The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1858-02-19
From the Kalamazoo Telegraph. >.
The Fire NJ the Asylum.

a fro broka out in tho Insane Asylum
at this place, on Thursday night last,
which was discovered at about eleven
o'clock, in that part of the building de-
signed for the medical and bust
ness Offices, and which, in the course OF
a couple Of hours was in ruins. This
portion Of the building was in an uniin-
ished state portioa Of the floors only
having been land, and the stairs put up.
The progress of the FIRE was arrested by
the freproof wall which divides the Offices
from the wing, which was in no manner
damaged.
The loss by this disastrous and UNI
fortunate fire will be from $4,000 to
$50, 000-not exceeding the latter figures
ut the outside. The foundation is I'M
injured, as is also the iron aud much Of
the stone work.
We are authorized to say that an in
vestigation of the cause of The fire will
be had and that all the light will be
thrown upon the subject possible. In re-
ply to several intcrrogatories from US, the
Acting Commissioner sends us the follow
ing communication
Mn. EDIroR-In reply to your several
interrogatories, as also those of other per-
sons, permit me, through your paper, to
lay before the public brief statement
with reference to the Asylum for the In
sane in this place; and the fire on the night
of the lth inst, which destroyed the GEN.
tire building. l believe this to be the
work Of an iacondiary, and for the follow
ing reasons: There have been employed at
the Asylum, the past winter, ten carpen-
tiers and joiners, and one common laborer.
The carpenters worked nine hours each
day, and it was their rule, universally, 70
build no fires for the last two or three hours
before quitting work at night. Al the
shavings were carried out Of the building
every night and burned before dark. AZ
ter tn, clrpelt.rS lift It n.y.t, the MN
hired as a common llbarer, stayed half al
hour, and went around to all the fires t.
sec that everything was ne. There were
three rooms iii use on the first floor; two
being used for shops and one for drafting;
IL 80 oan,NH AnAr IN
northeast corner OF the building. The
rooms occupied upon thc FIRST floor were
the s. L. aud the s. W. corner rooms, to-
gethcr With the adjoining rooui OIL the VS.;
side Of the building. Tais last contained
a fireplace, the other tarec mad sfJvcs.
was al tic Asylum tic afternoon Of the
day on which the IRE occurred, til about
holt an hour b..ore sunset. Was in al
tie rooms UPON the frs, floor, and the fires
were Mea burned dJwn. The hearth
where tic fireplace WIS, hid few c)l,
aad hot embl.s, aud WIS ~ pt Up c..au
while stood by
The man WHO had charge Of g., frcs
carried al tAe shaving ga. u "a. l1lI
Ing, and burned them Whist L SIS there
and he says that he visited all tae rooms
twice after the carpenters left, aaG th
last time took pail Of water to the ire
place and spg.ak.ed it all round and ,ver
the fire; thus tlkiEs every prccaution
possible.
A little before ten O'Clock, or the night
Of the fire, man passing thc Asylum on
the road, saw light IN the S /. co:nc!
room Of the FIRST story-tAo light passed
out Of the room; and as he passed on by
the building, he saw it again from thc
south window in the hall, and supposed Il
was some Of the hands and 50 thought nc
more about it; thus showing that some
one was in the building with light.
\ man living west of the Asylum saw 4
light in one Of the windows Of the third
story, about ten clock the same night
III & bcliovo) who reached the fire first
agree that thc upper part Of the building
was al in flames before it reached tho
first and second stories.
Ii these statements are correct--as ]
hope soon to show by legal inycstig ton
then 10 blame can be attached to the
men employed, on the ground Of careless.
ness. The damage will not exceed SIS.
600.
wish, also, for the benefit Of those who
have a wrong impression in regard to the
amount of money already expended in the
erection Of the Asylum, to state, that the