The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-11-08
THE HALIFAX HOSPITAL
FIRE.
Heart-Rendlng Scene at the Fire.

I1AEuF .NN, A>VSs SssAOUUV INcOV>
o'clock last night fire broke Olt II
the bake hOuse in the basement OF tls>
Elnlellz poor asylum buildings. How
!! it originated IL not very clear, blll
the smoke of the s,nculdering wOtN
spread through dorniiturits ana
caused the utmost confusion among
the four or tive hundred inmates o
the. institution. There WI. no i'm.
mediate danger, 50 the officials Of tho
asylum did not take steps to assure
the inmates. Tia alarm sounded
and the str.,ke OF the l,ell had scarcely
commenced when the wheels run out
Of the engine houses. A few people
who had not retired, and others wh0
lived In the neigl,b0rh0od, ran to thu
building and found smoke issuing
from the windows all over the build.
!nx, but no flames were To be seen. In
the wts wing old women and chill
dren were seen ut the windows crv'
ing to be let out, and ~ they began
breaking glass it was feared they
wCNld throw themselves IT, the
ground The stair ways were crowd
I'd, aud out came women, nursing in
fants, cid grey-headeti grandmother
aud feeble men. 1t gust became
known then in the upper wards, and
those In tue wing were helpless.
Some office men aud tire wurticns,
and alarmed clergvnlen, aud other.
who We're among the early arrivals
came up, and willing h:,.,ds were
s.n,n getting the blind, halt aud lame
down tue winding stairs. The work
WAS necessarily slow, but finally tn ,
wing was euipticd. In the inean'
time the ilauies IN the basement
spread from the bsase to the long ais
shaft or elevator, reaching TO the top
OF the main building. The drAug,t
here swept the flames upwards with
tremendous fOrce, aud In q few sec.
'i'.,s the heaviest part Of tue contlag.
ration In the top 1T the main build
ing. The story just under the caves
In this building was used ~ hs,slDi.
tai, and in It were about seventy pas-
ticnts, n.sst Of them perfectly heip.
less. The fire now was ilercely
burning right In the hospital aud
above, aud tho heat was 70 intense
the lead p0ure(: down FROM the root
In streams of brilliant Ore, xad slaies
flew every where In deadly showers,
rendering any near approach To the
building almost certain death. Not
outstanding this there were hunt.
reds standing outside who wuulsi
willingly have entered the building
If they could have found their way
through the place. Indeed, severs!
did 80 in, but without guidance
could 10 nothing in the iln:ueus<.
building. aud had tn return to the
yard. An attempt was made to raise
Ladders 10 the windows, but the lad
der> were too short, and after fire,iieu
were Knocked down by falling brick,
and II was Sc n The ladders would be
~wep. away in u few minutes, all at
ten'p!> ceased. The fire burned
Through tile roof, and the seen was
one never to be forgotten. Far aln,vc
the roar OF the flames aud crack ri
bursting slate were hearsi the cries ri
the wretciied patients in the hospital,
WHO were r.r.siing to death. Most OF
them. as before stated helpless, could
not leave their be<is, aud ,vrhaps
stitled by smoke before the cruel
's""AS9 Nou" SSUCu Sucl11s UUt WueTS
were seen t" dash themselves against
the windows and cling to the sashrs
till they we're exhausted, or their
hands burned of. and they fell hack
into the SETTLING cauldron Of flames.
a woman was seen to drag herself to
the corner window, aud forcing her
body half out till she could breathe
the cool air, remained in that posi-.
ti"n till her head burned Oft. It Is
known there were about 20 patients
in the hospital, and ~ :ar NJ could be
only a half dozen were
Carried out before the flames cut Off
ali further approach to the place. A
medical man In postum to know es-
the loss 1T life Is not less than
10. aud these all patients in the hos
rital. Poor. old people and little
children rescued from other parts of
The building were l:u.idleti together
IN harms ut some little distance.
away, aud there packed around With
'traw and blankets to keen them
TIL morning. The Luiid.
ny IL still burning iiercely, and mo !!
loubt will he totally destroyed. Its !
insured.