Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-11-17
A DAYS HORRORS.
TWO TOWNS BURNED OUT.

=
road Wrecks and Loss Of Life.
About two-thirds of the town of New
port, Ark, has been destroyed by fire.
About two hundred families are rendered
homeless. Loss, 100000.
Another Town Destroyed.
A Bodie, Cal, dispatch says: Reports
have inst been received that Mammoth
City was destroyed by fire Sunday night.
No particulars.
Chemical Works Destroyed.
The chemical copper works, employing
sixty men, were destroyed in PhGnixville,
on Monday night, by fire which origi-
mated in the cupola from the explosion Of
metal. Loss, e2O, 900; partially insured.
Went Through a Bridge.
The construction train on the Dallas and
Wichita railroad went through temporary
bridge four miles north Of Galveston.
Nineteen laborers were wounded and three
have since died and others will die.
Snow and Wind.
\ terrific storm of snow and wind has
been raging throughout the Black Hills
for the past two days. The cold is intense
and the thermometer has been down to
four degrees below zero.
i The Lehish Valley Accident.
The local train wrecked at Mill Creek Oh
the Lehigh Valley railroad yesterday runs
between Wilkesbarre and PittstOn. 1t
left the latter place at 10a. III. with two
coaches containing about twenty passen-
gers in all. The regular crew, save the
conductor, were detailed for duty Oh a
special excursion run to New York, their
places being filled by substitute. 1t take
about twenty-five minutes to run from
Pittston to Wilkcsbarrc.
When the train crossed Mill Creek, the
engine suddenly left the track aud plunged
down steep embankment forty feet below.
The tender and the two coaches followed.
A number of men working in the vicinity
aided the struggling passengers to escape
from the first Coach, which has caught fire
and was wrapped in flames. The steam
hisscd around the engine and mingled with
the smoke Of the burning car. Several of
those On hand to render assistance went to
the locomotive to look out for the engineer
and fireman.
The following list of casualties are re,
ported Thomas NJ. McMalion, brakeman,
killed outright John Swecny, fireman.
fatally scaldcd Henry Murphy, engineer,
terribly scaldcd and shoulder broken
Patrick McManaman, brakeman, badly il
not fatally scaldcd Mrs. Margaret Tiguc,
of PittStOn, hand smashed. Several Of the
passengers were slightly bruised, but cs
capped serious injuries.
The cause of the accident is attributed
either to misplaced switch or an imper
feet switch rail. The injured were all
conveyed to the Wilkcsbarrc hospital.
: The Minnesota State Asylum.
In the burning of the state insane as
sylum at St. Peter, Mimi, only one wins
of the building was burned. The structur,
occupied ten years in building, and Wa:
completed three years ago a: Il cost O
$500, 600.
The loss by the fire will bc from 500,
900 to $3.50, 600, Oh which there is no insur
ancc. The cause OF the fire is unknown
1t originated in the basement of the nortl
wing, which was destroyed. Different re
ports state the loss Of life al
from thirty to fifty, but II,
bodies Eavo been found and no Oh,
is surely known to be missing. When tn,
, danger became imminent the supcrintcnd
cnt ordered the release of all the patients
and it is probable that some were over
; looked in the confusion and burned, cs
, pccia!ly rs some rooms quickly filled will
smoke and could not be entered by the res
cucrs. There were CSC patients in the hos
; pital last year. The libratcd ones wer'
cared for by the citizens. Probably som'
took advantage of the opportunity to rul
away and others wandered off aimlcssly.
: The scene at the burning Of the poor in
the extreme. So appalling 4 sight ha
rarely been witnessed. The patients il
the annex wing were males. Many 0
them refused to leave the building at all
( They ran up and down the halls scream
t ing and crying, and those who could no
be coaXed nor forced out Of the building
became unhappy victims Of the flames, o!
Y were suffocatcd. Some were saved by lad
dcrs and others by leaping from the win
dows. Some were nearly nude. some o
| them were shOcless and hatlcss, and al
: were exposed to the exceeding cold Of til,
. night. Many of the demcntcd and craze,
Q inmates fled as if for their lives and coul,
I not be Ovcrtakcn or captured. Their suf
t ferings in this frightful condition can bet
| ter be imagined than described. The Who'll,
catastrophe is a hcartrending one. Thos,
, who had escaped the flames were a
large half clothed and were to be sec.
$ in all directions flying in wild fright from
those who attempted to save them. Tho
y air was bitter cold and the poor wretcllcs
with half naked bodies and bleeding fec
c were flying about, hiding in alleys ant
= dark corners for some time. The capacity
of the building has been tried to it's ut
most. There were over GOO patients ant
every inch of space was utilized. Wha
will DC done with these poor creatures
turned out in the cold and their maad,
increased by the excitement Of the Occa
, sion, is a serious question. There arc two
other buildings situated in tho town whicl
D are used, but they arc already crowded
: The asylum at Rochester is full and vii
doubtless De unable to provide accommo
dations for any of the inmates Of st
4 Peter. The number of lives lost by burn
a ing and freezing is estimated at from
. twenty to fifty.
Dragging Out the Inmates.
, Another special says: While the tlamc
were slowly progressing the matron of th'
female department made all haste to &C
Z the inmates out and many of them raj
4 shrieking into the snowlrifts in their nigh
' clothes, even burying themselves in tn,
snow, and had to be dragged into th'
barns and sheds, while those near by wrap
ped blankets and shawls around them
Hence intense suffering could not be avoid
: cd, rs they had to be taken about fiftee1
: or twenty rods through the snow to thu
nearest shelter, which was on a hill immc
diately to the rear Of the south wing
The actual number burned cannot be 90
| at in any way at tho present time
as many arc known to have wandered
: away in the intense excitement that pre-
vailed. Several ladies were taken out o
some Of the rooms and halls, and scvcra
persons were got out into the halls, whcl