Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-11-16
LATE REPORT MORE FAVORABLE
But Nothing Absolutely Definite Can
Now Be Told.
IMMENSE PROPERTY DESTROYED
Footing Up Loss to the State of Over
Half a Million.

Shortly before 9 O'Clock last evening Chic
Engineer Strong received dispatch from
st. Peter stating that the hospital for the
insane at that place was in flames, and ur-
gently requesting him to send an engine
without delay. The chief at ence ordered
No. to the depot, with the intention of
giving ready response to the call for help
Arriving there it was found that no trans
portation had been provided, and much time
was consumed in teIegraphing and tele-
phoning to the officers of the Sioux City
road for the necessary cars and engine. After
an hour or so the chief decided that it would
be useless to waste further time, and ordered
the engine and the hose carts that
accom- panied it back to their quarters. He
tslegraphed to st. Peter, however, to as
cartain the condition of affairs, and about
10 o'clock received a response more urgent
than the first dispatch, imploring him to
coma at once. Again the engine and hose
carts were ordered out, and held themselve
in readiness to start on moments notice. It
was nearly 1:30 o'clock this morning, however,
before the start was finally made. and the
fire laddies, as brave q set as ever battled
with the fiery element, left for the scene of
the confagration. 1t is to be feared that
they arrived too late to be OF much service.
The special envoy of The GLOBE, dis
patched to the scene of the coDfagration on
the special train, did not arrive in time to
transmit his observations for this edition
The local correspondent, however, furnishes
a few meagre details that will, on account of
the magnitude of the disaster and its at
tendant misery, prove of interest.
Especial Telegram to the Globe
ST. PETER, Nov. 15.-Shortly before 8
o'clock tonight the town was startled by an
alarm of fire, and it soon became known
that the confagration was at the hospital for
the insane, short distance south of the city.
The whole community was aroused, and ere
many minutes everybody was en- route for
the massive structure. From the windows
huge volumes of smoke poured forth, and oc-
casionally lurid tongue of flame leaped out,
serving as a beacon in the darkness for the
crowds that were rushing to the scene of
what might prove to be fearful catastrophe.
Arriving at the hospital your correspond
ent found scene of the most indescribabie
confusion. The attendants were busy res
cuing the patients from what appeared to be
perfect furnace. No thought was taken as
to the property about to be destroyed, but
all seemed anxious to save human life.
The more docile of the patients were easily
gotten out of the building, and were placed
under charge of a keeper and taken to
place of safety as remote from the burning
building as possible. There
were some pitiful scenes that
it wonld require the pen of Dickens to
portray. Few of the patients were warmly
clad, and the night was bitterly cold. Many
of them did not seem to understand why
they were turned out of their comfortable
quarters into the cold prairie, and some of
them showed symptoms of rebellion. They
were all quieted, however, ard no serious
break occurred. The moro violent of the
patients were sourcs of great apprehension,
and it required the greatest exc, tions on the
part of the keepers to get them out Of the
burning building. There were somc of the
most thrilling and heartrending scenes. The
maniacs shrieked and struggled, swote and
fought, and required the utmost efforts of
the keepers and citizens who had arrived to
give helping hand 10 prevent them from
doing great damage to themselves or to those
around them.
At this writing the excitement is 80 in
tense that it is impossible to obtain details