St Joseph's Asylum Orphans Home
Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 January 1900, page 7
SAVED ORPHAN ASYLUM
Wild excitement was caused among the orphans at the Coldspring
Orphan Asylum, back of Newport, about 3 o'clock yesterday morning by a fire
which broke out in Arkenauer's blacksmith shop, just across the Alexandria pike
from the home. The blacksmith shop and wagon shed were totally destroyed and
sparks carried on a high wind which was blowing at the time set fire to the roof
of the chapel adjoining the home.
For a time it was thought that the flames could not be controlled and that the home would be destroyed. The Newport Fire Department was telephoned for help, but the city has no steamer and its services would have been of no avail.
Fortunately the wind changed and the flames were brought under control before much damage had been done to the asylum property. The wagon shed and the blacksmith shop were totally destroyed.
The orphan asylum contains a large number of children and a horrible catastrophe was narrowly averted, as, owing to the hour, the children would have been hard to manage. The home has been destroyed twice by fire.