The Prescott daily news., 1912-10-31
NUNS PERIODICALLY SACRIFICE THEIR LIVES TO SAVE 100
 CHILDREN.
MOTHER SUPERIOR A VICTIM
RelIgionsts Enter Burning Building Time and Again and Carry Out Helpless Charges-Many Otn-
 CTS Jump to Life Nets.

San Antonio, Tex, Oct. 31.-Six Sisters of Charity, including Mother Mary of the Cross, mother superior, sacrificed their lives to save nearly 100 orphans, and two children were burned to death, when the St. Johns orphan asylum was destroyed by fire.
 The sisters carried out scores of the children and the firemen saved many others with life nets, when the or phans jumped from windows. The origin of the fire is not known.
 Time after time the nuns dashed into the burning home, seized chil- dren, some mere infants, and rushed outdoors. Usually they carried two in their arms. The older children, with out waiting for suggestion, helped to quiet and save the younger ones Al though exhausted, injured and half suffocated, the brave women kept up their work of sacrifice until the walls of the big building fell
 The fire was first discovered at i 90 o'clock. It spread so rapidly that many of the children were cut off from the fire escapes There was a wild rush for the stairways and win. dows, and the nuns heroically rallied in an attempt to save the children.
 Many Jump of Own Accord.
 Fire nets were stretched about the nf a1, II,A, leaped to safety of their own accord. Others, when they appeared at tho windows, hesitated, but jumped when urged by the sisters.
 Mother Superior Mary of the Cross deliberately endangered her life. Aft. CT leaving the burning building she heard child cry. She rushed back to save the little one A moment later she appeared at window with the child in her arms. Fire Chief Wright put up ladder to save them, but be. fore he could reach the window the floor gave way and Mother Mary and the child were hurled to their death in the flames.
 Sister Monica leaped from a win. dow from one of the upper floors. She missed the fire net and was killed.
 Another sister appeared at win. dow with child in her arms. Smoke and flames leaped about her on every side, as she struggled toward the win. dow. The child clung tightly to her as she emerged from the flames, but as she reached the window she stag. gered and fell back into the flames, carrying the child with her. Both perished.
 Partial List Of Dead.
 Besides the mother superior, the sisters who perished were;
 Sister Francis Posteur, native oi France.
 Sister Petera Steven, native of Ire land.
 Sister Leacodia Nolan, native oi Ireland.
 Sister Monica Monnez of Mexico.
 Sister Kostka Farrell.
 Two of the sisters were killed by jumping from the third story, both missing the life nets.
 When it was discovered the blaze had gained great headway. A panic certainly would have followed had not the sisters showed the greatest hero ism. They went from cot to cot and awakened all the children. They were marshaled into the halls and started toward the fire escapes, but in many instances the way to the escapes was cut off by smoke and flames. Heed less of their own safety, the sisters hurried the children to the avenues of escape left open.
 Fathers Hume and Duffy also risked their lives in saving the chil dren. They rushed into the flames and carried out child after child from the first and second floors.
 Fire Chief Wright declares that the sacrifice of the sisters alone saved the lives of the children.
 The charred bodies of the victims were found in the ruins.
 Miss E. Estandish and Miss A. De temple, employed in the home as do mestics, were burned and injured and may die.