AN ASYLUM HORROR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 5478, 9 February 1885, Page 2

AN ASYLUM HORROR.

Orphan Children Burned to Death. Twenty Bodies Found.

Nhw York, December 18.—The Catholic Male Orphan Asylum at St. Mark's and Albany Avenue, was burned this afternoon, and a large number of the children perished in the flames. The fire started in the dryingroom, which adjoined the southern end of the main building. This drying-room also contained the boilers and heating apparatus, with a dormitory on the third floor, _in which there were 60 orphans suffering from various complaints. Sister Mary Josephine, who was in the dormitory at the time the fire broke out, made heroic efforts to save the little ones. She remained in the room until absolutely driven out by the flames. Then she ran to a window, where she stood oa the cornice until Fireman McGrcarty of Engine 11 from the roof of a I uill;"ng swung his coat t > her. The sister caught the coat, but when McGrorty tried to pull her from her perilous position she loßt her grasp and fell to the pound and struck on her shoulders and head. She was conveyed to St. Catherine's Hospital in an unconscious condition. Joseph Ryan, a boy, tried to descend by a ladder from tho same floor (third) and got within eight feet of the ground, when tho ladder parted and he received severe injuries. John McGrath, 8 years old, jumped from the third story and was badly injured. Mother Dechautel and Sister Anthony wore in the office when the fire was discovered. They at onco gave the alarm, and proceeded to got the youngsters out of tho building. There were 785 orphans in the main building, which was also known as St. John's Home. They were told to leave the house and. seek shelter in any neighbouring house until called. There was Sreat excitement among the inmates, [undreds of the little fellows ran out into the falling snow, hatless and coatless. The fiamos spread \sith|great rapidity, and the buildings were almost completely destroyed. The asylum and grounds occupied the entire block. The asylum building was 210 by 150 feet, three stories high, with a mansard roof, and constructed of bluestone. New York, December 19. — The "Brooklyn Eagle's" extra states that the Fire Marshal reports twelve bodies found up to 8 o'clock this morning among the

icuine. Workmen are etuflliS^Bll debris The utmost excC3|W tho vicinity of the Aeylam?Jffl| ftp Found are so charred and liSmHH^ identification is WpMBK? ■ bolleved that most of the iSSS hi -'■ porished were in the ■111 hi?* 1* I* ' Josephine's watd. The moi Z H ! cavating tlio ruins of thb laudSrvf®llßi roihams of nino boys and 7 NitM f;' persons. Whofche adult, fiS^lM ascertuinod yet. T^|j§§ No Precautions Against MBitV Brooklyn's latest liortor isW^Mf donco of tho sad truth that nTmlw good intention can atone for fnPf■s* proper precaution and vigilante P&i'Ml of children in tho asylum were wPi'HM tected against all harm, excent u^WHI would havo been miwt casili **HHB| against firo. There was a vervf- N|M hydrant in the yard with foi r h£»lB there wan no hose in or about the I^iß or any other means of extin e nl 8 S^:BB| llro, so what began as a trivial 2 "i».l& ended in an awful tragedy At'tt^HH the (ire began, tho larger boys w«iSlit; in tho courtyard making slides -WHH newly fallen snow or snowballite °?i "* HIP visi'ingday, and many parents off lij'HlS had come to see them. AboutttfosSH--' children were in the infirmary ontlflllliiiH"' floor under the care of Sister Anfto *^B| *i Beyond Identification, ''' Ip In tho room of the saved portion rife '' asylum proper are tho bodies of tkmsß'' have been found, They are tiedp-l'B '•' sheets, and any effort to identify'Jiili J would bo perfectly useless. In j-W iSH'-'" is the only story of the Joss of life so [J^ Hi known. It is also now known thattiStf'B^ patients ware so situated aa to bHSJW •' completely outoif fi-oincfeapf^nJtuWffipl ato rapidly upward, thus preventitoZSlßß by the lower parts of the house,1 «»ffl^B Eddie McGrath, one of theiMiSlßH 12 years of ago, was going in to vfrfSHi; whon tho fire broke out, He m mw^H" saved his little seven-year-old bmthp SBi i was on tho second floor. BpMkisi!vHi&i " Union " reporter, Mcflrath said th4llff^ seven boys In tho Infirmary onthilSlPl floor afflicted with soro eyeej aMifl« twenty-three sick with malarial fovjrTM* said Boven wore unable to leave thaUa!W and suggested the probability thatßH were the first victims. The cfaildreisßl* received at the home on various oondffi'j^E Most of them were orphans, and m2BH orphans. In addition to there a fsf/Qfflf been committed by Police MairiatrahajgM] their parents were either incapabh 4?W willing to properly care for them. |B| forming the last-named olass'whviP" greater part, unwilling inmates, sadUttP it is believed, compoeo mainly $6os2Mf 123. Having been set free by thefire3Sß|t|: prefer to remain at large. • ffNf" Sister Veronica was in tho ifllH when the fire was discovered. SheMjiflftii seemed to originate in some dU^fjjsM that hung on a rack. Sister Clei^M was there, too, and ran upstair!■'iifiißfr water to threw on the natnei. ■ ls£|Hffi§ she got back the fire had gained smaSMH way that it was useless to try andckedjflj and their efforts were directed »9H the children. Mrs Feezey, sho fiH laundress of the institution, was faSd jMlf the farmhouse of the asylum at tW^H end of the grounds and about 500 left&Kr tant. Here she pissed the night ipuH of tho Bmallest children, who rangedJm^BE> New York, December 20. — A'gSuj fifteen labourers has been working (j^^B on the ice-covered ruinß of the'fyjjH orphan asylum in Brookljn M«dH^H bodies. About noon, when thcvdJwHh had almost concluded that then WIH moro bodies buried beneath thedobriufcH came upon a group of six more, afflflfß were burned to a crisp. This Eaajjßlj teen bodies recovered. '-^Hl Tho workmen have not yc-t rcic'ijj jjHP .space underneath the stairway. I|tli)H|l lieved when this spot is reached morebi&Blj will be discovered. It is now estitttiMfl that fully twenty five or thirty cwgflß perished in the flames. Thus l|^^H twenty children are unaccountedfoJ^R is supposed many are being carw.ifijMß private houses. ffl|