The Wilmington morning star., 1945-02-01
Nursery Fire
Takes Lives
OF Is Babies
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toe of baby's bootee protruded
from a pile of infants clothing and
tiny sweaters and jackets Uttered
the rooms.
Only infants saved were jeanne
Foisy, the year-old daughter of mill
working parents and Cecilia Four
nier, 17-month old daughter Of an
attendant, Mrs. Loretta Fourier.
In her dash for freedom, Mrs.
La Coste had snatched up the has
sinets in which these babes lay.
She stumbled, was scared by the
flames and dropped her precious
load.
But Mrs. Fourier, running at
her heels, grabbed up the babies,
leaving Mrs. La Coste~ to escape
alone.
Mrs. La Coste's three sons, Lau.
rent, IA, Guy, 9, and Norman, s,
managed to escape unaided from
their room over the garage thai
was attached to the house.
These with Mrs. Tanguay, who
aroused the neighbors with hel
screams for help, were the sole
survivors.
Later they said Mrs. Rosa Cote
another attendant, might have es
capped. But after running from her
room she turned back for hel
clothes. Firemen found her body
and the body of her 5-year-old sor
Robert clasped in each other
arms when the flames had sub
sided.
Utilizing emergency apparatus
firemen carried the charred infants
to Dillingham's funeral parlor
where throughout the day parent.
and relatives journeyed on reluc-
tant feet to attempt Identification
They filled three rooms in the
small brick structure-these tiny
bodies each shrouded in a veil Of
muslin.
Some held their wee fists clencil
ed over their faces. Some had theil
knees drawn up as if to fight thei
way free of the soaring flames
Though almost all We're burned o.
charred, some Of the tiny lace
still wore smiles as if they hat
gone to sleep with a mothers sof
kiss.
Among the first to visit the NOR
que was Mrs. Jane Wideman, %
year-old wife Of sailor statione'
in Chicago. She learned of tn
tragedy when she reached the sho
factory where she works.
With white scarf over her nea,
she came wordlessly into the room
where the tiny bodies lay. Seen
ingly in stupor, she walked to tn
long table, paused briefly and poin
ed at one little figure, Arnold Wide
man, Jr.. then, with sobs shakin
her but bringing no tears, she turf
ed away and left. 1860 3D. =
Pvt. Roland Sirois and his vii
came and found their tiny daugl
ter Carmen, born just 30 days b,
fore he was called into the servic
five months ago.
Other parents and relatives cam
later. Some asked that their littl
ones be taken to other funer;
parlors where burial arrangement
could be made. Some left to tie
parents too fearful to come then
selves that their child was dead.
:! Perhaps no one dreaded the o.
deal of facing the parents NOR
than did widowed Mrs. La Coste
For three years, officials sale
she had run the boarding home
taking in children of parents VIII
because they worked could M
make a home.
Some were children of service
men whose wives needed none
to exc out their service pay. Other
were babies of parents where bot
father and mother were EN-
ployed in the mills and factories c
the twin cities-Lewiston and Al
burn.
A mother who loved children
Mrs. La Coste had crossed tn
Andros-Coggin river to open tn
home in the new Auburn section
district Of mill workers home
where in 1888 fire destroyed Is
houses.
Miss Shirley Davis, the cit
health officer, said that Mrs. l.;
Coste's was a good home" al
ents paid from S. to 81 weekly TO
the care. The babies were well-fe,
clean and healthy, two day nurse
maids and one night nursemait
were employed. DR.. Victor Carer
supervised the house.
Police who were investigating al
angles of the fire could find moth
ing amiss-no indication of care
L.