Year: 1876




strangers, whose morbid curiosity drove them to in
quire how those poor aged victims looked whom death
had SO suddenly and violently overtaken. Women
came whole troops aud loered the pitiable and
repulsive picture, moaning and swaying II bewail-
ing personal loss But then many Of them from
the immediate neighborhood, and doubt they had
become acquainted with the faces and the names OF
many OF the inmates. Girls by the score with chill
dren in their arms passed along the row. eagerly cus
terng about q blackened face shrveled FORM while
the covering temporarily removed by
more courageous hands Next 70 this room was
the kitchen and washing room, in which acuster
OF busy women-housewives Of the neighborhood-
wko generously volunteered aid the Sisters in their
distress, were briskly engaged washing and cleaning
the soed and blackened clothes and linen of the
stituton Piles OF bedclothing partially burned and
portions OF the garments OF the inmates. scat
tered everywhere about the floor St further to the
east in a little room that had evidently been used
previously for devotional exerclces, bodies
Among these the body OF Cummins, who had been
killed in falling from the burning building
He looked alone, of all tho fifteen
far seen, natural IN death. Two OF
the other bodies in this than half con-
sumed by the flames Across a narrow passage way
door opening into sort OF closet room, and in
this body that showed further signs Of



hairs and beard The poor old had all his clothes
and had. doubt lost his life while endeavorng to
escape from the famea


Another charred body found with the hands
firmly casped upon the breast the drawn up
in prayer The poor died with the words upon his
hps


Occasionally among tho spectators might be seen a
sobbing with grave and troubled
countenance But there OF violent
emotion such follow great caamities where the dead
readily recognized, and young and old the vic
Tins Here the inmates in many instances dead
to the outside world Most OF them had lived the full
limit OF their three and en and had passed
away of their accord from the busy world to
haven OF just this side of the grave. Besides IL
their friends much grieved they could
select from the great number OF undisngushable dead
the they mourned for In the presence Of the gen.
eral horror individual grief seemed lost


LOOKING RELATIVES


At the door leading TO the chapel man stood with
list Of the OF the seventy five male inmates OF
the Home. On this list checked the names OF
the saved, 80 that q momentary glance discovered
whether those for whom friends and relatives inquired
where lost missing. OF course, good deal of
fusion arose from the that many OF the
who found shelter in neighborng houses remained
temporarily concealed and were, for the time much
lost to the authorities OF the Home as II they had
perished in the flames II curious to witness
manner of inquirers. One kindly looking
little woman, who called TO ask for a
friend that she had known for many years
poor solitary old man who, she said had never mar
ried and had no relatives living With visible anxiety
she awaited the answer OF the man who held the list
'He is alive the said who held the list 'and is
now at st. Johns College," The inquirers suspense
found relief in tears which flowed just as freely if
she had heard instead that the old man among
the missing


Among those who claimed to recognize deceased rela
tves John I. Laudermann and a man named
Kelly Laudermann said he identified the face Of his
grandfather who Of his own choice had entered the
Home with his wife q few years before Kelly recog
nized his father
one son, who came to the Home early in the fore
and made inquiries for his father, narrated
peculiar dream that disturbed the previous nights |
sumber. He dreamed, he said that his father
burned terrible fire. and the rst that greeted
his waking moments that Of the hre at the Home
In repidaton he hurried to the of the disaster
and after investigation OF the matter found his
horror that his fears realized and his sin
gular dream proved but too true. One OF the most


AFFECTING INCIDENTS
witnessed by the writer Late In the afternoon
consultation had between several OF The clergy of
the Catholic Church. Coroner Nolan and Sister Mary of
the Apostle. They thought that il Sister Mary would
the basement and view the charrod bodies she
might be able 70 identify some OF them from their
stature peculartes The good Sister readily
consented to the suggestion and the party, accompa
panied by OF Journalists repaired the room
OF death Dr. Simms began to remove the covering in
which the bodies wrapped. and the devoted Sister
shrank not from tho ordeal When bodies had
been exposed journalist who had made careful ex
animation OF tho remains and knew that II was mpos-
sble to identity Of the dead, calamity
came to the rescue of the Sister with the remark
ter you have witnessed enough OF horror Tor one day.


have examined all the bodies, and no possi-
bly, identity them. II is merely imposing disagree
able duty upon YOU and you had better retire" The
suggestion. coming gently from journalist had its
effect and the tired and uncomplainng Sister
tired The incident had It's effect upon the clergy the
reporters and the officials who with uncovered neads
silently retired without further examination of the
CHASTITY corpses


A woman whose eyes were red with weeping
thoughtlessly took little child into the presence
OF the dead and as bystander lifted the coverings
reyeang the blackened skull OF what
man, the child shrank back exclaiming:-"O oh,
mamma, mamma take me away, can't look at
roasted peoplel" Her words seemed to be taken TO
heart by more than one present, and the coverings
were more disturbed by that little knot Of curiosity
seekers.


one Of the old men who had long been an inmate OF
the Home while the tears rolled down his checks
said ~ crawed out, and only wish had time TO
tell the Others Tor its use OF keeping your head up
when smokes around "


DIAGRAM THE HOME


The homo is situated tho corner OF Bushwck
avenue and Chestnut street, and consists of main
building used as a chapel, with two wings either
side The west wing is occupied by the female in
mates, and when the fire occurred there housed
in it lis persons all Of whom sixty years OF
age In the cast wing wero located, according TO the
statement OF Sister Mary OF the APOSTLE seventy three
aged men. These wings consist OF n basement, two
stories and an attic At the end OF the mems
wing was a stairs built OF wood the outside of the
building extending from the ground the upper noor
door from each floor opened into this stairway, so
that II the doors LETT unlocked inmates could
easily escape by this OF exit unless cut of by
hre A diagram OF the institution Is here given-


N.