The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-11-08
TELEGRAPHIC
HORRIBLE.
A Poor Asylum Burned and
Fffy Lives Lost.

Halifax, About II o'clock last
night fire broke out in the bake house
in the basement of the Ellmeny poor
house buildings. How it originated Is
not very clear, but the smoke of the
smouldering wood spread through the
dormotAries and caused the utmost ter
ror among the four or five hundred in
mates in the institution. There was no
immediate danger, so the officials of the
asylum di1 not take steps to reassure the
Inmates. The alarm was sounded, and
the stroke of the bell scarcely COM
menced when the wheels were run out Of
the engine houses. a few people who
had not retired, and others who lived in
the neigh borhood, ran to the building
and found smoke issuing from the win
doWs all over the building, but no flames
were to be seen. In the west wing old
women 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. The stalrWays we're crowded,
and cut came women, nursing infants,
old gray headed grsndmothers, and feeble
old men. And then it became known
that they in the upper wards and the
wing we're helpless. Some Cfiee men and
fire wardens and alarmed clergymen
and others who weT among the early arri-
walls, fastened up, and willing hands
soon led the blind and halt down the
building stairs. The work was
nessessarily slow, but finally that wing
was emptied. la the meantime the flames
| in the basement spread on to the long
air shaft OF the elevator, reaching the
top of the main building. The draught
here swept the flames upwards with tre-
mendous force, aud in few seconds the
heaviest part of the confagrstion was in
the top of the main building, the story
| just under the caves. This building was
used as a hospital, and In it were about
seventy patients, most Of them perfectly
helpless. The fire was now fercely burn
ing right in the hospital and above, aud
the heat was 60 intense that lead poured
down from the roof in streams of bril-
liant fire, and the states few everywhere
in deadly showers, rendering any near
approach to the building almost certain
death. Notwithstanding this there were
hundreds standing outside who would
willingly have entered the building i'll
they could have found their way through
the place. Indeed, several did go in, but
without guidance could do nothing in the
immense building, and had to return to
the yard. An attempt wss made to raise
ladders TO the windows, but the ladders
we're too short, and after fireman was
knocked down by falling bricks, and it
was seen the LADDERS even would be-
swept away in few minutes, the at
tempt ceased. The fire burned through
the roof and the scene was one never to be
| forgotten, for above the roar of the flames
and the crack OF the bursting slates were
heard, the cries OF the wretched patients
in the hospital who were roasting tOi
death Most of them, as before stated
being helpless, could not leave their beds
and perhaps were sti1ed by the smoke
before ths cruel flames could reach them,
but others were seen 10 dash themselves
agai st the windows and cling 10 tie
sashes till their screams were exhausted
or their hands burned eff, and they fell
back into the seething csldron of flames,
A woman was seer to drag herself to q
corner window and forcing her body
half way out till she could breathe the
cool air, remained in that position till
her head burned eff. 1t is known that
there were about seventy patients in the
hospital and as far es can be sscertsined
only half dozen were carried out before
the flames cut off all further approach to
the place. A medical man in position
to know estimated that the loss of life
was not less than fifty, and these all pa.
tents in the hospital. Poor, old people
ard little children rescued f.om other
parts of the building, we're huddled to-
gether in barns, some little distance away,
| and there packed around with straw and
blankets to keep them comfortable till
morning. The building is stlll burning
fercely and no doubt will be totally des-
troyed. It is insured.
Halifsx,7.-So far as ascertained thirty
one persons were burned to death in last
nights fire, eight men and twenty-three
women.