, 1864-07-24
AWFGs. CaT;STR0PnE!!
Fai|::::.g nj 4 Portion Of tie 5look-
leg G.lmshouss.
Eepoi:n,ent fo- Insane Fe.
males III E.irs..Fearfuf
0sErEucti3n OF Life,


Incidents. Etc Etc.
rrSson :.e rra,::..,del7bs4 Enquirer. JrlY ata.t
We Lave 81 different times hesa called up-
a :" record caiastrephcs, Casualties, sad
atuer incidents involving SERIOUS sacrIdca
ct lie ard destruction Ct property, caused
ny toiler explosions, railroad accidents. tsnI-
s:or Of powder in buildings, causing sht
destruction Of tht Fame, the ravag.5 Of tlra
t:s, hu. Fever, in all cur 1e1o:<ozl.a e.
7eticace, hare we been called upon to lar
aish the public with The particulars Of soei-
1ss calamity OF 60 5:TapEe aud singular 1
character as that wLicu transpire5 YESTERDAY
Molntng IN the department Of the Blocklsy
Hospital. situated on the Darby road, about
ftTte t1usth5 Of nile be1oH Market street
bridge.
At the time and place tadlcstel, ueark
ftt! of th1t unfortunate ciuEs Of human be-
ifss whose Mental capacity Was OF suek
small ca.iber that the5 could not be permit
It'd to tningie in society at large, hut wsfs
kept In state Of aemi-cont'nci1aent fa that
portion of the BlockleJ Hospital a3proprt-
ated to the 1nsane, were, without moments
Preparation OF warning, either ushered FROM
time into eternity, seriously wounded, or
classed among the missing.
at least eishtteu poor inlbeciles, all f.
males, ~lth the exception Of an i1iotic and
deformed boy, Elk years of a-r, were in
stantlS killed. and the probability Is that lbs
ASL u AtIltalIJ "AA lECtlfG aAQll1Gual nun
teEE from day TO day for come days to come.
Willie viewing these bodies, 1t must bt
borne In mind that others ar: known 10 lsa
cead and within the ruins, and for the sccov-
cry OF which gsp@s Of men are actively at
WorS; and st:ain: in an apartment aot tar
dtstsnt, tWenty OF the same unfogtunAtcc': II,
are j. Ing in tnaugled state, some never to
recover; others strioIs1S injured. and ot' m
i again merely Suffering from slight con- ra-
, sions, &c
The following statement, In general tc,ms:
! of the calamity that took place yestar. Y
!; Ril serve to give the reader tolcrably or
!, rect idea Of the terrible occurrence.
i The southwest. n portion uf til: RlockleY
i the spacious editice, which constitutes sort
| of world within ftself, II appropriated to the
! nse Of the insane sent there, and that por-
tton bordering on the open space Or incIoa-
j ure within the building IS set apart for the
! females TINS afflicted.
| There are at present SIG women Qudex
treatment for insanity. and they all oc:apy
apartments In the portion Of the huItitng
! mentioned.
| The insane department for women Is d.
! yided into several compartments. three
stories in height One Of these. and the oua
that WAS the scene Of the terrible accident
I yesterday, sdjoIrs the extreme south western
| wing OF tn. building, aud Is dividca into aa
}nttrmsry Tor the old. sick or decrer!u which
occnpiee the third floor, md ia under charge
Of Mn. Rice.
The second floor is used as sort Of sitting
room for the patfent3 that are able to move
about, and IL uudsr control Of Mrs. McDoa-
AID, while the first or grouad floor is us ID rs
conducted By Mrs. .Ackly.
Tho apartment that WIS The scene Of the
catastrophe is forty-tlyc feet b forty-eight
in area, and has height Of sixteen fcet be-
TWEEN each lcCr.
In the morning, at o'clock, the bell rang
as usual TO arouse the minutes to get ready
Tor breakfast, snd while that meat wus il
preparation, at tncnty minutes bafurc siI
! O'Clock, sudden settlement Of the compa1t-
mcnt we have described was visible aud BE-
fore the slightest warning or alarm could he
communicated to the Inmates, the whole OF
| the three noors, from the roof down, fell In
With tremendous crash, carrying everything.
J inmates, furniture, clothfng, beds and bed
| ding, &c before 1t. Nothing was stopped
IN the downward career until thu io0rine
over the cellar sFas reached, when everything
! anj every body became involved IL perfect
| chaos OF inextricab}e commission.
AS near US the nurses coult inform us there
! were at the time Of the accident about twenty
: patients In the intirmary, on the third floor,
and about tfeS In tach OF tho lower oncs
, making one hundred aud twenty in all.
A large number Of these untortuuases were
, at once buried beneath the fallen ruins, whilt
others a1ightetl on the surface of the debris
4 and were txtricated without much difficulty
e Thtre was no succession Of shocks. nc
: stoppage in the falling lnAss but very few
r seconds after the first symptoms OF n giving
+ way we're pcrcertiele nothing remained Il
t mark the apartment but 4 few broken bean1s
plaster anu laths STRIKING to tue walls, aud
| dead, d. tng and struggling mass Of huu,anlt,
on the lower 1uor, completely covered nj
!! With the rcnnlns Of what bad constituted
:, that portion uf the insane department.
q The noise created by the Iall was terrific
l. and could be heard u considerable distances
It created much alarm in all parts Of th
e spacious Almshouse, au,l the minutes we1
1t running In all directions for eomc tim
without my definite nowledge Of what ha
l taken place.
'e As soon as practicable gangs Of men wei
employed, Who immedintely commence
CT digging Tor the bodies. 1t WINS rot until Ii
q. day Lad considerably advanced that tile Ia!
ID bpdy was taken from the ruins.
le Various theories arc goiDg the rounds fc
=. some time as to tue cause of the accident
q but after making close examination aud II
d sttuttng rigid Inquiries, VIC arc inclined t
It the belief that the calanlity WAS caused b
the weakness Vt the flooring directly over I'll
II archcd ways that 'orm, In the ccllar OF base
n mcnt, the ln'in eupl'ort Of the Interior Of th
r building above
e For i epace Of several feet The ceiling dI
It rectls over tht. arches in the cellar hears cv
T. dehces of di}apfdatton, Plaster and Other ms
y teriale hive gradually become looseued, un
d We were informed this ceiling or flooring ha
Q been In this condition for the past ten years
o Becoming toe weak to support tue iu
u way, and the whole structure depend
ing upon 1t for support came tum
:. bling to the ground. The same eyi
J deuces Of weakness were apparent II
other parts Of the cellar, and J. s;ersay morn
l. ports, consisting OF heavy joists, between th
[ cell r hocr and the ceiling above.
Il The rnined portion presented daugerou
N appearance I'll day yesterday, and gu severu
occnsions the meu engaged In digging atte
! bodies retired preclpitately, tearing the fal
O. ing oftle 1oof, which still belh its position
, no portion of it lMliug III With the rest Of th
= compartment
OF No correct estimate Of the amount of p,
9a euni.ry loss cou1d be ascertatncd. but It w
" Thought 1t will not reach high hs-ure.
~ From the suldeuress Ut tue tul1 II i lhoug!
that the whsle Interior Of tue apartment gas
o9 way ut the sanle Inoment, ana did not sta1
:: ut my particular point
, t The ecene presented In the Surgical Ward
lis whert' the wounded were taken, Has ut one
:, striking, unique aud pitfahle- On eithe
a. ! side Of the room, long nnd narrow one, th
~ ~ poor wounded creatures lay on couche
+, 'at iaany OF them drcastfully mapgied; SUN
T. l,tpg perle eetly quiet, apparently resis9e'
"a M words their accounts OF their adventure
g &c, md others again trying to get up, al
, eating yoene and wild glancts around.
NJ None seemed to realize What they had gat
lnfouEut QuL mosL 0I Lntm seemed 1tnp1esSe
ue with certain knowledge that eomethil
49, had taken plpce. Had these poor creatur
~ ~ possessed sornd reasoning powers, Il
I'd Casualties would undoubtedly have bet
J., much 1tss. As 1t was, no attempt seems
~. ~ have been made 70 escape on The part OF ar
~ Of them.
ed STATE NEWS.
IN
ur HENRY COUNT.
&C. The residence of Mr.. Martin Rose, IN L.
Of aiue Xna afruck hy li1htDfutz Il fe4S la,