Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2017 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== The Chicago Tribune Volume XLIII Monday, January 7, 1884 FIRE HORRORS. Burning of the Convent of the Immaculate Conception at Belleville, Ill. Twenty-seven Persons Engulfed by Smoke and Roasted by Cruel Flames. Sad Scenes at the Ruins - Inadequate Protection Against Fire - Convicts Suffocated. A BLAZING CONVENT. HORRIBLE DEATHS AT BELLEVILLE, ILL. St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 6. - [Special] - Sunday morning was ushered in with tidings of a disaster which has few equals in late records. A few minutes after midnight, at the dawning of the anniversary of the Newhall House fire in Milwaukee, the country was thrilled anew with a re- currence of a similar horror. From the Town of Belleville, situated within fifteen miles of St. Louis, the news went forth of a terrible holocaust, in which the lives of help- less and defenseless girls and women were sacrificed. The morning trains brought out parents, relatives, and friends of the pupils and sisters, and during the rest of the day carriages, buggies, sleighs, and all manner of vehicles whirled through the crisp snow into Belleville's main street. THE SEARCH FOR THE DEAD. Lists of the missing and living were prepared for easy reference. A temporary morgue had been improvised, and the search for the dead in the ruins of the Convent of the Immaculate Conception was pushed with redoubled vigor. Every one was intent on discovering the names and numbers of the lost. The work was necessarily slow and tedious of performance, as only two men could be employed at any one time. The searchers were careful in their examination, and each spadeful of dirt was turned over and sifted through the fingers of the examiners. By nightfall eleven fragmentary remnants of what were once human bodies were exhumed. Nine of the charred forms were recognized and positively identified by friends as soon as they were exposed, and preparations were at once begun to give the bones a respectable interment as soon as the Coroner's jury will visit the remains. THE ROLL OF INMATES. The inmates of the convent the evening of the fire were as follows: NAME. AGE. RESIDENCE. Lizzie Isch 17 Washington, MO Lizzie Scaling 18 St. Louis Mary Scaling 18 St. Louis Agnes Schneider 20 Belleville Martha Mauntel 16 St. Louis Emma Steck 17 Carbondale Laura Thompson 17 Carbondale L. Lunatt 21 East St. Louis Susie Weimar 15 St. Louis Lottie Pierson 15 St. Louis Amelia Leonard 16 Trenton, Ill. Hilda Hammell 16 Trenton, Ill Mary Bien 10 Belleville Virgie Heinzelman 12 Belleville Katie Urbana 17 Vandalia Mary Bartels 17 Vandalia Mary Manning 18 St. Louis Mamie Pulse 17 St. Louis Dina Horn 17 Duquoin, Ill Gertie Schrunck 16 Duquoin, Ill Dellie Shlernezauer 11 Belleville Josie Plouder 16 Centerville, Ill Minnie Bailey 17 Belleville Daisy Ebberman 17 Belleville Maggie Donahue 17 Belleville Proxie Shlernezauer 5 Belleville Annie Franke 12 Belleville Minnie Fitzgerald 20 Philadelphia Nora Montgomery .. Philadelphia M. D. Faurnier .. ............ Candidates: Misses Josephina, Eliza, Gretcher, Bridget, and Johanna. LIST OF DEAD Minnie Bailey, May Campbell, Lizzie Isch, Agnes Scaling, Martha Mauntell, Laura Thompson L. Luntt, Susie Wetmar, Lottie Pierson, Amelia Leonard, Hilda Hammell, Marie Bien, Virgie Heinzelman, Katie Urbana, Mary Bartells, Mary Manning, Mamie Pulse, Gertrude Strunck, Delphi Schlernezauer, Josie Plouder. INJURED. Daisey Ebberman, Belleville, severe contusion. Miss Brink, broken foot. Miss Lou Mate, spinal injuries and cut scalp Miss Schneider, Mascoutah, bruised. Sister Stylites, of Louisville, back injured; cannot recover. Sister Mansessa, fracture of right leg. Sister Repearto, compound fracture of right leg; amputation probable. Sister Paschalis, injured back and broken wrist. MISSING SISTERS. Sister Mary Jerome Sister Madrida Sister Edwins Sister Angelia. THE BUILDING The Institute of the Immaculate Conception was a three-story brick building with a mansard roof, and had a frontage of 180 feet and a depth of 100 feet. The construction of the main or older part of the building was commenced in 1857, and was occupied for the purpose for which it was intended in 1859 under charge of Sister Mary Jerome as Mother Superior. The school was opened in that year with seventy-five pu- pils, and has continually prospered since that time. The east and west wings of the structure were added some years later in order to accommodate the in- creasing patronage, and also furnish quarters for the sisterhood. In the west wing was a chapel built in the Byzantine style, and occupying the space from the third floor upward to the roof. The alter appoint- ments were especially rich and costly. In the east wing was a large exhibition hall fifty feet wide, and, like the chapel, also rising from the third floor to the roof. In the basement of the east wing was placed the gas generator, and in the west wing the furnace was situated. On the first floor were located the re- ception-rooms, parlors, school-rooms, dining-room, etc., and in the rear was the kitchen. The second floor was also used partly for school purposes, and as a dormitory for candidates and lay sisters. The story above this was used for general purposes. A veranda occupied the space below the two wings in the rear, this veranda being at the first floor, the roof extending to a level with the third floor. Lead- ing up-stairs from the main entrance was a broad staircase. On top of the main building was situated a cupola containing the convent bell. The entire building had originally been painted a dull lead color. The pupils had only returned from their Christmas vacation Monday, and a few tardy arrivals are indebt- ed to their remissness for their lives which were preserved to them. SAD STORIES There are sad stories related in connection with the fire. The youngest girl - little PROXIE SCHLERNE- ZAUER - is but 5 years of age. It was reported that the Sister Superior had saved the little one, but later it was found that, she had attempted to save PROXIE, but sacrificed her own life in the effort. MARY CAMPBELL, one of the inmates, was seen to climb out of one of the windows of the wing, and, reaching the roof, clung to the brazen cross which was stationed there. The flames soon reached that section of the building, and, fainting, the brave young girl fell to the ground below and was in- stantaneously killed. ORIGIN OF THE FIRE As frequently happens on occasions of this kind, there is a difference of the opinion as to the lo- cality and manner in which the fire began. It ap- pears that the duty of attending to the furnace devolved upon LAY-SISTER EDWINA, who subsequently lost her life. Immediately after evening prayers, which were said at 8 o'clock, or about half an hour earlier than was customary on account of it being Saturday night, SISTER EDWINA, accompanied by another sister, visited the furnace to see that everything was in a safe condition preparatory to retiring for the night. Whether an unusually large quantity of fuel was placed in the furnace on account of the extreme cold, and whether the fire originated from this cause, is not known, and probably never will be. An overturned lamp has been suggested as another cause for the fire, but that theory is universally disbelieved, and the first-named cause may be set down as being probably the correct one. DISCOVERY OF THE BLAZE AUGUST LOVE, watchman at the Harris Machine- Works, was the first one to see the fire. He was standing across the street, and perceived smoke and flame through the window over the west wing. It was then about 10:45 p.m., and, acting on the impulse of the moment, he dashed over to the con- vent and began a fierce assault on the door. At this point statements are contradictory, and in the excitement the truth could not be sifted from the mass of rumors which were woven into plausible statements. Some people say that when the alarm was sounded one of the doorkeepers of the convent called out in a shrill tone ordering the disturber to desist. The noise may have been taken for the actions of a drunken man, and the real nature of the warning was not understood. Failing to awaken any apprehensions for personal safety within the building, LOVE ran over to a fire-alarm bell, which hung in the Harris Machine-Works, and its loud clanging was the first intimation of danger which the sisters received. WHERE THE FIRE STARTED The fire, according to the watchman, started in the basement over the furnace, and almost simultaneously flames were discerned along the course of the flue, which obviously was defect- ive in construction. Others state that the fire commenced in the southwest corner of the second floor of the wing nearest to the harvester works. However this may be, and whichever statement is correct, it is certain that the fire had been burning from a half to three-quarters of an hour before it was discovered, creeping stealthily along and getting a more secure hold on the doom- ed building every instant. A son of DR. KOHL, who happened to be on the street near the convent, stated that he saw the blaze in the east wing and heard the cry of "Fire!" He at once ran to his father's house, situated but a short distance away, and tele- graphed the fact of the fire to one of the engine companies. AROUSING THE FIREMEN. The fire department, as it is sometimes termed, of the City of Belleville consists of three steam- ers, but has no hook nor ladder truck, and is con- sequently decidedly incomplete. Five paid men be- long to each company, and all but one are allowed to sleep at home, no matter how far it may be sit- uated from the engine-house. The solitary exeption referred to sleeps in a room over the engine-house, and is supposed to be on hand to hitch the team quickly in case of an alarm. Owing to this primi- tive method of doing business it was fully half an hour before an engine arrived at the fire after having been called up by telephone by young KOHL. BATTLING WITH THE FLAMES. After some further delay a stream was finally brought to bear on the building, and shortly after- ward the other two engines came up and took water. The situation at this time was about as follows: In the wing where the chapel is situated the fire had secured a strong hold, and smoke was pouring from the windows in heavy volumes. In its course it was working along toward the main entrance, and, in fact, the interior part of the middle wing was well ablaze. Chief-Engineer, or, as he is termed, Fire-Marshal PESTER, yesterday told two reporters that when he arrived at the fire there was no fire at all in the first, second, or third stories of the exhibition wing. He was asked three times in regard to this, that no mistake might be made. Each time he returned the same answer. He added that he procured a ladder which reached to the second story window and ascended to it. He went to the window and saw some smoke inside of the room. He called out half a dozen times, but heard no answer, and then came back to the ground. He said that he made no personal examination of the room in search of women or children, nor, it appears, did he take men up with him for that pur- pose, and he did not send them up the ladder and into the room for the purpose of trying to save the helpless women and babes, possibly strangling and suffocating but a few feet away. While the ladder exercise was being carried on the streams from the engine were playing against the outside brick walls of the main building. No effort was made to take a stream inside of the building, where the fire really was, and from a thoroughly safe point in the front yard the men directed their lines. One or two streams were playing against the outside of the building in the rear. JUMPING TO DEATH. Soon the forms of women and children, clad in their night-dresses, began to appear at the win- dows, their shrieks and piteous pleadings for help being heard above the roaring of the flames and the falling of timbers. One by one and in groups they disappeared, and again came back to the win- dows and began throwing themselves from the third story, far above the heads of the crowd, among the first to do so being Sisters STYLITE, MAGDALEN, PASHALIS and others followed. Several were assist- ed down a short ladder from a second-story window by bystanders. SISTER GILACIA, who taught the boys' day school, with great presence of mind led several girls down from the second story to the basement and escaped by the rear of the building. MISS MAY CAMPBELL In a second-story window directly over the main entrance MISS MAY CAMPBELL stood imploring those below to save her. Directly in front of the window in which she stood and exactly over the main door- way was a large gilt cross. As the flames advanced upon her MISS CAMPBELL stepped out upon the window sill and clung to the cross as if for salvation. The poor girl was attired in her night-dress, as she had been aroused from her bed, and as the flames advanced toward her and presently scorched her limbs the sight was one which could never be forgotten and was most pitable and terrible to behold. The flames were coming so close up her that it was evident that but a few minutes could elapse before she would be forced to let go of the cross to which she clung so earnestly. The crowd below saw death coming to her by inches, but they had no power to save her, no ladder being long enough to reach her in the posi- tion in which she then was. At last some man ran up the steps and shouted to her to drop, and that he would catch her. She did so, but the man below was unable to do as he had promised, although he tried to do so bravely. MISS CAMPBELL struck upon the stone steps and broke her back. She was quickly picked up by loving hands and carried into the of- fice of the Harvester Works, where she was laid upon the floor. She gasped convulsively for a few minutes and then died. PICKING UP THE DEAD AND WOUNDED A party of men had in the meantime picked up the dead and wounded sisters and carried them to the morgue and the orphan asylum. At the place DR. KOHL and other physicians were in attendance, and, as soon as the injured sisters were brought in, dressed their wounds and placed them in beds in one of the dormitories. EXPLOSIONS The fire was still burning furiously, and in three-quarters of an hour after the fire broke out a heavy explosion occurred, shattering the glass which was yet intact, extinguishing the gas in different portions of the building, and putting out the flames in several directions. About 12 o'clock a second explosion occurred, this time of such force as to throw down a large portion of the south-end wall on the buildings in closest proximity to the Harvester Works. The fire then swept through the entire structure from end to end, without any opposition worth mentioning. The flames had gained such headway by this time that nothing could be done but stand idly by. The voices of those who had appeared at the windows from time to time and gone back again out of sight could no longer be heard. No call for assistance rose above the roaring of the wind or flames, and those below knew too well that all hope was lost. It was plainly apparent that no- thing could be done toward searching for remains until morning, and with this fact in view the crowd slowly moved homeward, lighted by the glare of the burning building. DR. KOHL'S RECITAL DR. JULIUS KOHL, who lives on Race street, was probably the first man on the ground, and his testimony will be invaluable at the Coroner's inquest. Speaking to THE TRIBUNE correspondent, he said: "At 11 o'clock my wife heard the alarm and immediately telephoned to the fire department. I am well acquainted with the building, and I ran across, and was about to go through the con- vent when I found one sister - SISTER MANNESSA - on the fence. She had a broken leg and was suf- fering from internal contusions. EMIL KOHL, my son, found another sister hanging on the fence, and soon after came across the body of MISS LOU MOTE, of Tamaro, Ill., hanging over the fence. He turned MISS MOTE over to the other men, and, being acquainted, and knowing where to go, got the church ladders, which saved all the sisters. The ladders were obtained at St. Peter's Church, and if they had been secured only a few minutes earlier we would have saved SISTER STYLITES. We afterward found SISTER MADRIDA'S dead body in the adjoining ward at the west corner." "Did you try to force an entrance?" "Yes. I forgot to say that when I first heard them screaming for help in the third story I broke open the door with a fince-picket and lighted the gas in the parlor, but could not proceed on account of smoke." SISTER MARY JEROME probably perished, going up through the smoke. All the little girls were saved from the second floor by laddes. DIED AT THEIR POSTS. There are sad stories related in connection with some of the children. The ages of those in attendance ranged from 5 to 18 years, the young- est being a universal favorit and the pet of the institution. "Little PROXIE," as she was called, a mite of only 5 years, shared scholastic board- bills with her 10-year-old sister, DELPHI SCHLERNEZAUER, who perished in the blaziing building. It was reported that the Lady Superior, MARY JEROME, had rescued "Little PROXIE" and then returned, bent on saving others of her precious charge, only to sacrifice herself on the noble altar of duty. The last time Mother Superior was seen alive was in the sisters' dormitory. The smoke had filtered through, and the crackling of the flames were audible in the end of the corridor as they rapidly advanced. SISTER MARY JEROME, passing by, opened the door for an instant and glanced in. She did not remain, but passed directly on her way to the upper floor, where the girls dormitory is. She sank to the floor, and rested her elbow on the floor, with her chin in the palm. Nearly twelve hours subsequently the incinerated remains were found in the same attitude, and their identity established by the peculiar texture of the woolen underwear. PROXIE, the pet, was lowered from a second story window by MISS MARIA, a candidate, who used a quilt for the purpose. BIOGRAPHICAL MISS BAILEY was the daughter of COL. THOMAS BAILEY and grandchild of COL. THOMAS BAILEY, ex-State Senator. MISS VIRGINIA HEINZELMAN, who is classed with the missing, was the last of a family of children who all reached untimely deaths. The father re- sides in Belleville, and when the news was greatly communicated he bowed his head in his hands in a silent passionate struggle. A PATHETIC SCENE. The most pathetic scene was witnessed in the St. Agnes Orphan Asylum. In a narrow reception room off the hall MRS. TEETE, nee WEIMER, who lives at 765 Chestnut street, St. Louis, occupied a chair. A young, pleasant-faced candidate sat beside her and poured words of hope and comfort into the willing ear. MRS. WEIMER had called to inquire about the whereabouts of her only daughter. The child had perished with a score of her com- panions, but not even the Sisters of Charity, who are inured by years of service to heartrending scenes, could be prevailed upon to make an un- equivocal statement. Slowly the crowds cleared off the mother's mind and the faculties which had been temporarily obscured perceived the truth, and with a scream she cried: "Oh, my poor darling SUSIE! Where are you? Let your poor mother come to you!" Tears of anguish poured down the furrowed cheeks, and for a moment only heavy sobbing was heard. Presently she exclaimed, springing to her feet: "Oh, I am going! I'm coming pet!" and at the same time staggered towards the door with hands outstretched as if imploring some phantom form, visible only to herself, to aid and assist her. THE SEARCH FOR THE DEAD City-Marshal WILLIAMS, with Judge F. H. PIPER and PETER MATTHEWS, fire-department driver, or- ganized a systematic search for the remains of the victims. At 6 o'clock today the single engine which had been playing a stream to cool the brick and stone ceased working, and a force of men went in behind tottering walls, and at no incosiderable risk began tearing aside the accumulations of rub- bish in hope that they would find a shred of cloth or a tattered garment to guide them in the direction where the girls gathered before they were overcome. The first relic was brought to the surface, and an entire body and a second and a third quickly fol- lowed. A backbone was thrown out, and then the form of a young person horribly distorted was carefully lifted from a pile of bricks and laid on tarpaulins. As the bodies were picked up the men had to exercise the greatest care to prevent the flesh from tearing off in long shreds or dropping off the bones in charred masses. The first body was found immediately beneath the girls' dormitory, between the two wings, and it is significant that the remains of SISTER MARY JEROME were in company with the bodies of the unfortunate girls she vainly essayed to save. The body of the Mother Superior was not mutilated much by the fall from the upper floor, as the death rigors served to keep the limbs in the same position as when they ceased to perform their duties. An ugly blow in the back of the head had bared the skull, but when the body was brought out into the light the associates of the deceased promptly identified it, partially by the gold filling of the teeth and also the woolen undergarments which clung around her form. At the outset a very imperfect system of trans- portation was employed. The bodies, or portions of different bodies, were loaded on shutters and carried through the streets exposed to public gaze. As the labors of the searchers met with success an express wagon was procured and decency was respected by covering the repulsive figures with tarpaulins. A one-story brick cottage on Race street was con- verted into a morgue, with the rudest class of accommodations. Three low boxes sat out, and across these shutters were placed. As the mournful cortege halted in front of the house every half hour the remains would be carried in piecemeal and arranged in satisfactory order on the improvised tables. Relatives and parents looked for rings as the best means of identification, and where these ornaments were not found the taks of identifying the remains was absolutely loathsome. IDENTIFIED There were eleven bodies in double rows in the morgue tonight, and out of that number nine were identified. GERTRUDE STRUNCK, of Duquoin, Ill; Sisters MARY JEROME, ANGELIA, and ELDRIDE; MARY MANNING, of St. Louis, and MAMIE PULSE, Columbia; VIRGIE HEINZELMAN, and MAY WEIMER, of Belleville and St. Louis respectively, were identified by marked underclothing, which was found near the bodies and known to have been owned by the deceased. The body of Miss LIZZIE ISCH was claimed by her parents on the strength of a gold ring carrying three diamonds. The Coroner will impanel a jury tomorrow and proceed with the inquest. BIOGRAPHY OF SOME OF THE BRAVE WOMEN. The Sister Superior, MOTHER MARY JEROME, had given all her life to the service of her church. She was known in her young girlhood as BARBARA HEIL, and was born forty-four years ago in Pittsburg. She passed through the academic course of the Sisters of Mercy at Baltimore, Md., and entered the Convent of the Congregation of Notre Dame at Milwaukee, Wis., when 16 years of age, as a novice. When her novitiate was completed she was sent by the Superioress to New Orleans. She re- mained there but a few years, being next assigned to Belleville in 1859 as the Superioress of the new convent and academy of the Notre Dame Society. From time to time the house was enlarged, costing in all about $80,000, and was the principal con- vent of the society. Nearly all the debt had been removed from it by the wise management of MOTHER JEROME. She was a most unselfish and amiable woman; beloved by every one who knew her. When the fire was raging she might have saved herself, being in the dormitory from which all escaped save her. In addition to the large convent at Belleville, MOTHER JEROME founded several other houses of the society in Southern Illinois, and exercised through the delegation of the Mother- General, of Milwaukee, protectionary jurisdic- tion over the several convents south of Milwaukee. S. LOUIS, Sister Moderator, who was almost instantly killed by jumping from the third story on the west side of the building, was from Wauwatosa, Milwaukee County, Wis. Her name was JENNIE REILLY. She entered the congregation of Notre Dame at Milwaukee in 1872, and was assigned to Belleville in 1877. At the late convent she taught the higher branches and always took a remarkable interest in the welfare of the pupils she loved so dearly. She also, like the Mother Superior, acted the part of a true Christian and sought her pupils through the flame and smoke in order to warn them of the approaching danger. She did not give up the search until forced to do so by the intense heat, and then jumped down- ward to her death. SISTER EDWINA, known in the world as ALOYSIUS McCAFFREY, was born in Ireland in 1844. She had been in the Belleville Academy for nineteen years, having entered in 1862, but was in several other missions before coming here. Her scholastic duties consisted of instruction in ornamental sewing. SISTER ANGELIA was born in New Orleans. Her name was MARGARET SHANAHAN. She entered the convent at Milwaukee in 1858, and was assigned to Belleville, together with SISTER JEROME, in the following year. She was a lay Sister, and was greatly esteemed by those who knew here. REVISED LIST OF THE DEAD, MISSING, AND INJURED. ST. LOUIS, MO., Jan. 7 - 2 a.m. - [Special.] - The following is a revised list of the dead, missing, and injured. The dead identified! SISTER MADUEDO, SISTER ANGELIA, SISTER EDWINA, MOTHER SUPERIOR MARY JEROME, MARY CAMPBELL, LIZZIE ISCH, SUSIE WEIMER, VIRGIE HEINZELMAN, MARY MANNING, MAMIE PULSE, and GERTIE STRUNCK. Missing: AGNES SCALING, MARY SCALING, MARTHA MANTELL, LAURA THOMPSON, Miss L. SIMOTT, LOTTIE PIERSON, HILDA HAMMELL, MARY BIEN, KATIE URBANA, MARY BERTEIS, DELPHI SCHLERNEZAUER, JOSIE PLOUDER, MAMIE BAILEY. Injured: SISTER MONNESSE, SISTER STYLITES, SISTER REPARTIE, SISTER PASCHALES, SISTER DAISY EBBERMAN, FANNY BRURKS, AGNES SCHNEIDER. LOSSES AND INSURANCE.