The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-07-25
HORROR AND DEATH
INVADE PLACE OF
HAVEN AND REFUGE
One Of Victims Of FrightfuI
Holocaust at Pittsburgh,
Pa, Was a Nun
PIG ARE IN HOSPITALS
More Deaths Feared as Result
Of Shock and Injuries to
lnfirm Inmates

Pittsburgh. Pa, July 25.-R-
Twenty-seven persons, rs Of them be-
lieved inmates Of the Little Sisters
of-the- Poor Home for the Aged and
one a nun, were burned to death, and
2l6 others are in hospitals, victims OF
fire that turned the haven into q
place of horror and suffering Friday
night and early Saturday.
The coroner's office reported is
persons still were unaccounted for,
but the ruins had been searched thor
oughly. dissipating belief that more
had died in the flames. Twenty-six
bodies. only three Of them identified
definitely more than IL hours after
the fire was discovered, were In the
county morgue.
Physicians feared the shock of ter
ror and confusion among the aged
would increase the number of fatali-
ties. Many of them were calm and
helped their fellow inmates as the fire
ragged through the home, but later
collapsed when the danger vas past.
One of the aged victims died Satur-
day.
Fire Chief Richard L. Smith esti-
mated the property damage today at
between $45 900 and 5 $4,000. ,
Wall Bars Entrance
The alarm came from outside and
heavy barred gates and a high stone
wall faced those who sought to warn
inmates and their protectors. Once
warning was given, chaos ruled. The
few nuns, the staff OF the home,
struggled to lead to safety those OF
the $50 patients-145 men and los
women-they could reach. OF the In
snates themselves, the stronger helped
the weaker; those who could strug-
tgled from window to window, crying
for rescue; those whose infirmities
pinned them to their rooms, followed
the example Of blind Mrs. Mary Kline,
49, dropped or my knees and
4 to God" and many OF them
WI Aved.
Aod6ide, firemen battered down the
heavy gates to get In their equipment;
fought futilely for q time to maintain
against the walls ladders that burned
Is they were reared, and then turned
70 life nets, frantically calling to the
imprisoned to leap for their lives.
Even before firemen reached the
scene, scores Of the men Of the neigh
borhood in which the home stood had
scaled the walls and begun rescue
work. Before fierce heat drove them
back they raced into the burning
structure, bearing out the helpless.
when heat within frustrated them.
they formed human chains on lire
.1acapes, passing old men and women
cne to the other until the ground was
reached.
Emergency Aid Given.
On the wide lawn below, physicians
IA nurses from throughout the city
niled their tasks. Nearly all those
eDught out required treatment OF
oQene nature.
within and without, priests gave
last sacrament to the dying at the
st1ak Of their lives.
" The fire, It was established hours
later, started In the morgue IN the
E1sement of the four-story brick
charitable institution. Whatever the
cause. flames soon ragged throughout
~ structure. BY the time firemen
11d begun their work the cupola top
the building collapsed. injuring
h1oe Of the rescuers below. -.
luch headway had the fire gained
yktA* all hope Of saving the BUILDING
l1l1al abandoned. All concentrated on
1pue-firemen. police. nuns, priests.
Z = every man who could get through
lire lines quickly established. On
n floor nuns remained. at their
S221 trying to rescue where they
:. refusing to be rescued and IN
- their charges be taken first.
HS@ Nun Displays Herojsua
ter Agatha. mother superior Of
home. taken from the building.
herself from her assistants ana
IA indoors once more. NUNS
Sded with firemen to save her. An
later she was found struggling
AAln the enfeebled, crying hyste-
II. exhausted from her laborss
~ conscious amid the confusion
aoke and falling debris.
the 260 persons confined 70 the
not one Was under 90 years Oh
mot of them were much older.
nany we're iufirrn that ftremen
se Etad had not volunteers swnrIne0
r = scene the situation could not
been controlled - quickly -
81 Ne expsyiencs d Mn. Margaret
aConnell. Is. vas typical.
1 we were almost suttocating.. =
F1aid. 'sThe women had 70 run rom
|@1nnow 70 window 5cg ~. 49,
nacaline. In charge q ~ 1looe, ma0e
lem stick thar heads out -