Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-10-11
The Burning OF the LunatIc Asylum
at NeWburgh, Ohio.

WE have rarely been called upon to re,
cord more serious and lamentable pub.
lie calamity than the nearly total destruc-
tion by fire, Wednesday afternoon, of the
Northern Ohio Lunatic Asylum, at New
burgh. The building was a splendid struc-
ture, nine hundred feet in length, the ex-
terror walls being entirely of stone. Two
large wings had just been completed, at
cost of three hundred thousand dollars.
These increased the capacity of the insti-
tuition to six hundred patients, fully that
number being on the books at the time of
the disaster. The crowded condition of
the Asylum was owing to the fact that
there were a hundred and fifty patients
from the Central Ohio district, the new
asylum at Columbus, upon the site of the
one burned two or three years ago, not
being yet completed.
1t was hoped at first that the flames
might be extinguished without creating
alarm among the multitude of inmates,
the consequences of which none could
foretell. In the course of fifteen or
twenty minutes, however, it was found
that in spite of every effort, the flames
had worked downward, and were rapidly
spreading through the upper story of the
building, in every direction. The sad
truth was felt that at least the center por-
tion was doomed to destruction. Orders
were given for the immediate removal of
the patients, and a large number of the
attaches of the institution and others, ad-
dressed themselves to this work with the
greatest zeal and energy, while others still
sought, by the aid Of hose, buckets, and
other appliances at hand, to check the
flames.
The scenes that ensued during the next
hour almost defy description. The Off
GERS and attendants throughout the insti-
tuition made haste TO unlock the doors of
the various wards and cells, and directed
the inmates to leave the building at once.
A portion of them complied promptly,
and even rendered valuable assistance in
the rescue of others. Some of the un-
fortunate were appalled, with terror, and
became absolutely frantic, uttering pierc-
ing shrieks and cries. The extreme diff
Guilty of controlling 600 lunatics under
such circumstances can be but family
imagined. Many resolutely refused to
leave their cells, concealing themselves in
closets or under their beds, and neither
persuasion nor threats were of any avail
In many instances it was found necessary
to pull them out of their hiding places by
main force. In several cases, such stout
resistance was made that the strength OF
two or three men was required to over
come single patient In a few of the
worst cases, they struggled fearfully,
fighting and resisting with that almost
superhuman power so often manifested
by the insane.
Some of them insisted on taking with
them all their clothing, bedding, and arti.
cles of every kind, and could only with
the utmost difficulty be forced to leave
without them. One man tied up an i'm
mense bundle that would have staggered
apackhorse, and was vainly tugging tC
lift it from the floor. He had to be &C
tually torn away from it by two men, and
dragged to the place of exit.
The female patients were even more
difficult to manage than the males. More
susceptible to excitement and alarm
many of them ran hither and thither, il
frantic terror, some making all haste to
escape, and others, as in the cases of the
men, refusing to leave their cells. Score:
of them were taken by force, resisting In
every possible way, with all theiI
strength. Several patients, after being
set at liberty in the grounds, rushed back
into the burning building, to be again
borne struggling out. In that part OF the
building nearest where the fire originated
some of the wards were filled with
sitting heat and smoke before the last Of
the patients therein could be conducted
to place of safety, Further from the
centre, the wards were generally cleared
before the fire reached them. Hundred
of men and women from the village apC
the region adjacent to the Asylum wer,
engaged in the work of rescuing the pa
tients, in all parts of the building, anC
the excitement was intense beyond all
power of expression in words. The fire
meanwhile, had been making rapit
strides, and before the removal of the in
mates from the remote wards had beer
completed, the interiorOf the central por
tion was one mass of flame.
Shortly before two o'clock, three'quaI
ters of an hour after the fire was discov
cred, q terrible casualty occurred, causing
the only loss of life positively known NJ
to Wednesday evening. Near the cente
of the dOmo was an immense tank con
tanning 5000 gallons of water, kept con
stantly full for the supply of the building
The supports Of the tank having burnel
away, II fell, the great weight carrying /
entirely down 10 the basement, crashinl
through all the intermediate floors Mis-
Mary Walker, q seamstress in tho institu
tiop' was upon the third hoor and hat