Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-11-25

8he Dumper OF lives lost by burning
and fr6eziu the Insane Asylum are
vay.dusly estfma)ed from twenty to fifty.
Lois on building, $500, 900.
Aspeeiwtdated mt four q. m. says:
The scenes at the burning of the south
wing of the hospital,were heertYpdipg,
in the extreme. So appalling q sight
has rarely been witnessed, and. trust
in God, may never bq Iaeaip. The
patients in the ahnex wing x'ere males!
Them resssses- te-aes<s-t he-
building at,alLi They ran up ond down
the halls screaming and crying and act
ing like the Bedlaniites they were. OF
course those who could not be coaxed
nor forced out of the building became
the unhappy victims OF the flames and
suffered ~ horrible death in the, pit
of fire. others we're saved by lad
ders, and some by 'lesPing from the
windows; some were nearly fiude,
some shoeless and hatless, and all were
exposed ~ TO- Lths - exceeding ~ cold
of the night, Many. of the poor, de-
mented and ,crazed inmates fied rs IL
for their lives, and could not be over
taken or conhned.. Their suferingsin
this friShtful condition can better be
imagined than described, The whole
catastrophe is fearful one 10 contem-
plate and one impossible d to describe.
The poor, dazed inmares of the asylum
who Ind escaped the flames were at
large. half clothed. and were tosbe seen
in alf directions flying in wild fright
from those who attemptedto save them.
The air was bitter, cold, 4, aud the poor
wretches with half naked bodies and
bleeding feet were flying about hiding
in alleys and dark corners. II was
sight once seen never, TO be forgotten.
..For some lime the capacity OF the
building has been tried 70 its utmost.
There were about GOO patients. and
every inch of space was utilized. What
will be done with these poor creatures
turned out in the cold, and their mall
ady increased by the excitement OF the
occasion, is 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 mt 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" i.1La-.W
Another special says: "While the
flames were steadily dprogressing the
Matron of the female department made
all haste toget 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 arear OF the south
wing, Yet when we turn to ths main
apartments our blood runs cold rs hse
gaze into those burning wahs and
realize what was the doom, Of
more, than one. poor dementcd man
tonight Those who crowded into the
long corridors of the south wing stood
around there moaning and shrvering
like, poor dumb brutes, The actual
number bufned cannot be gotten mt in
Ruy way ut the present time, - many
are known 70 have wandered away in
the intense excitement that prevailed
throughout, the whole premises. Sew
eral bodies were taken out Of some. Of
the rooms and halls, and several per-
sons taken out Into the halls seemed
determined TO return TO the fire, like o
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 20 remain in
his warm bed, and when dragged out
insisted 6n ~aiting 10 be dressed,
The principal cause Of delay in get
ting stream of water on the fife from
the hospital hose was the almost utter
uselesshess OF the hose. from the fact
that It had not been in use for so long
that it required to bcwct from the end
with hot water poured on the outside of
the hose. Meantime the flames spread
very rapidly fromthe easement. filling
the halls completely fuh of smoke and
making IL ifnpossibleIto do ANYTHING ut
saving the inmates Of the north WING.
OIL the fire screens from the doors, TAX
ing them out, and actually bringing
them down in their arms. without cloth.
ing, In many lcases. INAt the other win
,aows there ware three or four begging
to be saved from death, while the flames
were bursting from the adjoining win
dows Mt thetIi.o1 iinG iIhin''i ~FSlTI
A special from 81. Peter at D. m.
says: ..ltiS still difficult 10 get at the
Names hndsparticuiars Of the awful ca
lamity that came upon us last night, rs
all'is terror hnJ( expipement. and the
grim ruin and slowly rising smoke strike
the heart as -sullen remipders OF the
shoakipg Ere, To get at 8 complete
list Of those killed ana hurt Is not now
among the r possibilities. = have inst
seen DR.. Bartlett, of the asylum, snd
he says there are mos more than twelve
lives lost, and probably rs many more
hurt and suffering from the bitter cold
of last night; indeed. moro people are
believed TO be hurt and dying from
sxpdsdfe Vtp the weather. thany frpm
burns recsited Other people SAY that
as many rs twenty insane people. either
perished In. the flames or, died on the
cold hills during the night. so rhsny
OF the patients have disappeared that
it cannot be toldwho are dead and who
ran away it5H h,gW r~ 'a.t1fsvfs oil
"The suffering has been terrible. and
no pen can describe IL or human mind
realize u. Hpndreds of the. patients
are as helpless as children, IND are
seemingly shocked and tiAzed % , n to
render them almost insensible.