Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-08-15
THE ASYLUM FIRE.

THE FIRE.
Meeting Of Poor Directors aud Prison lu-
spsct0rs-The Front Portion OF the
Asylum to Do at Onco Repaired.
Yesterday afternoon . joint meeting Of
the directors of the poor and the comfy
commissioners was held in the directors
room to take action relative to the late fire
at the insane asylum. The joint meeting
was deemed necessary, as it was . moOted
question whether the necessary repairs to
the asylum should be made by order Ol
the county commissioners or poor direc.
tors.
All the commissioners were present and
all the directors except Mr. OverhOlser.
Mr.. Evans, of the board of directors Oc
cupied the chair.
The first business done was to make
an inspection Of the burned building, and
the temporary quarters Of the insane.
On their return Commissioner Hide
brand questioned Superintendent SDur-
rier as to the origin of the fire. The su-
perintendent would give no positive an
swer, but believed the building was set
on fire by a brand from Wetzers barn,
though it might have been the result OF
spontaneous combustion, rs there are
drugs, rags and other combustibles in the
garret.
After an informal discussion it was
agreed that the best thing to be done
would be to have the front portion of the
building Immediately repaired, and that
meantime temporary accommodations for
the insane should be found in other
asylums.
DR.. Diller Luther Of tho state board of
charities hero put i'll an appearance and
was asked to give his views He said
when 4 county asylum is burned the prac-
tice has been to make arrangements with
some other county asylum to take care of
the inmates, and when this cannot be done
they are removed to the state asylum.
The cost averages about So per week for
board. He asked Steward Brock if he
couldn't take caro- of them, and the stow
ard answered negatively.
DIR. Luther further stated that private
patients whose board was paid by friends
could not be removed without their con-
sent, and those that had been admitted to
the asylum by order Of court could not be
removed without . decree by tho court.
He supposed about Is or 20 could be ac-
cOmmodated at the Danville asylum and
an equal number at the Harrisburg and
Norristown asylums.
After the county commissioners with
drew DR.. Luther asked the directors how
the insane were being provided for. He
thought it would not do to keep them in
the tramp yard as the strong and vicious
ones would be apt to kill the others. He
and tho directors then made another tour
of inspection.
Upon their return the board again went
into business session andOn motion of MIR.
Kreider it Was resolved to employ build
Or to make the necessary repairs to the
front building.
On motion Messrs. Kreider, Musser and
Shultz were appointed committee to in
terview carpenters, masons, plumbers,
skaters, &C., to get bids for tho work and
report to the board.
The board then adjourned.
Another meeting Of the directors was
held this morning. d.. II. u. Gerhard, of
the Harrisburg, asylum, was present and
stated that there WAS no room in that in
stitntiOn for females.
1t was thought best by tho board to
place all the patients in ono asylum, and
Norristown Offering the best accommoda-
ton, was chosen.
A list of GO or 20 OF til. worst cases was
made out and it was resolved to send them
to NorristOwn this afternoon in charge Of
tho directors, Drs. Bolenius and Roland
and half dozen other attendants.
On invitation of DR.. Gerhard tho board
resolved to visit tho Harrisburg asylum ON
Friday next in company with their
solicitor and DR.. Diller Luther.
John BachmaD, carpenter and builder,
was selected to take charge Of the repairs
to the front Of the burnt building. lie
will Immediately begin work with large
force of men.
This afternoon the insane selected to bc
taken to Norristown, consisting of 80 males
and % females, were put in coaches and
taken to the outer depot Of tho Reading
railroad and shipped thence to Ncr 49,
town.