The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-11-09
a HORRIBLE HOLOCAUST
A Fire Breaks Out This Morning in an
Asylum for the Poor. and
Before Aid Can Reach Them over Fifty
Helpless lnvaIids are Roasted
Alive.
Details of the Terrible Affair. and Incl
dents that Sicken the Heart.
An Interesting Report of the Condition of
the Army by Gen. Sherman.
HORROR AT HALIFAX.

\ FriShtfnl conIlasrsstion IA Poor
House Fifty Inmates Roasted Alive
-siekeaInS Details.
HALIFAX, N. s, Nov. About 12
o'clock last night, while all hands were
sleeping, fire broke cut in the bake
house Ia the basement of the poor asy-
lum building. Exactly how il originated
is not very clear. but smoke of shoulder
ing wood spread through the dormitories
and caused the utmost terror among four
or i've hundred inmates of the insiitu-
ton. There Was no immediate danger,
so the officer of the asylum did not take
steps to remove The inmates.
An alarm was sounded and the stroke
bell had scarcely commenced when the
hose reels were run out of the engine
house, as one or two men happened to
be about 4 few people who had not
retired, and others who lived in the
neighborhood ran TO the buildings. They
found smoke Issuing from the windows
all over tue building, but no flames were
TO be seen. In the wtst wing an old
woman and children were seen at
the windows crying to be let out, and as
they began breaking the glass, it was
feared they would throw themselves to
the ground. A sturdy axeman
DAsHED AT THE DOOR
lECAi tiEt5 AAuS A1kO IEC tlu.
and with few vigorous blows of his
axe knocked it in. The stairways were
Immediately crowded, and out came q
procession Uf women nursing infants,
old, grey-hcaded grandmas and feeble
old men. All were screaming, and as
they reached the fresh air outside they
calculated their thanks and their be-
wailings, calling for this one
and that one until all was
a perfect Ababel of confusion.
II becoming known that they who were
in the upper wards of that wing were
helpless, some of the 6remen and fire
Wardens, an alderman, and clergyman
and others, who were among the early
| arrivals, hastened up and willing hands
were soon getting
| THE BLIND, THE HALT AND THE LAME
down the winding stairs The work was
necessarily a slow one, but finally the
wing was emptied In the meantime
| the flames in the basement which the
superintendent, engineers and officials
were trying to keep under control,
spread to the base of long
air shaft or elevator reaching
| to the top of the main building. The
| draft here swept the flames upwards
with tremendous force, and Ia few
seconds the heaviest part of the coz
fiagration was in the top of the main
building. The story just under the
caves in this building was used as "A
hospital and IN it were about seventy
patients, most of them
PERFECTLY HELPLESS.
The flre'was now fiercely burning
right into the hospital and above it.
The heat was 50 intense that molten
| lead poured down from the roof
| in streams of brilliant, fierce
| showers and the states blew
everywhere in deadly showers
| rendering any near approach TO the
| building almost certain death. Not
| withstanding this there were hundreds
| standing outside who would willingly
have entered the building if they could
have found their way through place
Indeed several did go in but without
| guidance could do nothing in the i'm
return to the yard. Attempts
were then made to raise ladders to the
windows but the ladders were too short,
and after the firemen were knocked
| down by falling brick and it was seen
that ladders even would be swept away
in few minutes and the attempts ceased
The fire burst through the roof and the
scene was one never 10 be forgotten. Far
above the roar of flames and the crack
oc the bursting states were heard The
cries of the wretched patients in the
hospital, who were
ROASTING TO DEATH.
Most of them, as before stated, were
helpless and could not leave their beds
and perhaps were stitled by the smoke
before the cruel flames reached them
but others were seen TO dash themselve:
against the windows and cling TO the
sashes until their strength was exhaust
ed or their hands burned off, and ther
they fell back into the seething
CALDRoN OF FLAMES.
a woman was seen TO drag herself &c
window, and forcing her body half out
till she could breathe cool air, remained
in that position until her
HEAD BURNED OFF.
1t is known there were about seventy
patients IN the hospital and as far as
could be ascertained only a half dozen
were carried out before the flames cut
off all further approach 10 the place.
A me0ical man who is in pogition to
know, estimates the loss of life at moi
less than fifty and these all were pa
tients IN The hos J;tal.
The poor old people and little children
rescued from other parts OF the building
we've huddled together in balm some
little distance away and were there
! packed around with straw and blankets
to keep them comfortable till morning.
The building is still burning fiercely
| and will no doubt be totally destroyed
1t is insured.