Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1857-07-24

natic Asylum at Utica, on the l4th, caus-
cd loss to the State estimated at 5000 .OOO
The main building was wholly burned and
the East and West wings were much dam.
aged The rear wings wero uniniured.-
Ther; were about 800 patients in the Asy-
lum, who were all safely removed. The
influence Of the excitement from the fire,
the noise and from confusion, on the poor
maniac. is graphically described by a cores
pondent ofthc n Y. Times in the following
| letter
UTICA, Tuesday, July IA, ls47.
have just returned from the observa-
ton of a scene which will be memory for
ever in my brain.
Passing onward, around the East end Of
the ediiicc, came upon groups of the
| crazed inmates, some laughing, some weep
ing, some groaning with alright, others
more calm, trying to sOothe the troubled
| spirits OF their companions.
From the grated windows of this portion
| OF the Asylum peered the heads of the
! craz3d inmates moved like those outside
| by the various emotions of glee, terror and
sorrow. One old woman had thrust
| giunt leg and arm through the grating
and was screaming for help with the ener-
| ~ only Of madness, while the rude crowd
| laughed at her agony. Another window
| showed a pale, thin, white creature. look
| ny almost like spectre, waving her gaunt
arms mourniully about, and gesticulating
/ to some imaginary demon in the air. Here
/ stond woman peering through the iron
bars and talking calmly, soberlv and earn
HEfI IN tt.If IA In .l., lan
and threw weeds up at the window -
! While all about were stolid faces staring
vacantly down upon the crowd which had
/ invaded the wonted sanctity of the place
a"d from within arose screams as from de-
mons let loose, proceeding, doubtless, from
| patients who were obliged to be chained
| Passing about to the rear Of the building
my attention was arrested by violent ours
es and threats which came in sharp femi-
/ nine voice from beneath tree, around
/ which Il crowd was gathered | was speedily
standing in the elmer circle of the crowd
| | behcld, not as | anticipated. a wild,
! haggard-ooking remnant OF feminine mod
esty, but PLAIN looking, neatly dressed, !,
middlc-aScd woman, in a white bonnet,
wearing Il neat white calico dress, and
| holding in her hand Il book. "l d have
| you know she shricked as her eye fell on
I
/ vi myself, yo brute Ain | old enough !
/ Don't know enough say, yet | don t
/ intend to run away neither, do We mind q,
you blastcd-,' and u string of oaths
followed, which my modest pen shrlnks from
recording.
y neat-looking negro girl some Is years
old, whom | supposed from her demeanor
was an attendant, hereupon suddenly
sprang up and clapping her hands madly.
| yelled, 'Gu in, old gal - and subsided
again, into a stupor, while the poor crazed
creature resumed her torrent Of Billingsgate
and rage, and | resumed nv walk not,
| however, before noticing an old woman who
sat ur,n n yheelhorro,2 swain, To and
fro and ,nourn;n,,-,rns, r,orrSr,1Ir IL
~ '.o ''-- inou' niu .'nJe' iiiouih'uiiY' heI
van was me- lnoIssahV anu ihono!onous each
T'?an " 0o 'no eAliiihs sasP VI
"!in6 eoul'
over III tne eroNc 10 tne oou.n ! saw
many People moving ABOUT anu 'hl'nei
i,i,aI,o,, rIc, l., sno sta,n 81 orit;u,
tinn. and q hoe, a nIow and n noir of coats
which Law in NV nath sbowed Tho nrec;n;.
tlncy with which thev had heen lronned nn
the alarm of fire
Eut what / had hitborto soon of crozad
misery WAS n tr,da con,nored r. what was
heheli an cntorin,, tLe drovo / baye men-
tionnd prrhans frtv rrtiants ali women
some in str,irht ,y,istcoats and others with
their hands merely tiad to,,atber were scat.
tered IN prouns about. and ali in a high
state Of excltement, consequent on the
fright of the fire, and their unwonted situa-
tiUn in the open air, surrounded by gap
ing, laughing, iecring crowd. No efforts
OF the keepers could keep the poor crea-
lures still, the most that could be done
was to prevent them from running away.
Here sat a woman of a sloyenly aspect
singing:
Bye and bye we will meet you,
Bye aud bye, we will meet you,
bye and bye, D. bye and bye
we Will meet you III 'no P'o"'''u 'anu Sa,a
U,r son,, ,vas cbonccless hotb in ron,
,,,I ,,.,rdlo I,t as ,ntorrrn,od by fro
ournt outbreaks oT subdued lauphter' Sh,
seemed to think herself tue cynosure of al
eyes, and wore smile of the utmost com
lhcencv.
Near bor ,rovclled on the ground a rray
b,ir,J ,yn,,7n win n Roman nose ans
u,,h n Grure of mucb noliteness. Sh
Lant mn SORT rr half cinbcr with he
,nIntL ,,,,re ,rd r,lIinr from side to sid
strikinr nLnut with her hands. She wa
r"t Inn, 1lI,w,d IN Law tbus in the dirt i
hcip,, fH,nd impossible to induce her to 81
mn / took hold with some other gentlemen
oIdLi I,iJ her on the bed which had been pro
cir,I and snread under a tree.
I r.. ,,;,b q bo,l
Facing S'h'y 70 anu ITO, WIN la 1o3 %,h
cl'Sled III nyl manu- t'ii 'nin ' NSn v'n,
cou'l ho' nave uyeh 1i't e"emty n'o' ton mn'
lalAlhs 10 iHG u"ItruI"S I;nIS V,8 agnntnmots car
, ""uoo W" t'"7 ,' ,aror boarJ oonaled I'm
: ,rnw nv own mothers lips. The patien
nathos with which she warned the laugh
Inc crowd to beware of the judgmen
, witch d,layeth not, and the undisturbe
! ,,,,;,,,t, With which aha smilad on il