Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-11-18
THE INSANE AsYLUM FIRE.

The newspapers hereabouts have been in
dulging in profuse comments on the fire at
the Minnesota hospital for the insane, and
have made themselves ridiculous by accept
ing as facts the wild rumors that obtained
currency on the night of the confsgration,
and commenting accordingly. The GLOBE
has refrained from editorial comment until
all the facts could be obtained, and has con.
tented itself with giving the earliest, fullest
and most graphic reports of the scenes con-
nected with the disaster. It has succeeded
in distancing all competitors by presenting
all the facts, and attaching only such import
ance to the many rumors afioat as they were
entitled to. The latest advices from the
hospital prove the correctness of the GLOBES
first estimate of the loss of life. But six of
the unfortunates were suffocated or burned
in the building.
The disaster, however, suggests that there
should be some improvements and modif-
cations in the plan of the building, both as
to the portion destroyed when it is rebuilt
and as to the part that was fortunately
saved from the fiery element. 1t is not
provided with anything like adequate means
of egress in case of fire, and its oonstruc
ton is such that only a providential inter-
position can prevent the destruction of the
whole building In case that fire obtained
good headwey. All the sections are con-
nected by long corridors on each floor, a
frail door alone separating the wings and
interposing barriers to q draft of air that
would carry the flames into every part of the
structure. Each wing Of the institution
should be separate from the others, the
connections with the other portions of the
building being protected by fire doors that
should be kept constantly closed. There
should be- ample::means of egress from every
division, 80 that in the accident of
fire there would be ne necessity
for opening the doors of the other divisions
in order to release the inmates. These
changes can be made with but triaing ex-
pense, and the safety of the patients as we'll
as the entire property would be greatly en-
HANGED. 1t would also be wise to make
they now are, so as to decrease the danger
of great loss of life in emergencies like that
of Monday night.
There seems to have been lack of courage
on the part of those connected with the in
stitution in rescuing the patients after the
fire was discovered, and there appears to
have been great negligence on the part of
the watchman, who failed to detect the fire
in its incipiency. It is astonishing that the
flames should have obtained such Roadway
as to be practically beyond control,
before being discovered by some one around
the building. The fire extinguishing appara-
tus was also in bad order, and had evidently
been neglected entirely for months. Unless
hose can bekept in good working order there
is no use in having it at all. 1t should be
inspected and tested at least once week.
and all connected with the
institution should be thoroughly
drilled in the use of whatever apparatus may
be at hand for extinguishing fires.
The disaster, though deplorable in many
of its aspects, may teach useful lesson, and
perhaps prevent far greater calamity in
the future. If 80 it will not be without its
benefits. The trustees of the hospital should
see to it that greater precautions against fire
are adopted, and that if it should occur there
will be no danger of loss of life.