Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-03-09
4 GREAr coNFhAGRA TIoN
TnE SPLENDID NEW pANyiLLE INSANE
ASYLUM A VICTIM To THE FLAMES.

DANvLLR, Pa, March G.--The main
building of the State Hospital for ia
sane ut this place caught fire last
night in an unoccupici ward 10 the
cast wing which was being rcpsinlcd,
The condition uf lhc roads was such
that assistance from this plscc mile
and a.balf distant, could not be render
cd until the fire had gained great head
way, 4 steam tire engine belonging
TO this borough was dragged through
the deep snow by Fix horses, but soon
after going into service it was rendered
useless by the breaking OF some of its
machinery. Assistance was telegraph
ed for to different towns in the vicinity,
but before il could BE- furnished the
whole wing and main building were
destroyed, a portion Of the latter hav.
ing been blown up for the purpose OF
saving the west wing. At about @
o'clock this morning the fire was
thought to bo under control, but since
then il has broken out again and this
afternoon reached the west wing,
which is now burning, but fire engines
on the way from neighborlng towns
may bo able TO save it. The hospital
was supplied with water from large
reservoir, but il was impossible to get
a sufficient force on to be of any avail.
Nearly five hundred patients were in
the institution, all OF whom were ro.
moved without confusion or loss of life
TO the detached buildings in the rear
OF the main building At the time the
fire was discovered the inmates were
in the hospital chapel at evening service
and this circumstance assisted in keep.
ing the uniortunatcs under control and
together. Most Of them will have to
be distributed to other State institu.
tions until some arrangements can be
made Tor their care here. The man.
ayers are doing all in their power to
make them comfortable, The building
had been in process OF erection for
some eleven years and cost the State
about 100000. 1t was very substan.
tial structure, built of stone, eleven
hundred and forty feet front with a
centre building and three sections on
either side, covering an area of one and
three quarter acres. The fire showed
a faulty construction of the root IN not
having the fire walls above the roof
between the different sections, as the
fire spread nearly the length of the
building along the roof The origin Of
the fire is not known. There is an in.
surance of s250,000 on the hospital
and furniture This afternoon the fire.
men succeeded IN saving a portion Of
the west wing, consisting Of eight Or
ten wards and number Of male pa.
tients have been returned TO il. The
attaches of the hospital made no at.
tempt whatever to fight the fire, but
devoted all their energies to removing
patients, some Of whom become i'm,
mensoly excited and were removed
with great difficulty They evidently
considered the fire great treat. Sew.
oral OF the inmates are known to have
escaped from their keepers, one being
found at Bloomsburg, twelve miles
away. A number Of patients were
taken away on Friday by friends and
| it is expected more will be called ior
tomorrow. Several steamers are still
playing on the ruins, which have been
visited by thousands Of people from
the surrounding country and tiremen
from Sunbury and Milton are at work
assisting the Danville fremen. There
were about three hundred and fifty
persons in the building when the fire
broke out.