Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-03-07
A TERRIBLE FIRE.
Tie Fire breaking Out in tho Evening after
Many of the Patients had Retired
The $50 Inmates Saved-Somc
EncaDe tO the Woods

Escape to the Woods.
The large and costly state hospital for
the insane, located a short distance above
Danville, Montour county, Pa, was de-
stroyed by fire on Saturday night. The
asylum stood in a large park, on an emf
nence overlooking the Susquehanna river.
Just before Q o'clock the watchman dis
covered smoke issuing from an unoccupied
room in the centre of the east wing,
which was being Iepainted. This room con-
tanned a lot of paint and combustible ma
terial. In Il short time the flames swept
through the window, the dry pine burning
like finder. The alarm was instantly
given. and tho officers spran. into the cor
ridOrs to unbolt the bars of the various
wards containing those patients who had
already retired for the night. Superinten-
dent Schultz and his assistants, however,
soon realized that the patients We're becom-
ing beyond their control, and that the
limited water supply was not sufficient to
help them save the building. Many of
the inmates realized their danger, which
excited their maladies, and it required al
most superhuman efforts to restrain them
from doing themselves personal violence.
The authorities caused kilograms to be
sent to many of the neighboring towns
asking assistance. The condition of the
roads was such that assistance from Dan
willie, mile and half distant, could not
he rendered until the fire had gained great
headway. The steam fire engine belong
ing to the borough was dragged through
the deep snow by six horses, but was ren-
dered useless soon after going into service
by the breaking of some of its machinery.
1t was now after midnight, and the sky
was lighted up the glare of the burning
building rs the flames belched from the
upper windows and through the roof. The
whole pOpulace of the town was OH the
alert. and hundreds Of people hurried out
to the asylum to render what assistance
they could. As the night wore away
the scene became grander and the
fire assumed appalling proportions.
The thought that nearly five hundred
persons in all stages of lunacy were
imprisoned within the stone walls of the
enormous building and in danger of being
consumed in the fiery furnace raging
within was startling and hundreds turned
pale as they gazed upon the terrifying
spectacle. DIR. Schultz was now convinced
that the greater portion of the asylum was
doomed to destruction and he at once gave
orders to remove all the patients to the
Outbuiidings in the rear, which consisted
Of the boiler house, laundry, storage
rooms. workshops and bake house, which
were located about one hundred and
fifty feet from the main structure
Now commenced the most touching
scene of this night of terror, the removal
Of the patients from their comfortable
hurried out by their attendants and es
oNrfol fn ts,n fnO ;In1
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 ahxious to
to tGe to place Of safety. 1t was
necessary to hurry out some to the pa
tients in q half-drcsscd condition to cs-
cape the suilocating smoke woicl 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 comfortable. Those
without shoes marched through the snow
in their stocking feet and others shivcred
! Is the frosty air fell upon them. All were
secured, however, without the loss of !;
single life and thcy> have been kept in as
good condition as possible. Many of the
| worst patients had not only to be Sc
cured, but looked after with extra care.
1t was a sad sight t, sec these poor,
demcnted creatures huddled in their
| new quarters. Many We're lying upon
the uncarpetcd iloors, rolled up in their
blankets or standing about in daZcd con-
| ditiOn, whilo others were making merry
| over the calamity without understanding
| clearly what was the cause of their new
condition. DIR. Schultz and his assistants,
| Drs. Seip and Meredith, were up all night
looking after their patients. and IL he
| day wore away they were still on uuty.
| though looking very much wcaried. All
| the furniture, much of the clothing of the
inmates, the library and everything be-
longing to DR.. Schultz, who resided in the
building, was destroyed. He devoted his
whole time to seeing that the unfOrtunates
! cOntided to his charge were saved and
never thought of himself or his own pro-
perty, and lie was calm, though deeply
moved, at the calamity which had over
taken the institution over which he had
presided from the beginning.
The origin of the fire is attributed to
spontaneous combustion in the ward where
the painter had been at work. The theory
is that rags had become saturated with
turpentine and other chemicals and were
piled in the closet where the fire broke out.
AS the building was kept at an even tenn
perature OF about seventy degrees day and
night combustion might take place under
such conditions Or fire might have been
communicated to rags or other combusti-
bic material from pipe Or cigar used by
some of the workmen and smouldcred till
it gained sufficient strength to barst forth
into flames.
At about 6 o'clock yesterday morning
the fire was thought to be under control,
but it broke out again, and reached the
west wing, which was also destroyed
except eight or ten wards. The hospital
was supplied with water from a large res
ervOiI, but it was impossible to get Il suf-
ficent force on to be Of any avail.
The citizens of Danville hurried to the
asylum and lent their aid in conducting
the patients out Of the burning building.
Most of them were in the hospital chapel
at evening service when the fire was dis
covered, and were, therefore, more easily
kept under con rOl and together. The of
ficials of the asylum took charge of the
more desperate cases, and thus none were
given opportunity to escape. About $50
patients were safely gotten out, and the
authorities say that not a single life
was lost. The most of the pa
tients will have to be distributed to
the other state institutions until some
arrangements can be made for their care.
The managers are doing all in their power
to make them comfortable. They are
now being attended to in outside buildings
on the main ground and in that part of
the west wing which was not burned.
I, fn 1ox,