Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 March 1881 — BURNED TO DEATH. [ARTICLE]

BURNED TO DEATH.

Frightful Fate of Children Cocked dp in a Seminary at Scranton, Pa. Scranton, Pa., Feb. 28. Seventeen inmates of St. Patrick’s Orphan Asylum, of Hyde Park, comprising fourteen boys and three girls, ranging in age from 6 to 12 years, were suffocated last night by an unexplained fire that broke out at 9 o’clock. Tho number of children under the care of the Sisters was forty—eighteen boys and twenty-two girls. The institution is in charge of several Sisters of Charity, and is situated at the comer of Jackson street and Lincoln avenue. It is four stories in height. On the third floor are two dormitories, separated by a partition, one for the boys and the other for the girls. The children were taken to the third floor to-night by one of the Sisters, who assigned them to their respective rooms. The Sister locked the door and started for- the lower floor. When abont half way down her attention was attracted to smoie issuing from one of the rooms. It was discovered that a brisk fire was in progress, and the Sister, alarmed for the safety of her charges, hurried back to the girls’ dormitory. The inmates were frightened by the smoke that was entering their room from the lower floor, and rushed to the landing. In. a short time the Sister led the way down stairs, and all tho girls foilowed her. They were sent to a place of safety. The smoke was now pouring through the hallway in a dense volume. The Sister again started for the third floor to rescue the boys, but she had gone only a short distance when sha met a strange man, who told her that the boys had all been removed from the dormitory. She persisted that they were still in their rooms, but the stranger asserted that they were not, and quieted her fears. By this time the firemen had arrived. The fire burned strongly on the second and third floors, and streams were soon being thrown upon the flames. Doubt being expressed about the boys having escaped, the firemen worked toward the dormitory. In a short time they succeeded in cleaning a pasoage. The door of the boys’ room was broken open. The surmises of the doubting onos were fonnd to be correct The children were fonnd huddled together beneath their cots, all having been suffocated. Two of them were slightly scarred by the flames. The calamity has caused excitement such as has never been experienced in this city.. At the date of this dispatch (1 a. m.) the streets are filled with people who visited the scene of the horrible occurrence. The terrible result has east a gloom throughout the city that is positively painful It cannot be ascertaiaed to-night bow the fire originated.