St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-11-18
BURNED IN BED!

Fearful Fire in q Nova Scotia Poorhouse-
Thirty Helpless Paupers Perish in the
Flames-Heroic Firemen Hurled from
the Crumbling Walls while Men, Women,
and Children Shrek for Succor.
The Eastern and Provincial Poor ASYLUM.
an immense brick structure in the suburb. CT
Halifax, \. S., burned on the It'll, and more
than thirty of the inmates persisted in the
flames. Exactly how the fire originated is not
very clear, but at midnight volume of smoke
rolled up from bake house in the basement
and spread into the dOrmitorics, causing the
utmost terror among the four or five hundred
inmates of the institution. There was no i'm
mediate danger, so the officials of the asylum
| did not take steps to remove any of them. IN
alarm was sounded, and the stroke of the
! bell had scarce commenced when reels were
| run out of the eng CINE houses, as one or two
men happened to be about and the few peo-
| pie who had not retired and others who lived
in the neighbOrhood ran to the building. They
| found smoke issuing from the windows, but
| no flames were seen. In the west wing Old
| women and children were CRYING to be lie.
| out, and as they began breaking the glass it
was feared they would throw themselves to
the ground. A sturdy fireman dashed ut
the door leading from this wing into
the yard, and with a few vigorous blows of
| his ak Knocked it in. The stairways were
| crowded, and out came q procession of old
| and feeble men, women, and nurses bearing
| children. All were screaming, and as they
reached the fresh air they calculated their
thanks and then began calling for missing
| friends Or relatives, until all WAS Il babel of
confusion. When it became known that those
in the upper wards of that wing were help
less. some of the firnmen
dermen, g. clergyman, and others who were
among the early arrivals, fastened up and
willing hands were soon getting the blind,
malt, and lame down the winding stairs. The
work was necessarily slow, but finally the
wing was emptied. In the meantime the
flames in the basement, which the supcrin-
tendent engineer, and officials were trying to
keep under, spread to the base of the eleva-
tor reaching to the top of the main building
The draft swept the flames upward with ire
mendous force, and in Il few seconds the roof
was mass of flames. The story Just under
the caves was used as hospital, and in it
were about seventy patients, most of
them perfectly helpless The heat
was intense; lead poured down in
streams OF brilliant fire and states
flew everywhere in deadly showers. render
ing any near approach to the building almost
certain death. Notwithstanding this there
were hundreds standing outside who would
willingly have entered if they could have
found their way through the place Indeed
several fremen did go ill., but without guild
ance they could do nothing, and they bad
to retrace their steps to the yard. An
attempt was made to reach the windows but
the ladders were too short and the men were
knocked down by falling brick The fire
burst through the roof and the scene was one
never to be forgotten. Far above the roar of
the flames and the crack OF the bursting states
were heard the cries 0fthe wretched patients
VINO were roasting to death. Most of them
as before stated, were helpless and could not
leave their beds, and perhaps were stit1ed by
the smoke before the flames reached them
But others were seen to dash themselves
against the windows and cling to the sashes
TILL their strength was exhausted or their
hands burned off. One woman dragged
herself to the corner window. and fore
ing her body half out till she could breathe
the cool air, remained in that position till her
head burned Off OF the seventy patients in
the hospital, as far as could be ascertained
only half dozen were carried out before the
names cut off all further approach to the
place. medical man, who is in a position to
know, estimates the total loss of life at not
less than fifty all patients in the no :pital The
Did people and little children rescued from
The other parts of the building were huddled
ogether in barn some little distance away
md were there packed around with straw
md blankets to keep th9m comfortable till
morning. As day dawned the fire had
Exhausted itself, and nothing but
he bare walls and tall turrets re-
NAMED standing. The Board of Public
'haritles met on the grounds and made hastv
to dispose of the paupers \
neal CT bread and hot tea was served ont and
hen the workshop, comfortable building
lear by, was filed with beds and the old
women and children and sick we're moved
nto it. Later in the day the Old Penitcn-
iary was secured and filled with
torres, bedding, etc, to accommodate as
many as possible. The old skating rink in the
ublic gardens was also fitted up to receive
hem. Gen. Sir Patrick MacDnueall gener-
usly offered to place 500 blankets at the dis
Osal of the Government if required. In the
ity Prison the news caused the widest ex-
itement. Many of the convicts implored the
overnor to release them long enough tC
earn the fate of friends and relatives in the
sylum Commissioners have gone carefully
yer the books and find that thirty one of
nose in the hospital persisted The building
as constructed in 1868. 1t was owned
Y the province and city. 1t was
lken possession of and the Daupers
ansferred from the old Poor House, on the
oring Garden road. to the new premises
bout the LIST of November, 1870. The removal
the old people on that occasion resulted
lortly afterward in the death of many The
Hiding cost 200, and was insured for $50
0. Some fragments of charred bodies were
covered, but no extensive search has been
can with safety be made among the ruins
their present dangerous condition..
Rnhhad and MurdoroJ