The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-11-17
A HUMAN HOLOCAUST.
Horrible Results of a Fire in the
Poor Asylum at Halifax.
Twenty-three Women and Eight
Men Consumed Almost Be-
yond Recognition.


A dlspatch from Halifax, In Nova Scotia.
SAWS that at midnight, while all hands We're
sleeping. fire broke out in the bake-house.
In the basement of the Poor Asylum build
ing. Exactly how VI originated IL not very
clear. but the smoke OF the smouldertng
wood spread through the building into the
dormitories and caused the utmost terror
among four or five hundred inmates OF the
institution There was no immediate
danger, so the officers OF the asylum did not
take steps to remove the inmates.
An alarm was sounded, and the stroke
bell had scarcely Commenced when reels
were run out of the engine houses as one or
two men happened to be about few peo-
pie who had not retired, and others who
lived in the neighborhood, ran to the build
ing They found smoke issu No from the
windows Ill over the building, but no flames
were to be seen- In the west wing old wom-
en- and children were seen at the Windows,
crying TO be let out and, 80 hey began break
ing glass IL was feared they would throw
themselves to he ground sturdy AK man
dashed at the door leading from this
wing into the yard, and with few vigorous
blows or his AK Knocked 1t IN The
stairways were crowded, and out came a
procession of women nursing infants, old,
All were roaming, and as they reached the
fresh air without they calculated their
thanks, and then began calling for this ono
and that ore until all was babel of confu-
sion. Then it be- anne known that those in
lhe upper wards OF that wing were helpless
Some of the tremen and fire wardens and
aldermen and cergymen, and others who
were among the early arrivals, fastened up,
and willing hands were soon getting the
blind, halt and lame down the long wind ng
stairs. The work was a very slow one, but
finally that wing was emptied.
In the meantime tn II mes in the base
ment, which the superintendent, engineer
and officials were irving 20 keep under,
spread to the base OF the long air shaft or
elevator reaching to the top of he main
building The drauglt here swept the
flames upward with tremendous force, and
in few seconds the heaviest part of the
oontilr ration was in the top OF the man
building The story just under the caves in
tn s building was used as "a hospital and in
1t were about seventy patient, most of them
perfectly helpless The fire was now
fiercely burning right in the no pital
and above it, The heat was so in
tense that lead poured down from the
roof in streams of brilliant fire aud
states flew everywhere in deadly showers,
rendei ing any near approach TO the building
almost certain death. Notwithstanding this,
there wer" hundreds standing OUTSIDE who
would willingly have entered the building If
the place Indeed. several did in, but
without guidance could do nothing in tho
immense building, and had to return 10 the
yard. An attempt ma de to raise ladders
To the windows. but the ladders were too
short, and after fireman was knocked dc, n
by falling brick, and it was seen that the
ladders even ould be swept away in few
minutes. the attempt ceased. The fire
burst through the roof, and the scene
was one never to be forgotten.
Far above the roar of the flames and
crack OF burning .lutes were heard he CT les
OF the wretched pat ents n the ho> pital,
who were roasting 10 de4th Mot OF them
as before stated, were helpless, and could
not leave their b. d., and perhaps were titled
before the cruel flames reached them, but
other1 were seen to dash themselves against
the windows and cling TO the sa4hes till their
strength was exhausted or their hands
burned off, and they fell ba into the seeth-
Ing caldron OF flames woman was seen
10 drag herself to the corner window and,
forcing her body half out tn ough the iron
bars iii she oould breathe cool air, she re-
M ined in that posi- ion Till her head burned
off
AS far az can be ascertained thu ty- one
persons were burned to death-eit.ht men
and twenty rec women
The building was constructed in 1863 It
cost S., 600, and was i'll -ured for $4,000