The New York herald., 1876-03-15
THE NORWICH ALMsHOUSE FIRE.
GRAPHIC NARRATIVE OF THE DISASTER
SCENES OF HORROR IN THE ATTEMPTS AT
RESCUE OF THE INSANE AND THE rNTIRM,,
NAMES OF THE DEAD AND INJURED.


RESCUE OF THE INSANE AND THE STIRM-''
NAMES OF THE DEAD AND INJURED.
NORWICH Conn, March IA, 1879
The detailed particulars OF the burning OF the town
amshouse in this city Sunday night are of very
heartrendng character
The discovery was made about eleven O'Clock by one
of the inmates, who was awakened by the smoke and
who looking for its source found that it proceeded
from the cellar where the heating apparatus was stu-
aed He at once aroused the superintendent, Mr. G.
Mills and the two attempted enter the cellar but
were driven back by the smoke Despatch
ing the pauper to the city to give
the alarm Mr. Mills proceeded to arouse
the occupants OF the house There were 1fty.one of
these distributed through largo three story house
with several wings, and was with the greatest dif
Guilty that this done. When help arrived flames
pouring from the ground floor Of the main build
ing and in places had worked through to the floor
above. Egress from the upper stories had been cut
Of and the horrible fact that number of poor
lures were still in the building shown by the ap
pearance OF one and another at the windows.
A coLoRED woMAS's JUMP.
At one OF the dormer windows In the roof quite
thirty feet from the ground, Nancy Raymond, coored
woman, weighing $50 pounds, appeared and shouted
and gesticulacd wildly. 1t terrible jump to the
ground below, but the fierce flames we're in the rear
and gathering courage at last she crowded through the
narrow window and dropped Both OF her legs were
broken by the iail the bones ocing airy puverlzea
This only one of the agonizng sights There were
no ladders about the place OF sufficient length TO reach
the higher windows, and though the wretched beings
within could be plainly seen, nothing could be done TO
save them
BRAVE FRESHMAN
A woman appeared at a window IN the second story
An Old rlckety ladder found the ground quickly
raised, and plucky young Irshman up 1t. broke
through easement and dragged the woman out She
nervous excitement, but revived on being removed to
place of safety
LUSATIc RESCUED
In the wing In the second story was Bartholomew
Shugruc, lunatic eighty years old party went to
his rescue; but heavy iron grating, too hot to touch
with the naked hands, prevented them from entering
the window ladder hastily converted into
ram, and by repeated blows the grating was knocked
away. Shugrue seemed stupened at first and made no
outcry; but when the grating was partly displaced he
caught hold of with has hands and bent IL back with
unnatural strength, bruisng himself seriously. A
up the ladder and helped him out and just
in time, for the ladder thrown aside after their
descen; the nre burst into the room Eight other per-
were helped from windows by men whose clothes
were scorched by the intense heat.
A CHILD
One unfortunate who brought from the house
and left place OF safety the ground had holly
been lald there when she gave birth to child she
was attended by number OF women and was Hnally
removed, with her infant to place where she could
le properly treated
At first 1t was thought that only tour of the inmates
had been burned but the lrst careful inspection and
comparison the rolls with those saved yesterday
morning revealed the horrible fact that no
less than fifteen persons were unaccounted
for During the day one of these was
found alive and WE'LL and il possible that others may
have left the building and wandered away; but Of this
there is not much hope Tho search for tho dead
begun early al possible on Monday morning Before
daylight while the fire companies were still playing
upon the burning debris between the walls two bodies
could seen lying as they had fallen when the floors
above gave way but burned beyond the possibility Of
recognition About nine O'Clock gang OF men was
put TO work to remove the debris and the dead
uufc
One corpse WAS believed by Its size 10 be Mrs Mary
Ann Farrell, woman sixty years old, who weighed
800 pounds She was almost wholly paralyzed, so help
less fact that she unable feed herself Her
husband Patrick Farrell, jumped from a window,
injury. Another body, from the position in which Il
lay, was believed TO be that OF Mrs BIZ, who was In
sane, and was In that part OF the building used as
asylum. She was sixty years OF age and had been OF
unsound mind Tor thirty years Her husband
Methodist preacher but he deserted her unwarrantaby
and the shock of his cruelty unsettled her
BODY OF GIRL
The only other body which could be identified was
that OF Mary Jane Mcdonald girl about eleven years
five, was one OF those who jumped from the fourth
story Her collar bone was broken and she sustained
lice station Sunday night, and as she revived some
what her first inquiry was for this child. The poor
woman was dying with consumption and her injuries,
which fatal can only hasten her death. She was
told that her daughter safe, aud satisfied but
since then she asks piteousy why she does not come
to her
LIST oP THE DEAD
II was believed yesterday morning that fifteen were
lost, but OF them John Garberry, has been
heard from, leaving fourteen unaccounted for Their
names, so far as they known, given below. II
will be observed that they nearly all very old peo-
pie most OF them, probably, too feeble To escape:-
Thomas Irons, aged sixty.
Joseph Martin aged seventy
Mrs. Philus Perrgo aged seventy-dve
Mrs. Billings aged seventy
Ellen Willett aged twelve
Sarah McNelcy (insane), aged sixty.
Mary Jane Mcdonald, aged eleven.
Mrs. Patrick Farrell, aged sixty.
Mrs Bill. aged sixty.
Mrs Williams, aged thirty -1ve.
Mrs. Williams was the roof while the house
was burning but was not rescued. There are three
others said 10 be missing, whose names cannot be as
cerianed certainly, making the number not ac-
counted for fourteen.
THE WOUNDED
are
Patrick Farrell, aged seventy. right arm broken.
Nara Brown aged City, internally injured