Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1872-10-17

ing. The supports of the tank having
burned away it fell, the great weighst
carrying it down to the basement, crash
ing through''all the intermediate floors.
Miss Mary Walker, a seamstress in the
institution, was upon the third floor. aud
had been gathering pp few valuables
belonging to her. She was in the hall
near the front, probably about to descend
the stairway, when; the, terrible. crash
came. Tie falling mass past near her
tearing up the floor under her feet. In
some way her limbs got fast in the de-
bris, and it was Impossible for her to
extricate herself. Joseph Turney. and
John Dipley were in the reception room,
on the second floor, trying to save the
piano and the other articles of value.
Immediately after. the crash they discov-
cred Miss Walker in her perilous con-
dition. and made every effort in their
power to save her Selling bed they
shouted to her. to drop herself upon it,
not knowing that she was held fast by
the timbers The stairs had been car
ried away. andit was impossible, to get
to her. They took hold of the. ..other
foot, which hung dowEs over the edge Of
the chasm, and tried 70 pull her down, but
without avail. The. fire which had !. been
carried down by the tank blaaed up
through the opening, and at length,
scorched and well nigh sufocated with
beat and smoke. They were obliged to
abandon her, inevitably share the same
terribly fate themselves, When she wac
quickly enveloped in fame. The men
found themselves 10 critical condition,
escape by the stairway having been cut
of. Mr. Turney tied some sheets togeth-
er. and was to descend by that means
when long plank was placed up to a
window, and he got dunn in safety.
Mr. Dipley got out upon the roof of tbs
veranda, and reached the ground by
sliding down one of the pillars
ABOUT THE GROUNDS
the scene was one of the widest confu-
sion Hundreds of people were running
into and out of the building, after the in
mates had been all removed, engaged in
saving movable property. A vast amount
of bedding and furniture Of every kind
was borne out and heaped upon the groand.
Six hundred insane men and women were
scattered about, many Of them screaming
and rushing wildly through the crowd.
AS long a. any were in danger within
the building the only thought vas to save
life, snd they were suffered to roam at
will outside. AS soon as possible an
organized effort was made to gather them
together ard care for them as well zs pos
sible under the trying circumstances.
The people Ct New burg did nobly, throw
ing open their houses for the reception
Of the sick, who had all been carried cut
safely on beds, ana such others as were
harmless and could be trusted in tLeir
charge. They extended every faculty in
the: power for meeting the terrible ex-
;gincies of the occasion.
DISPOSITION OF THE PATIENTS.
The majority of the patients we're grad
ually collected and removed in wagons to
the churches in the village, all OF which
were Immediately thrown open to them.
Considerable difficulty was experienced
in removing them from the grounds.
Some had to be forced into the vehiclas
by main strength, and it was necessary
for attendants to accompany every load.
Pale, haggard, and wild, beating the air
and raviDg incoherently, moaning and
weeping in their distress, utteriag man
iacal laughs, or sitting ID sullen silence,
these unfortunates presented spectacle
that moved the stoutest hearts. By 4
o'clock all had been removed to the vii
lage or the neighboring houses. Similar
scenes we're witnessed at the churches,
where the greater portion were collected.
Few had sufficient reason to comprehend
the events of the day. Some croucbed
down in terror; others raved wildly, Or
INDUCED in singing, laughing, crying,
shouting, swearing, the whole uDiting to
form terrible chorus that seemed like
pandemonium itself No wards can give
adequate portrayal to the scene. Nurses
and attendants belonging to the asylum
we're placed in charge of each detachment,
and the men and women Of the village,
in far greater numoe than could possibly
be employed, offered their services to as
sist in caring for the needy.
THE DEAD
Miss Walker, whose sad death has
been mentiond,w was a most estimable lady,
about forty years of age. She had been
connected with the asylaa Tor sig years,
and was universally held in high esteem.
Her friends live in Newburg. Mr.. Bur-
CESS was young married man, living in
Bed ford. 1t is not known positively
that he was killed, but at dark his friends
had little hopes left that he had escaped
1t was thought by some that two or three
Of the patients lost their lives, but it was
tie general belief among the officers of the
asy lum that all were saved. A few Of
them we're. scorehed, but none seriously
burned. It will be impossible, for sever
al days to knew whether any were lost.
Quite number escaped when they were
released.
The loss may be roughly estimated at
$500 600, on which there is no insurance
Vi course prompt measures will be taken
to rebuild the asylum, as an absolute ne
cessity to the State. What will be done
in the meantime with the 600 patients Is
a question not easily answered.
THIsTLEs IN THE HEART.-Bad habits
are the thistles of the heart; and every in
diligence of them is seed from which
will spring new crop Of seeds. A few