Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-11-01
HEROIC NUNS DIE
AMID FLAMES To
RESCUE CHILDREN
Bravery Exhibit
ed by Catholic Sisters of
Charity When St, Johns
0rphanage Burns
tBv Associated Press. }

(Bv Associated Press.)
SAN ANTONIO. Tex. Oct. @.-t1ve
Sisters CT Charity gave their lives to
save nearly one hundred small orphan
children when Saint Johns orphanage
burned here before daylight today.
Two children were burned to death and
another sister is not expected to live
through the day. But three of the orig
inal nine sisters in the building es-
capped.
Two women employed as servants were
badly injured. -
TIfE DEAD.
The dead sisters are: Mother Mary OF
the Cross, who was mother superior OF
parish Her namef was Mary Rossiter,
native of wexford, Ireland.
Mother Francis Pastepr. native OF
France.
Sister Peter Clayer stevih. teacher in
San Fernandino school. native of Dub
lin, ireland.
Sister Leacadia Nolan. teacher in San
Fernandino school, native of Dublin, Ire
land
Sister Monica Montez. native lof Mex
leo. N
THE INJURED.
The badly injured nun is Sister Kos
tica Farrell, native of Kildare, Ireland.
Physicians say her back is broken, and
she cannot survive
The other injured ares Miss A! Detmple,
an employee, native Of Germany, bruised
and slightly burned,
Miss Z. Standish native of St. Hedwig,
an employee. body and limbs badly bruised
and burned.
The two latter. physicians report may
recover.
known, Eighty-seven orphaned chill
dren, ranging in ages from two to twelve
years, were in the building, and nine
nuns, when the fire started. The Sisters
of Charity nobly sacrificed their own
lives for the helpless little orphans, re-
naming in the structure until the
building itself began to crumble and
fall.
UNPARALLELED COURAGE. i
The death of Mother Superior Mary
of The Cross was demonstration OF
unparalleled courage. She returned to the
dormitory when she heard the cry of
a little child, forgotten in the nurry,
and few moments later she appeared
at the window in the frnot of the build
ing with the child in her arms.
Fire Chief Wright attempted to save
ner but failed! a ladder was placed
up the wall and the fire chief scaled it.
but before he reached herr the Mother
Superior and the child disappeared. The
flooring had been burned away and she
had fallen through to the flood below.
where the lifeless body was recovered
later.
The three nuns in the building when
the fire broke out VINO escaped helped
in taking the children from the burn
ing structure, and were marching them
across. the yard when. the walls began
falling.
sister Kotska in jumping from the
fourth flood window to reach life net,
evidently lost ner balance. AS her body
left the window she seemed to stumble
or lost her footing. and came downward
head first. Her body struck the railing
on the second. story and threw her out
of line with the net. Her back was
broken as were her limbs. She was car
red into the hospital unconscious. and
her life is despaired of,
FAITHFUL TO THE LAST.
Sister Monica Montez also lost her
life in jumping from the building Aft
err the children had been taken to the
fire escape on the west side of the
building she returned to take a last
look in the dormitory. Her escape
was cut off by a burst of flame into
the place. but she made her way to
the east sidel where the firemen stood
below with the net spread She leaped
but missed the net. Her limbs and
body were broken and bruised in nu-
merous places and death was instan-
locus.
Mother Francis Pasteur and Sisters
Stavin and Leacadia Nolan were una
bic to escape from the building and
me- death in The burning furnace their
lifeless bodies falling to the ground
with a mass of burning debris.
CHARRED BODIES FOUND.
The charred remains of the sisters were
reached by firemen at $50 o'clock, four
hours after the breaking out of the
fire. The rescue of the orphans from
death in the fire is considered remark
able. Fire Chief Wright, one of the first
on the scene after the alarm had been
sounded, declared the self-sacrifice Of
the nuns was all that saved the little
ones. While one child is known to have
burned to death, another is missing, and
it is feared it. too. is dead.
While every Sister of Charity in the
- &HNt0DD N,MA n