Year: 1876




Jeremiah Sullivan, In his Efforts 10 escape jumped
rom second story window and was Dadiy bruised
and internally injured.


The women were sleeping in the west wing OF the
building and we rushed in tnere and aroused them as
iasI as We could There was great confusion among
them for while but they were quoted AS soon as
possible, and took refuge the building occupied oy
the Sisters. The nremen and policemen worked as
hard as ever them and carried out as much FUR
niture, bedding, &c AS possible The Sisters them
Selves despite my efforts TO persuade them 10 leave
lnat part OF the work TO the men, took hana AZ
saving whatever they could and worked IN
cessanty. have been n policeman and
fireman for good many years, but never saw such
a sight IN my life The hre burned rapidly anu the
smoke was dense and blindIng. | Assistant Engi.
neer smith rush into volume OF flames in search OF
some one and how he came out alive is wonder 10
me WIN proper means OF escape IL would have been
almost impossible for to have been rescued for
they were mostly old and helpless men, who could do
little without assistance do not think many of them
were burned to death. The smoke was so dense that
those above must have been suHocaed before the nre
reached them"


STATEMENT OF A NEIGnBoR


MT Connolly, occupant OF a cottage on Stockholm
street. immediately facing the end Of the wing in which
the fire took place, said to HERALD reporter:-'Be-
tween three and four o'clock was awakened by my
sister in law with the cry that the Home fire.
rushed to the window and saw the flames coming out
OF the lower window, the left hand side and reach
ing TO the woodwork outside OF the Home dressed
rapidly and went out met several men in the street
ana told them TO do the best they could,
while the police station and gave the alarm.
On my return the whole wall iacing my house .
mass OF flames The versnda. which extends halt
way round this side was burning too, and the wooden
bay windows, extending up and out from the centre OF
the wall, disappeared like chat While was there
old man made his appearance at of the lower win
dows With the ard OF a short ladder rescued him,
and have him In my house He is very old and
paralvzed dis name Is James Cox His friends, who
were hunting Tor him, were in great distress, fearing
he had perished- Tney finally found hm at my house,
and went nearly crazy for JOY when they saw him


ENGINEER SMITHS STATEMENT.


Assistant Engineer Smith made a statement substan-
italy the following encct:-'sWhen got the lire,
about five minutes after the alarm had been sounded
le IA IL
sion nearly all the east wing of the building then
burning and several people were seen on the root As
soon as heard that number OF people were still
within the walls OF the burning edilce lost no time
i'll sounding second fre alarm To this soon got
speedy reply and went TO work at once with the
engines Owing to the fact that tho hydrants were
placed good way apart some short time was lost be-
fore the hose could be Joined and connected 1t took
us something like half an hour to


BEAT FLAMES DOWN


In such way that they could be controlled Having
done this the 1remen instantly to work to search
for the persons who counted among the missing,
but on account Of the great excitement and confusion
which at that moment prevailed around the scene II
was impossible for US to tell the number of those who
missing, or II any really missing at all.
few minutes suced to reveal the horrible TACT to my
room on the lower floor These two
fortunate persons lay on the beos; they
were nalf consumed and much charred
possible recognition The placed these CHASTITY
remains In blankets and carried them into the
basement OF the west wing OF the building placing
them there in the washroom. Further revealed
the act that three dead bodies lay in the cellar
Immediately under the bedroom where the other two
bodies had been found The three victims discovered
IN the cellar had been precipated into il at the
ment when the flooring gave way, and they
partially covered with rubbish and debris which had
fallen on them The tlremen then ascended to the
second floor, and here found two more bodies par
TALLY dressed circumstances which showed that the
l-fated men had been endeavorng make their es-
cape ut the time when they overaken and suio-
Gated by the volumes of smoke and flame which must
have filed the room and barred their exit On the top
floor


THE MOST HoRRID SPECTACLE


met the eyes of the who first penetrated there
Here no less than nine dead bodies, the of
whom were burned almost to n crisp IL impossl-
BILE TO recognize them. This room contained eighteen
beds and If all of them occupied, 1t is q wonder
TO me how any Of the occupants managed TO effect
their escape for all the of exit were cut off
very soon after the flames broke out. These bodies
were all taken to the washroom, where previously,
the first two that had been discovered were laid
The remains were all placed side by side
along with the first two bodies, the whole of
them being covered with blanket. Although il is at
this moment an extremely difficult thing to say Just
how the fire originated my opinion is that ii must
have been caused by defect in the heating ap-
paratus 1t Is evident that the flames broke tho
basement, or on the first floor OF the east wing and
then extended with tremendous rapdltv 10 the upper
stories OF the building During the entire OF my
experience | have never before known the hremen to
work with greater energy or more eectvely and yet
in spite OF all their endeavors, the 1re must have
reached the westTing had It not been for the brick
wall in the centre of the building which opposed
effective obstacle to It's further progress"


STATEMENT INNATE.


Among the inmates who made good their escape be-
fore The ire had enveoped the upper stories was an
old man named Seller who, when he had recovered
from the temporary stupefaction occasioncd by his
fright, betook himself to No. IL engine house He
rambles little IN telling his story, but OF the accuracy
OF the essential points OF 1t he seems perfectly salts
fed. After leaving the institution" said the old
man, al hurried along the sstreet fast I
could. The lower part of the house was then
covered with smoke and / could see the flames
rising up from tho ground a IoOr There was
at that hour and about the streets
were quiet death hurried along shouting "Fre''
as went and when reached the engine house cried
out Hurry up, for Gods sake, the Home is burning
the ground" excited that they dio not un-
derstand at first, but when repeated they asked
me where the Home Tor the Aged was, and said they
knew such place. l told them and urged them 10
make haste but they hesitatcd. and think they did
not believe me at first Before long, however, the fire
bell began TO ring and they then hurried OIL


A NARROW ESCAPE


One of the curious instances OF escape from the
iames was that oi short solid Old man. who seemed
to preserve considerable GOODNESS in the midst OF
narrowing scene. He told the reporter that he was
sound asleep when the Are broke out and was only
awakened by the noise the inmates OF his dormitorv
made in flying IRON their beds.


when got up pulled on my clothes as quick as
could and CROPPED my way toward the door; but the
room was 81 filled with smoke and there much
excitement that did not know where TO turn. Then
the fire began to burn through the door and the whole
room became pitch black Nearly every
rushing about shouting, praying and wailng. Somo
old men who wore lame and feeble were hardly able
stir IRON their BEDS and in the confusion they aid not
know what to do CROPPED my way about AS hest
could. half choked by the smoke and heat, until
stumbled against the window. II was open and |
leaned out OF II and ict about for something to catch
hold OF The roof hangs down low here, and II struck
me that might reach it, AS ielt about me my hand
touched the rod running up against the building. |
caught II with one hand, and easing my body against
the window stone work, climbed up the roof
from which was taken when the engines came"


LOOKING


Johu Murray, young man employed In livery
stable Ia the neighoorhood, among the drst
reach the scene OF the conagraton, and in
ton with the reporter he said:-'This morning
awoke about quarter past three O'Clock, and on
giancing out OF the window | noticed a red glare OF
light upon the houses opposite. could not imagine
what caused at nrst I'LL 1t suddenly struck that
there must be a nre IN the neighborhood hurried
out OF doors, and on reaching the corner the
flames bursting OF the lower floors OF the Home for
the Aged When reached the ire met a truckman
engaged IN the wire works opposite and together
dragged oat the hose belonging TO that buidiDg aud
had just got II uncoiled when saw II short
TO reach the nre. We then ran to fac
tory where hose slowed. but before
we had secured II heard the clatter of engine
coming along we hurried back TO assist the remen
When reached the building the uDucr stories wera