Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-11-26
THE INSANE ASYLUM HORROR.
Particulars or the burning OF n Portion Of
tho Minnesotn Insane Asylum at ~. Petc7
several Lives Lost by burning and
EreerInu

| st. Peter, says:
The number of lives lost by burning
and freezing in the Insane Asylum are
variously estimated from twenty to fifty.
Loss on building, 100000.
A special dated at four a. M, says:
"The scenes at the burning of the south
wing of the hospital were heartrending
in the extreme. So appalling a sight
has rarely been witnessed, and, l trust
| in God, may never be again. The
patients in the annex wing were males.
| Many OF them refused to leave the
building at all. They ran up and down
the halls screaming aud crying and act
| ing like the Bedlamites they we're. OF
course those who could not be coaxed
nor forced out of the building became
the unhappy victims of the flames and
| suffered a horrible death in the pit
of fire, others were saved by lad
ders, and some by leaping from the
windows; some were nearly nude,
some shoeless and hatless, and all were
exposed TO the exceeding cold
of the night. Many of the poor, de-
mented and crazed inmates fled as if
| for their lives, and could not be over
taken or confined. Their sufferings in
this frightful condition can better be
imagined than described. The whole
catastrophe is a fearful one to contem-
| plate, and one impossible to describe.
| The poor, dazed inmates of the asylum
| who had escaped the flames were at
large half clothed, and were to be seen
in all directions flying in wild fright
from those who attempted to save them.
The air was bitter cold, and the poor
wretches with half naked bodies and
bleeding feet were flying about hiding
in alleys and dark corners. 1t was &,
sight once seen never to be forgotten.
"For some time the capacity of the
building has been tried to its utmost.
There were about 600 patients, and
every inch of space was utilized. What
will be done with these poor creatures
turned out in the cold, and their NAL
ady increased by the excitement of the
occasion, is a serious question. There
are two other buildings situated in the
town which are used, but they are al
ready crowded to their full capacity.
The asylum at Rochester is full, and
will doubtless be unable to provide ac-
commodations for any of the inmates
at st. Peter, turned out in the cold by
the terrible catastrophe
Another special says: "While the
flames were steadily progressing the
Matron of the female department made
all haste to get the inmates out, many of
them ran shrieking in their nights
clothes in the snow drifts, even bury
ing themselves in the snow, and had to
be dragged into the barns and sheds,
while those near by wrapped blankets
and shawls around them. Hence, in
tense suffering could not be avoided,
as they had to be taken about fifteen
or twenty rods through the snow to the
nearest shelter, which was on the hill
Immediately in the rear of the south
wing. Yet when we turn to the main
apartments our blood runs cold as we
gaze into those burning walls and
realize what was the doom Of
more than one poor demented man
tonight. Those who crowded into the
long corridors of the south wing stood
around there moaning and shivering
like poor dumb brutes. The actual
number burned cannot be gotten at in
any way at the present time, as many
are known to have wandered away in
the intense excitement that prevailed
throughout the whole premises. Sew
tIdl bOulbS WbIb ldAbu OuJ bI bO0lB OF
the rooms and halls, and several per-
sons taken out into the halls seemed
determined to return to the fire, like a
horse that is being led from the flames.
One room, occupied by two, was broken
into, and while one was dragged out
the other was determined to remain in
his warm bed, and when dragged out
insisted on waiting to be dressed.
1.-The principal cause of delay in get
ting stream of water on the fire from
the hospital hose wasothe almost utter
uselessness of the hose, from the fact
that it had not been in use for so long
that it required to be wet from the end
with hot water poured on the outside of
the hose. Meantime the flames spread
very rapidly from the easement, filling
the halls completely full of smoke, and
making it impossible to do ANYTHING at
saving the inmates of the north wing,
only by putting up ladders and prying
of the fire screens from the doors, tax
ing them out, and actually bringing
them down in their arms, without cloth
ing, in many cases. AT the other win
dows there were three or four begging
to be saved from death, while the flames
were bursting from the adjoining win
dows at them"
A special from St. Peter at 8 D. m.
says; at is still difficult to get at the
names and particulars of the awful ca
lamity that came upon us last night, as
all is terror and excitement, and the
grim ruin and slowly rising smoke strike
the heart as sullen reminders of tho
shocking fire. To get at "a complete
! list of those killed and hurt is mt nOvv
among the possibilities. I have Just
seen DR.. Bartlett, OF the asylum, and
he says there are not more than twelve
lives lost, and probably as many more
hurt and suffering from the bitter cold
of last night; indeed, more people are
believed to be hurt and dying from
exposure to the weather than from
burns received. Other people say that
as many as twenty insane people either
persisted in the flames or died on the
cold hills during the night. So many
of the patients have disappeared that
it cannot be told who are dead and who
ran away.
"The suffering has been terrible, and
no pen can describe it or human mind
realize it, Hundreds of the patients
are as helpless as children, and are
seemingly shocked and dazed so as to
render them almost insensible.
"The real damage TO the hospital
building will amount to 100000. The
center building and south wing have
been preserved and the ruins of the