THE CATASTROPHE AT MONTREAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVIII, Issue 5, 30 May 1890, Page 19

THE CATASTROPHE AT MONTREAL.

(Melbourne Advocate.')

The large hospital for insane women destroyed by fire in Montreal was conducted by the •' Grey Nuns," a congregation founded in Canada, in 1792, by Madame Jourville, a widow lady, who prevailed on several others of her sex who possessed large fortunes to unite their property with hers in one common fund, to be devoted to purposes of chanty. They bound themselvei by vow to tha fulfilmant of their respective duties as superintenlent aad assistants of a charitable asylum, and to support themselves by thair own industry. Mr. Buckingham, in his " History of Canada," speaks of the work done by the Sisters ia the highest terms. Ha says that on a visit paid to their hospital he found the wards for the sick and the insane better fitted with requisites, more spacious, airy and clean, than any of those in similar institutions which he had visited. The number of Sis ers in charge of the place is nearly 100. In addition to caring for large numbers of lunatics at Long Point House, they provide a home for foundlings find orphans of whom they hare in another building in Montreal nearly two hundred. " The properties of tha Sisters (s»ys Mr. Buckingham) yield ahandsomi revenue, which they judiciously and benevolently spind in works of the most disinterested charity, to which they devote all their labour and car j . Tney are not stimulated by the admiration of the world, nor rewarded by the praises of mankind, but aopear to b 9 solely actua'ed by sincerely devotional or religions and benevolent feelings to the performance of their duties, fjr which their only reward is an approving conscience."

Our purpofe in giving these particulars will be understood from the statement in the Age message that seven of the nuns perishel ia the (limes while endeavouring to induce the patients to leave the burning building. According to the statement of the Argus correspondent, hundreds of the unfortunate patients, paralysed by fear, resisted all atiempts to rescue them. Evidently the nuns persevered ia the hopeless task till letieat was impossible to them. These heroic women thus died at their post, martyrs to a sense of duty.