The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-11-19
Burning of the Minnesota Insane
A1VIum

MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi, Nov. Is.
Tie number of lives lost by the burning and
freeing in the insane asylum is yariously esti-
mated at from twelve to fifteen. The loss on
buiGing is $500, 600 The scenes at the burn
ing of the south wing Of the hospital were
heatrending in the extreme. So appalling a
sight has rarely been witnessed. The
patents in the annex were males. Many
of hem refused to leave the building at all.
Thy ran up and down the halls, screaming
and crying, and acting like the bedamites
they were. OF course. those who could not be
ooaled nor forced out of the building became
theunhappy victims of the flames, and suffered
horrible death in the flames Others were
saved, some by ladders, and some by leaping
fren the windows. Some were nearly nude,
some sheeless and hatless, and all were
exposed to the exceeding cold of the
nght Many of the poor, demented lunatics
fed as if for their lives, and could
net be oVertaken. Their sufferings in this
flghtful condition can better be imagined
than described. The whole catastrophe is
fearful one to contemplate and an i'm
possible one 10 describe. The poor daZed in
mates of the asylum who had escaped the
flames were at large, half clothed, and were to
be teen 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 a sight once seen never to
be Drgotten. For some time the capacity Of
the building has been taxed 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 malady increased by the
excitement OF the occasion, is a serious ques-
tin. There are three other buildings situated
inthe town which are used, but they are al
redy crowded to their full capacity. The
asIlum at Rochester is full, and will doubtless
beunable to provide accommodate for any
of the inmates at st. Peter turned out in the
cod by the terrible catastrophe.
While the flames were slowly progressing the
Nation of the Female Department made all
haste to get the inmates out, and many of
then ran shrieking in their night clothes in the
snow drifts even burying themselves in the
snov, and had to be dragged into the barns
and sheds, while those near by wrapped
blankets and shawls around them. In
tefse suffering could rot be avoided as
they had to be taken about fifteen or twenty
rod through the snow to the nearest shelter,
which was on the hill immediatelyiu rear of the
south wing. Yet when one turns to the main
apartplsnts his blood runs cold as he realizes
whit WAS the doom of more than one poor de-
melted man last night. Those crowded into
lifelong corridors of the south wing stood
arGlnd moaning and shivering like poor dumb
brltes. The actual number burned cannot be
gotten at in any way at the present time, as
many are known to have wandered away in
theintense excitement that prevailed through
out the whole premises. Several bodies were
talen out of some of the rooms and halls
AMI several persons were gotten out into the
halls, when they would seem Diet rmined to re-
tum to the fire, lie horse that is being led
from the flames. One room occupied by two
wal broken open, and while one was dragged
out the other was determnedto remain in his
warm bed, and. when dragged out, insisted
on waiting to be dressed. An old man
brought here from Minneapolis, by the name
of Adams, was taken out dead. The engine
telgraphed for from ST. Paul did not arrive
in tme to do any good. There were about
6O0patients in all at the asylum. The primer
phlcause of delay In getting stream of water
althe fire from the hospital hose was the al
aaost utter uselessness Of the hose, from the
fect that it had netlbeen in use for so long that
it required to be wet from end to end with hot
water poured on outside of the hose. Mean
time the flames spread very rapidly
from the basement, filing the halls
with smoke and making it impossible
TODD anything at saving the inmates of the
nTth wing except by putting up ladders end
plying off the tire-screens from windows the
rGcuers taking inmates out and actually bring
iIg them down in their arms, without c'otlina
il many cases, while at other windows thoft
we're three or four begging to be saved from
Death while the flames we've leaping from the
adjoining windows at them.