The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1881-03-11
Danville Asylum Burned.
LOSS THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOU
SAND DOLLARS.
AN INSURANCE OF ABOUT A QUARTER OF A
MILLION,

| papers:
A few minutes after o'clock Saturday We.
ming, during the chapel hour, the dread cry of
| fire was raised by some of the attendants, and
on making a hurried examination, smoke was
discovered issuing from the door of an unoccu
pied ward from the female side of the great
building, in what was known as the east wing.
| This ward which was one hundred feet in
length had been undergoing repairs for some
| time. The wood work was being repained
and the walls kalsomined, preparatory TO its
speedy occupancy.
When the attendants entered they hurried to
| the closet where the hose was coiled ready for
| the water to be turned on at moments notice,
but TO their horror they discover ed that the
wood work in the closet was on FIRE and the
hose could not be reached. The dust nue, or
small elevator, leading down TO the kitchen,
\ from this closet, furnished draft and the
smouldering fire was speedily famed into o
fame, which shot upward and soon reached
the pine sheeting and felt under the slate roof
1t at once became apparent to DR.. Schultz aud
his assistants that there was imminent danger
of serious FIRE in that portion Of the building,
but they did not imagine for a moment that
the enormous structure would be a smouldering
ruin before Sunday night.
The hospital contained about four hundred
and ninety patients, one hundred and eighty of
whom were females, and the next move was to
change those in the threatened part of the
building to the side apparently free from dan
ger withou exciting alarm. There was a rush
ing hither and thither through the corridors
and soon the startling cry of fire was on every
lip. The females were hurriedly removed to
the wards in the wing west of the central build
ing occupied by the quiet male patients, where
they were made as comfortable as possible. IL
the meantime the fire continued to make slow
and steady progress in the roof and along the
cornices, and by eleven o'clock the situation
had become alarming Many of the insane pa
tents were sensibly impressed with the danger
that threatened them, and they became consid
erably excited. Word was sent to Danvile TO
hurry out the steam fire engine, and kilograms
were forwarded to Sunbury and Milton, asking
for assistance Upon inquiry the 6remen of
these places learned that supply of water was
not convenient and as they did not have sui
fciency Of hose to reach the canal or river, it
was considered useless TO send their engines 10
the burning building and they were not for
warded
The Danville engine was dragged through
foot of snow to the asylum where:an inadequate
supply Of water was obtained from a small
brook in rear of the hospital but a. the fire was
then eating its way through the sheeting un.
derneath the slate roof at a height of four and
five stories, they could scarcely reach it with
their limited supply Of hose, and they failed
TO make any impression on the devourng ee-
ment The frcmen worked faithfully, howev-
er but their engine soon became clogged with
mud sucked up from the bed of the shallow
brook and was partially disabled in short
time.
AN APPALLING SCENE.
1t was now after midnight and the sky was
lighted up with the glare of the burning build
ing as the flames belched from the upper win.
dows and through the roof The whole popu'
lace of the town was on the alert and hundreds
Of persons hurried out to the asylum to render
what assistance they could. AS the night wore
away the scene became grander and finally as
sumed appalling proportions. The thought
that nearly five hundred persons in all stages
of luuacy were imprisoned within the stone
walls of the enormous buildings and in danger
of being consumed in the fiery furnace raging
Within was startling in the extreme, and hun
dreds turned pale as they gazed upon the ter.
rifying spectacle. Or. Schultz was now con.
ynced that the greater portion of the asylum
was doomed to destruction and he at once gave
orders 10 remove all the patients 10 the out
buildings in the rear, which consisted of the
boiler house, laundry, storage rooms, work.
shops and bake house, which were located
about one hundred and fifty feet from the main
structure.
| REMOVING THE PATIENTS.
Now commenced the most touching scene of
tn is night of terror, the removal of the patients
from their comfortable quarters to the out
buildings. They were hurried out by their at
tendants and escorted to the temporary rooms
provided for them. Many of them were wild
with excitement and could not realize what
was being done whilst others comprehended
the true situation and were anxious TO flee to a
place of safety. 1t was necessary 10 hurry out
some of the patients in half dressed condition
to escape the suhocating smoke which was roll
ing through the corridors Some of them did
not have time TO get their hats, boots or coats;
but special efforts were made to save as much
of the bedding as possible in order TO make
them com Portable. Those without shoes march.
ed through the snow in their stocking feet, and
others shiyered as the frosty air touched them.
All were secured, however without the loss of
single Lille and they have been kept in as good
condition as possible,
All the furniture, much of the clothing of
The inmates, the library, and everything be-
longing to DR.. Schultz, who resided in the
builling was destroyed. He devoted his whole
time TO seeing that the unfortunates confded
to his charge we're saved and never thought OF
himself or his own property.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
The origin of the fire is attributed to sponis-
neous combustion In the ward where the paint
ers had been at work. The theory is that rags
, had become saturated with turpentine and 9TH
er chemicals, and were piled in the closet where
the fire broke out. As the building was kept
at an even temperature of about seventy de
grees day and night, combustion might take
place under such conditionsj or fire might
have been communicated TO rags or other com
bustible material from pipe or cigar used by
some of the workmen, and smouldered till it
gained sufficient strength to burst forth into
flame. At first it was thought that the fire
originated from gas explosion, but this could
, not be, as no gas was known to be lighted in
the ward after the workmen had retired. Many
D thought that the building was as nearly fire.
proof as it was possible TO make it, but the Sc
' que shows how badly they were mistaken.
> THE GREAT BUILDING.
= DR.. Schultz superintendsd the construction
Of the building from the foundation up and