Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 January 1884 — A FIRE HORROR! [ARTICLE]

A FIRE HORROR!

Banting of the Convent of the Immaculate Conception at Belleville, Hi. Twenty-seven Persons Engulfed by Smoke and Bioasted by Cruel Flames, [Belleville (HU telegram.] The lives of twenty-'Seven women were lost by the burning of the Immaculate Conception Convent at this place. Many others were iujured more or less severely by from the windows of the third or fourth story .50 the frozen ground beneath. It is not fnown exactly how the fire started. The first report was that it originated in the third story, which was used as a dormitory. An attempt was made by the Sisters to extinguish it, but without success. The latest and most probable theory is that it • broke out near the boiler in the basement. When it was fii-st discovered the floor übove was ablaze uml volumos of smoke were rolling up and filling the stairways, hails, and corridors of the boilding. By the time the sleeping inmates were thoroughly aroused all avenues of escape seemed to lie cut off by blinding smoke and l ames. Then a panic onsv.od, attended by scenes so heartrending -that even the imagination can acutely picture them. Forty or more of the pupils and teachers, iu Bp to of the terror and wild confus on, -sueceedod in getting out of the building unharmed, arftl were given shelter from the iey wind in neighboring bouses. Their companions were far less fortunate. Many remained in the dormitory, and, rendered helpless by fright, perished without making an attempt to escape. Others rushed to the windows, and, appalled at. the prospect of leaping to an almost certain death, drew back auii were either suffocated bv the thick smoke or died in the flames. Some, braver than the rest, jumped from the upper windows and were oituer killed or badly injured. Miss Mary Campfieli, a teacher, of East St. LoUis, leaped from the third story and died iu a few minutes. Another, whose name was not ascertained, climbed to the roof and either fell or was blown off. She was fatally iujured. • The fire spreajß with great rapidity, and the fire department was of little avail. The extreme cold retarded the work of the firemen, anti even if they could have reached the scene without delay they oohW have been of but little service iu rescuing the victims. There are no ladders in the fire department, and no provisions for such a deplorable emergency lmd heen made bv the managers of the convent. The unfortunate inmates were, therefore, unable to help- themselves, und those who- wore witnesses of the horrible holocaust were- powerleas to help them. The streets in the vicinity were thronged with people anxious to be of service. They eculd do nothing but stand am} look on or listen in silence to the appeals of terror-stricken parents rushing frantically around looking for their children or wailing over their supposed loss. Within an hour from the time the fire was discovered the famous Convent of the Immaculate Conception was reduced to ashes aha a few charred und broken walls. As soon )i£ possible .. the work •ot recovering the remains of victims was begun. The firemen poured water on the ruins until daybreak, so as to quench the embers and preserve In recognizable shape the bodies of the unfortunate women. Then volunteers were called for, and during the day a large force of men were at work in the ruins. It was a terrible sight. At times the searchers would flud two of three charred masses huddled together, seemingly seeking each other’s protection from the advancing flames. Two bodies were found in the rear part of the building; burned into an unrecognizable mass, but the majority were found beneath where the dormitory was situated. They 'Seemed to have sought shelter in this room when they recognized that escape was impossible. The flames beneath, eating away the supports, let - down tho floor with those upon it into tho seething vortex of Are and smoke. The pupil boarders and three Sisters slept on tho fourth floor; on the third floor the remaining Sisters slept, and on tho floor above the basement the orphans and halforphans slept. Those on this floor escaped. The following is a list of the killed, missing, and injured, as far as is known: The dead identified: Sister MaducdO, Sister Angella, Sister Edwina, Mother Superior Mary Jerome, Mary Campbell, Lizzie Isoh, Susie Weimar, Virgie Ileitizelman, Mary Manning, Mamie Pulse and Gertie Struuck. | Missing: , J Agnes Scaling, Mary Sealing, Martha Manteil, Laura Thompson, Miss L. Siinott, Lottie Pierson, Hilda Hammell, Mary Blen, Katie Urbana, Mary Bertels, Delphi Sehlernezauer, Josie Plouder, Mamie Bailey. Injured: Sister Monne/se, Sister Stylites, Sister Repartie, Sister Pasehales, Sister Daisy Ebberman, Fanny Briirke, Agues Schneider. The building and contents were valued at $75,000.

Other Ulay.es. Fires are reported for the week as follows: The court-house and jail at Jerseyville, 111., four prisoners pea-ishing in the flames, loss $20,000; an Oil raß»ery at Cleveland, Ohio, loss $15,000; a hotel at Clintonville, Wis., loss $15,000; Shultz's box factory and other property at Milwaukee, Wis., loss $15,000; halfdozen stores at Dalton, Ga., loss, $10,000; two mills at Scottdale, Pa., loss $22,000; a cotton warehouse at Atlanta, tin., loss $210,000; a furniture factory and hotel nt Hickman, Ky.; loss $30,000; an office building- at Peru, Ind., loSs $20,000; Hyman & Simons’ grist thill, Wabash, Ind., loss $10,000; Sher,man's shovel factory, Middloboro, Mass., loss $25,000; a furniture factory at Fairfield, lowa, loss $10,C00; two residences at Wheeling, W. Va., loss $15,000; several stores at Weatherford, Texas, loss $25,000; Tabor Opera house bloofc. Denver, damaged $20,000; Brunson & Co. T rubber belting, Chicago, loss’ $40,(00; Dean's tannery, Tecumseh, Mich., loss $15,000; the St. Nicholas hotel block, St. Louis. Mo., loss $200,000; a warehouse at Racine, Wis., loss $15,000; Weingarth’s dry goods store and other property at Pinckneyville, 111., loss $10,000; a block of buildings at Avoca, N. Y., loss *20,0C0; the Abademy of Music, Binghamton, N. Y., loss $12,0J0; Church's flour-mill. Union City, Pa., loss $25,000; the City grist-mill, Corry, Pa., loss sls QoO; Muehe’s hardware Sioie, PyersviUe, lowa, loss $15,000; several stores at Milan, Tenn loss $20,000; a dairy warehouse near Watertown, Wis., loss $10,000; Marston’s flouring mill, Amboy, 111., loss $10,000; a fertilizing Warehouse at Montreal, loss $30,0G0; a brick building at Louisville, Ky.. used for manufacturing purposes,loss $17,000; eight business houses at Carlinville. Mo., loss $25 000- a biook of ten stores on Fourth street St. Louis, Mo., loss $560,000; several railway coaches at New Albany. Ind., loss S3O 000; the Beaurivage French flat building ami a cracker battery, at Chicago, loss 8120,000- a church at Philadelphia, loss $10,000; two small stores at Cincinnati, loss SlO.oOO; a wagon-factory at Syracuse, N. Y., loss $40,000; mining property at Coketon, Pa., loss S3O 000: flvo stores at La Grange, Ind., loss $30'000! a fiber factory at Parkersburg, W. Va loss SlO 000; the Convent of the Notre Daiiie Sisters. Belleville, Hi., loss $100,030; a theater and a church at Cleveland. Ohio, loss $200,000,, r - _ fcfer ; A° dozen cows and a lkme horse feeding Ih a pasture near Glbuces or, Mass., were attacked by a Newftihndltmd dog. The lameness of the horse lef t him at the mercy of the flog The cows huddled together and seemed to commit- They then advanced in a body and covered the-retreat of the horse, keeping their beads lowered,and their horns presented to the Ao&unfll it gave up in pursuit. * prt crow belonging, to H. G. Heidt, of Columbia, a. GL, jumped uppn a shelf whew iis in&stejcV’ revoiyer lay, and began playing yfiih It. Tao rqyoiver was discharged, killing the crow. - - - - ' •’j Mbs. Achsa Bcb,tox, of Cwdon, N.tt, has just celebrated her 95th birthda>.