The weekly miner., 1880-11-23
A Rls Blake.

- 80 uo' NV. l0.-A 81. Peter, Minn.,
spsclai says: AT $50 tonight IL was an
y. Mouhceu that the insane asylum was on fire.
Everybody was appalled, at the prospect Of
over 5OO patients being turned out Of doors
during such terrible night with the still
more dlsagreeable prospect of going mere
chan mile across the bleak prairie in the
race OF cutting wind. Our people respond
Gu hooly. Many made their way on foot, but
large number of conveyances were soon Oh
Ihe road. The sky in the direction of the
hospital was lighted up, and dense volume
oi smoke rose over the scene and was carried
across the river.
Ihe whole nothern wing of the structure
was one sheet OF flame. AS soon as it was
seen that the fire was likely to prove serious
". bartlett, The superintendent, gave orders
70 nave all the patients released and cared fo
as well as possible, but before the fire was
discovered one or two had become choked b,
the smoke, and it was impossible to relieve
all the patients. No one knows how many
perlshed, but some say there were fifty.
Ihe lire originated in The northw st corner
of the basement of the north wing, and about
the same time there was a fire in the base
Mellt OF the adjoining section. No fire was
Kept III that part OF e building. and the
origin OF the fire was mystery. l would not
venture to estimate the number of lives lost
even the officers do not know, because some
OF the patients wandered OIL and may have
perished from cold; most of them were takei,
TO barn, granery and wood cellar. Fortu-
uately th re was time to carry out most OF
the bedding and clothing. The court house
and large school building were opened, and
teams brought ma y to town. 1t is believed
about all the patients were housed. The fire.
men finally prevented the flames from enter
m n hI,i1I II inr InS ~; e.,%
the structure was saved. The north wing
was occupied by men and the south by wo-
mel.
ST. PAUL, Nov. 16.-Tle dispatches to the
latest editions of the morning papers indIca
that The fire in the ST. Peter aSy lum was nol
as serious as was feared last night. Only one
wing Of the building was destroyed. The
whole structure, which was ten years in the
course of construction, was only finished
three years ago and cost over half a m lion
dollars. The loss is 100000 to $15O,0OO,
with no insurance, the state having neglected
this precaution. The origin of the fire is ull-
known, though it is located in the basement
| of the north wing, which was destroyed. Re
ports of loss of life are indefinite and con-
fictng. different rumors placing the number
OF victims from two or three to fifty, but 10
bodies haye been found and no Que is surely
know to be lost. The superintendent gave
| orders to release all the patients as soon as
| the danger became imminent, and it is proba-
| BILE that in the confusion of night some were
| overlooked and burned. This probability is
increased by the fact that some III the sr0ouis
quickly flied ssi;ioks aid codid not be
entered by the rescuers. Citizens cared fol
the unfortunates last night
| A telegram to the Pi0neer-Press from ST.
Peter says: The number of lives lost by burn
ing and freezing at the insane asylum is var
| Ous!y estimated at from two to fifty. Loss OF
building $3O0,O00.
A report dated 4 a. IN. says: The scenes al
the burning of the south wing of the ho>pita
were heartrending in the extreme. So appal
ling sight has rarely been witnessed, and .
trust may never be again. The patients il
the annexed wing were males. Many o
them refused to leave the building at all
They ran up and down the litlls screaming
and crying and acting like Bedlamites.
They were of course those who could no
be coaXed nor forced out Of The building, AM
became unhappy victims of the flames an'
sut10cated in the pit of ire Others wer'
saved, some by ladders and some by leapin!
from the windows. Some were nearly nude
some shoeless and hatless, and all were ex
posed to the eXcee ding cold Of the night
Many of the poor demented and crazed in
mates fled as if for their lives and could no
be oyertaken or confined. Their suffering
III this frigh,ful condition can better be i'm
agined than described. The whole catas
trophe is fearful to contemplate and imposs
BILE to describe. The poor, dazed inmates 0
the asylum who had escaped the flames wer
at large half-clothed, and were to be seen i
all directions, flying in fright from those WI
attempted to save them. The air was bite
cold, and the poor wretches, with haltnake
bodies aud bleeding feet, were flying abou
hiding IN alleys and dark corners.
1t was simply horrible scene never to b
forgotten. For some time the capacity of TIL
building has been tried to its utmost. Ther
were about 600 patients and every incl
space was utilized. What will be done wit
those poor creatures turned out in the col
a d their malady increased by the eXciteneI
of the OCCASION, is a serious question. Their
are two other buildings situated III tow
which are used, but they are already crowde
to their full capacity. The asylum at Eocl
ester is full and will doubtless be unable t
provide accommodations for any of the il
mates at St. Peter.