaze and
the flames were working their way into
the building.
Fire Drill Praeticed.
The fact that their building was sup
posed to DO fire proof had not deferred
the sisters from holding fire drills. Con-
sequently. although the Waterman was
the only person awake in OF round
the institution when the fre was dis
covered. the Sisters. aroused by the
Changing OF an alarm gong. knew Just
what to do.
Without stopping to dress. each OF
the devoted women slided to her post.
The pupilsrawakening In the dormitories
In an atmosphere pungent with the
smell Of burning wood and with the
roar OF flames In their ears. were dis
posed to forget the fire drill routine.
but sharp commands from the sisters
treasured them.
With only such clothing as they we're
able to pick up In hurried flight. the
children lined up In the corridors. At a
given signal the occupants of each dor
mitory marched in a body through The
hot. smoke-flled halls to the main en-
france and out TO the grounds.
Bitterly Cold on Mountain.
II was bitterly cold up on the noun
tain side. but the pupils did not mind the
cold, so engaged was their attention In
the sight before their eyes. The main
building was by hat time all a5laze.
fire was spouting high In the air and
the country side for miles around was
illuminated.
The sisters guided their charges to
tho stables of the institution. which
fortunately were not In line with the
showers Of sparks blown by the wind.
Later on the girls were cared for In
private homes In the vicinity.
Sisters and pupils lost all they pos
sessed in the blaze.
A rumor thai one OF the sisters had
died OF shock after the fire was found
to be untrue So far as Is known none
OF the sisters or the pupils suffered be-
yond the chill they experienced when
they rushed out into the morning air.
There was something over $4,000 in
surance on the building and contents.
The work Of rebuilding will be started
at once.
The fire departments OF Plalnfield and
North Plainficld went TO tho fire. but
they could get no water pressure.