Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-11-20

and female, were cared for at the Deaf and
Dumb Asylum, which was promptly
thrown open for their reception. The
deaf mutes were transferred to other por-
tions of the building, and were forced to
remain content with one-half the accom--
modations previously enjoyed, yet not
sign OF lmurmur escaped them. Each one
seemed to feel as il upon his, or her exer-
tions to make comfortable the strange
guests thus suddenly forced upon them, de-
pended the. reputation of the Asylum for
hospitality. sre., W -.rerf-r ....,,. -,g 4..,
DR.. Fay, the Superintendent of the Deaf
and Dumb Asylum, with his efficient
seward, Mr.. Wakefield, and. indeed, all
the male officials, seemed to be the right
men in the rightIplace, and wtre unwearied
In their exertions to accommodate all. The
matron, Mrs. Westervelt, and1 her assist
ants, Mrs. Barrett and Mrs. Wakefield,
seemed each to be- possessed of the power
of ubiquity--to be everywhere at the
very time they were needed, and to have
! hundred hands each, which were EN-
ployed in making beds and providing
places for the houseless lunatics thrown
upon their charge. 1t is much praise to
say that, wild as was the condition of the
patients, when thus transferred--raviDg as
many OF them were and all terribly ex-
cited-by three o'clock in the morning OF
/ yesterday and before the Lunatic Asylum
was entirely in flames, all the patientsthus
transferred to the Asylum tor Mutes were
either asleep or quiet gH.,iac- gnii lass
Fortunate it was that in this houseless
condition these unfortunates had such a
refuge, SO easily improvised into Lunatic
Asylum for their welfare. and doubly for
tunate that the new home was officered by
men and by women who cared for the un-
fortunates not as a duty, but as a labor
of love. 'Tia7a roaf HH -fsa
THE FIRE AS SEEN FROM THE TOWER OF
-r,5.T--r4 THE MUTE ASYLUM. .-if H,.. -Vl
In company with the officers of the Deaf
and Dumb Asylum, we ascended The tower
OF the home of the mutes, one of the high
est points in the city. Here a scene of the
widest beauty burst upon our astonished
gaze. Full quarter of a mile off was seen
the burning Asylum. From our stand
point, high over the roof of the tallest
building in the city, we saw the entire
south front and west wing of the building
In full blaze. From within the walls the fire
flashed tn rough 2S4 windows. Far above
the ourningm the jets of flame rushed,
and myriads of sparks floated upward
Through the sashless windows, the lurid
glare showed the building reft of all but
bare walls and burning wood. Asbeam and
rafter and joist fell into the burning mass
below, the whole heavens would light up,
with almost dazz ing brilliancy. The mass
of burning matter looked not unlike fur
mace at almost white lfeat. r-GlsI Fog
The smoke, which lowered above the
walls, and catching theibreeze, fioated off
to the South or West, was not dense, but of
a light blush grey. South of where we
stood it seemed to bank up against the
Heavens, and looked not unlike that hazy
range of mountains in the great Apala-
chian chain, known to travellers and to the,
school boys as the Blue Ridge. Il
>The whole scene, if photographed with
colors bright and true, would seem nm
natural. and we felt as if we were in the
land OF gorgeous dreams, or else viewing a
fl painting of rich beauty, rather than
II the sober reality, witnessing the con-
fla ,ration of the finest insane asylum tnat
The world has yet produced, and which was
aus ly the pride OF our people, as we'll as
fltiose of other States. At 8 O'Clock on
Wednesday night it stood firm in its solid
Within few hours it was mass of smoul-
dering ruins.
The building of beauty, which we hoped
would " be joy forever" to our sane citi-
zens, where all ofreason lost would be cared
for, has left us but its blackened walls-its
inmates sent elsewhere, and our State pride
humbled. ''+
During the excitement several OF the pa
tients made their escape. Two are known
to have got away from the Deaf and Dumb
Asylum by jumping through the windows.
For the present the most violent of the
patients will be transferred to the New
burgh Asylum-near Cleveland-whieh
fortunately has one wing ready for the re-
cepton of patients. The others will be
cared for in the Deaf and Dumb and Idiot
Asy lums and by being sent to their friends
as they best may be.
The main building of the Central Luna
tic Asylum was opened for the reception
of patients on the Both of November, 1888,
and wings were added on the east and
west sides in 1852 The cost of erecting
the main building was $77,70S. The wings
cost S6S,04S. The total loss to the State by
this fire is som ething over half million of
dollars
The cause of the entire destruction Of
been suficiency to supply the steamers.
$4,000 would have covered the entire loss
to the StaLe. For six or seven years the
City Council of Columbus has been
straining every nerve to raise money
to build waterworks. The State has
been asked to aid us, but the request has
never been granted. Had the State +
Ohio owned 100000 of Columbus city
bonds last night the Asylum would haye
been saved, for the waterworkswould have
been built four years ago had such aid
been given. We can get fall enough TO
carry water to the top of the Asylum, and,
with the flooding pipes in use in other in
stitutions of the kind, any story of the
building could be flooded with water IL a
few moments, without waiting for the en-
gines. 1t is not too late now for the State
to take hold of this matter, and for future
safety help the city of Columbus in her
efforts to obtain sufficient supply of wa
ter. =
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