The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-11-16
ROASTED TOsDEhTH.
awful Fate az Essrty-one Hed-Rid,ieu
People.

HAiIfAN, n. S., November THE
ilre. which consumed the poor ASYLUM
broke out about II o'clock last night.
whiie all the inmates were sleeping. In
the west wing the old women and chill.
dren were aroused, and it was found
necessary to break open the door with an
axe to liherate them. Then it became
known that those in the upper wards of
that wing were almost helpless. The
hremen and others, who were among the
early arrivals, fastened up stairs, and
W.ilin2 hahds were soon getting the blind.
me matt and the lame down the long.
winding stairs. The work was necessa.
rily slow one. but finally that wing was
emptied. In the meantime the flames in
the basement, which tho superintendent,
the engineer and other officials were
trying TO keep under, spread to the base
ol inc long air shalt. or elevator, reach.
lhe draft here swept the flames upward
with tremendous force, and in few
seconds the heaviest part Of the copf]a.
grafton was in the top of the main build.
ing. The story just under the caves in
IN 1t were about seventy patients, most
Of them perfectly helpless. The fire was
nc" burning iierceiy in This very hosp:-
ts!, and above il tho heat c,aoEa,,
the roof till lead poured down
in streams Of brilliant fire, and tho
slates flew in every direction in deadly
showers. rendering any near approach to
the building very dangerous. An at.
tempt to raise ladders to the windows
was made, but the laddera were too short
and, after fireman had been Knocked
down by falling brick, and it was seen
that the ladders even would be swent
away in few minutes, these attempts
were stopped. 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 Of tho wretch.
ed patients in the hospital, who we're
roasting to death. Most of them were
helpless and could not leave their beds,
and perhaps these were stiaed by the
smoke before the flames reached them
but others were seen TO dash themselves
against the windows and cling to the
sashes TIL their strength was exhausted
or their hands burned of, and they fell
back into the scething caIdron of flames.
a woman WAS seen to drag herself TO the
corner window, and, forcing her body
half out till she could breathe the cool
air without, she remained in that posi.
tion till her head was burned of. II is
known that there were about seventy
patients in the hospital. and, 70 far rs
Could be asccrtained, only half dozen
were carried out before the flames cut
oil all further approach to the place. A
medical man, who is in position to
know, estimates the loss of life to be not
less than fifty, and these were all pa.
tients in the hospital. The poor old
people and little children got cut of other
parts of the building were huddIed to.
gether in burn some little distance
away, and were thero packed around
win straw and blankets to keep them
comfortable until the morning.
Later Investigation shows that thirty.
one persons were burned to death In last
nights tire-eight men and twenty three
women.