Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-07-23
from the Philadelphia Inquirer.l

from the Philadelphis Inquirerl
We have at different times been called
upon to record catastrOphes, casualties, and
other incidents involving serious sacrifice
of life and destruction of property, caused
by boiler explosions, railroad accidents
ignition of powder in buildings, causing
the destruction of the same, the ravages Of
fire, &C., but never, in all our repOrtorial
experience, have we been called upon to
furnish the public with the particulars Of a
serious calamity of so strange and singular
character as that which transpired yester-
day morning in the insane department OF
the Blockley Hospital, situated OH the OAR
by road, about three-fourths of mile below
Market street bridge.
At the time and place indicated nearly
fifty of that unfortunate class Of human
beings whose mental capacity was of such
small calibre that they could not be permit
ted to mingle In society at large, but were
kept in state of semicontinement in that
portion of the Blockley Hospital appro-
priated to the insane. were, without mo-
ment's preparation or warning, either ush-
cred from time into eternity, seriously
wounded, or classed among the missing.
At least eighteen poor imbeciles, all
females, with the exception of an idlOtic
and deformed boy. six years of age, were
instantly killed, and the probability is that
the list of mortality will receive additional
numbers from day to day for some days to
come,
killed and wounded stretched in all direc-
tions over the ground a thing to be eX-
pected, and, of course, looked for. Boiler
explosions and railroad accidents each
number their victims, composed of heter-
ogeneOus mass of men, women and chill
dren, but we defy the annals of journalism
to produce parallel to the scene that pre-
sented itself yesterday at the Almshouse,
where fourteen dead bodies of crazy wO-
men. mostly advanced in years, were
stretched in row. lying side by side, hav-
ing met, each one of them, with instanta-
neOus death; their faces presenting the pc
culiar combination of the expression that
generally characterizes old and insane wo-
men, added to which was the CHASTITY eX-
preston produced by death, caused by
bruises and sutfocatiOn while imbedded in
the falling ruins.
While viewing these bodies it must be
borne in mind that others are known to be
dead and within the ruins, and for the re-
covery OF which gangs of men are actively
at work; and again. in an apartment not
far distant twenty of the same unfortunate
class are lying in a mangled state, some
never to recover; others seriously injured,
and others again merely suffering from
slight conclusions, &c.
The scene was one never to be etfaced
from the memory, and even made deeper
impression than roaming among the tenn
porary hospitals of the field of battle aud
hearing the cries and means of the dying
and wounded.
The following statement, in general
terms. OF the calamity that took place yes
terday, will serve to give the reader toll
erably correct idea of the terrible occur
renee:
The southwestern portion of the Blockley
Almshouse, consisting of an entire side of
the spacious edifice, which constitutes sort
of world within itself, is appropriated to
the use Of the insane sent there, and that
portion bordering on the open space or in
closure within the building is set apart for
the females thus afflicted.
There are at present 376 women under
treatment for insanity. and they all occupy
apartments in the portion of the building
mentioned.
The insane department for women is di-
yided into several compartments, three
stories In height. One of these, aud the one
that was the scene of the terrible accident
Yesterday, adjoins the extreme southwest
ern wing of the building, apd is divided i'll
TO an infirmary for h old. siuk or decrepid,
which occupies the third floor, and is under
charge of Mrs. Rice.
The second floor is used as a sort of sit
ting-room for the patients that are able to
move about and Is under the control of
Mrs. Mcdonald, while the first or ground
floor is used as dining room and for other
purposes, and conducted by Mrs. Ackly.
Tim a N thar fhn nf tho
catastrophe is forty-tive feet by forty-eight
in area, and has height Of sixteen feet be-
tween each floor.
In the morning, at five o'clock, the bell
rang as usual to arouse the inmates to get
ready for breakfast, and while that meal
was In preparation, at about twenty mir
utes before six o'clock, sudden settling Of
the compartment we have described was
visible, and before the slightest warning or
alarm could be communicated to the in
mates, the whole of the three floors, from
the roof down, fell in with tremendous
crash, carrying everything, including in
mates, furniture, clothing. beds and bed
ding, &C. before 1t. Nothing WIS stopped
in the downward career until the flooring
over the cellar was reached, when every
thing and everybody became involved in
perfect chaos OF iiextricable confusion.
AS near as the nurses could inform us
there were at the time of the accident about
twenty patients in the infirmary, on the
third floor, and about fifty in each of the |
lower ones, making one hundred and twenty |
In all. ..
A large number of these unfortunates
were at once buried beneath the fallen ruins, |
while Others alighted on the surface of the |
lebris, and were extricated without much
lifficulty. m .-. hi.
There was no succession of shocks, no
'toppage In the fallen mass, but very few
seconds after the first symptoms Of giving |
way were perceptible nothing remained to
mark the apartment hut few broken
beams, plaster and laths sticking to the
walls, and dead, dying and struggling
mass Of humanity on the lower floor. COM
'letely covered up with the remains of
What had constituted that portion Of the
insane department. gJIn ~ 9s....JfI /
The noise created by the fall was terrific,
ind, could be heard q considerable distance; i
: created much alarm in all parts of the
pacious Almshousr, and the inmates we're
In all directions for some time with
'ut any defiuite knowledge of what had
AIKEN place. SIS la9l hfl ufrIsr.s
As,soon as spracticable gangs of men were
mployed, who immediately commenced /
igging for the bodts.LaIt was mot until /
he day had considerably advanced that i
49,. AL f-.~,,. Az.