The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1868-11-26
Burning of the Central Ohio Lu-
matte ASylum.

DTOdU SIIC0G, Ill SOIuiIlDuS, WIS OS-
stroyed by fire on Wednesday night.
70 give at distance some slight
conception of the most terrible Ca
lamity that has ever bef,.llen this
city, is our present purose and de-
sire.
The origin of the fire is, and will
probably remain, mystery. 1t was
first discovered shortly before ten,
near the northern extremity of the
east wing of the Asylum, which is
occupied by the female inmates, and
dense smoke began to issue from
those wards and cells ia which are
confined the incurable patients.
About two hundred of the patients
were absent from their wards, have
ing been conducted in the early part
of the evening to the large Amuse-
ment Hall, where they had been
joined by a large number of ladies
and gentlemen from the city, and
were both sane and insane ming
ling together in friendly intercourse
and enjoying the exciting pleasures
of the dance AT first discovery,
the fire caused no serious alarm. 1t
was thought that the flames could
be easily subdued, and the prompt
arrival of the fire companies, which
had been telegraphed, strengthened
the confidence of all in this belief
But the firemen were able to do ab-
solutely nothing to check the pro
gress of the flames. The water
thrown upon the building floated off
the tin roof,and ran down to the wa
ter spouts like rain. The iron CRATES
or bars broke the force ofthe streams
Of water turned against them, and
prevented the water from penetrat-
ing the rooms except in the form of
spray. And instead of runing the
hose through the halls of the build
ing and heating the flames back from
within, they were driven forward by
the attacks in the rear from without
In Il brief time it was announced
that the supply of water in the cis-
terms was exhausted, and then the
fearful truth flashed upon the minds
of all that the entire Asylum was
lost. The whole of this magnificent
structure was at once abandoned to
destruction. One of those indiscri-
bablc scenes then followed, which
are beheld but once in life time, a
faithful impression of which cannot
be conveyed tothose absent from the
appalling spectacle.
The flames had cut off communica-
ton between the extreme end of the
east wing and the main building, so
that the only hope Of rescuing the
worst class of female inmates from
their perilous position was by break
ing through the heavily-bared win
dows, or cuttinga passage way thro'
the tin plated roof. Ladders were
thrown against the Asylum's walls,
the strong iron grating covering the
windows was torn away, and the
shrieking lunatics were tenderly ia
ken in the arms of strong, brave men
and borne down the long ladders to
the ground. Some were led along
the steep roof of the Conservatory
building, and thence handed careful
ly down to place of safety Others
were dragged through holes cut in the
ceilings of their cells, and passing
out upon the high roof of the main
building, moved through the storm
like spectres walking in the air or
upon the sea. Many of these unfor-
tunate women were almost entirely
nude. Some had nothing on but
their night clothing, some had sheets
or blankets wrapped around their
heads; others with their hair strea-
ming in the wind, looked like furries
let loose. The feet of almost all
were with out covering, and not
few were without covering upon the
upper portion of their persons.
A stranger spectacle was present
ed in another part of this extarordi
nary scene. All the female patients
whose rooms could be reached had
been assembled in the large amuse-
ment hall land had there been lock-
ed in to prevent their escape. AL
most all the guards and attendants
being engaged in saving property
and life, these congregated maniacs
were left to indulge all the wild fan
cies and vagaries of their distemper
ed minds. Some kneeled down and
engaged in earnest prayer, some en-
gagged in loud exhortations, some
declared that they had just reached
the place Of final torments and that
the flames around them were the
flames Of hell, while others indulged
in loud laughter and jests, now ut
tering horid oaths. now lif ting their
eyes in supplication, and again dan
cling in perfect ecstacy of delight.
One immense woman sprang with
one bound upon the beautiful piano
at the head of the room, and with
herheavy shoes danced SO long and
with such violence upon it, that al
though the lunatic's neck was not
broken, the instrument was COM
pletely Destroyed.
In the removal OF these raVlng
maniacs in carriages and omnibuses
they generally presented very quiet
demeanor and gave but little trou-
BILE, except that some manifested an
unaccountable disposition to rush
back into the flames from which
they had been rescued.
Sleeping in rooms next to to theone
in which the fire originated were
the six ill-fated women who suffer-
ed the agonies Of death by suffoca-
ton before help could reach them.
Their lifeless' bodies were snatched
from the flames, and being borne
out from the reach of the devouring
element, lay stretched amid the fall
ing snow, upon the grass rendering