New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-22
FIRE IN THE INSANE ASYLUM.
SPEEDY REMOVAL OF 800 PATIENTS.
TESTING THE FACILITIES OF WARDS IsLAND-Ap-
,uRABLE CONDUCT OF TIE OFFICIALS

sre broke out in the mansard attic Of the east
wing of the Asylum for the Male insane on wards
Island at 1890 q m Yesterday: Dr A. =. Mac tnIa
nhoned 10 the central office OF the Department OF
fbaIities and Correction, where the three Conlnss-
toner's H. II. Porter, Thomas 5. Brennan ana jacob
He's were in session. Nearly 1400 insane patients
were in the building and giving orders that the two
engines nearest TO Twenty sixth;st should be taken
nm the river on the Bellevue, they started Tor the
scene ON the tugboat Fidelity. Dr. Wilder IN view
of the probability of stampede among the crazy
patients teephoned to six precincts TO SEM up nd
ladder truck to 40 with all possible speed 10 inc
foot of One hundred nd-tenth-st -,
A reporter of THE TRIBUNE landed on the Isianu
shortly after the first dispatch was sent, Frames
were streaming from the burning mansard rooi anu
from the woodwork in the WINDOWS Oh sI tbe ino
line the roof had already fallen IN exposing lle
brick supporting walls. Two engines had arrived wed
One on The north side was supplied with water from
reservoir built six months ago as a preca .IonHry
measure The on the opposite SIDE was suppliru
from the Croton hydr AM was competey isolated
from the rest of the building. The centre OF the
ASYLUM is semi-detached from the man wings, ana
which are themselves in seni-detached sections
All that unites them is a narrow corridor on each
floor. ,.. eou; dr.
Macdonald had organized a pumping force with the
coils of hose in each ward and had succeeded IN pre-
venting the fire from spreading to the next section
of the east or lateral wing. He gave the following
description of the fire. At half past 10 o'clock one
a. numbers
tnrss in the attic Of this wing came into the office
and told me that the place was on fire. l went up
OF once and found the flames fierce and the vol
umes of black smoke so tremendous that at once
understood that could do nothing with my ire OK
tiuguishers and ward hose. i ordered Dr. irautnlah
10 telephone to the Central Office, and then pre-
pared to transfer the patients in that part OF the
building Besides the plumbers there were men
working on the tanks and there was nluch TAR 10
the attic which explained the herceneSs ana sud
denness of the fire. On the floor next to the base
ment there fifty-nlne bedrldden patients VINO
could not stir. l mustered all my forces ahd hau
them carried over to the west wing ana hlaceu a.
the beds of conyaescents. There were IN the wards
on the next floor only thirty-one men VINO are
trained regularly every day TO a hire dril wlthout
knowing it, At the whistle of the attendant IN
charge they put their hats and hled down our nre
eSeapes without suspecting that there was fre
Then had transferred the men from the other sec
tlOns on the east side of the central building. lhcy
were marched through the narrow connecting cor
ridors bI the doctors in charge without hurry or
confusion There were fifty-fOur from the ground
floor seventy from the next slXty-two from me
next and seventy-nine from the next in the section
next to the burning section. From the section OF
fine wing parallel with the centre We moved nom
one floor twenty-scven. from another twenty-five.
and from another eighty nine. i think tins makes
total of nearly 500 men, of whom httN-nlne were
totally incapable. They were all shifted to the
west wing in twenty minutes after the hTst aIaIul
The Commissioners arrived III an incredibly quick
time after the sending of the first dispatch and took
charge of the pumping going on inside AT the June
tion of the sections i'll the narrow corridor. Coln-
missioner Brennan SAID That the damage w0uld not
exceed 500, 900. He was overjoyed at the admirable
manner in which the Central Office had done rs
work There not the least injury 10 single
patient and DIR. Macdonald was worthy of the high
est praise for his camneSs activity and thougbtiul-
ness. He thought Of everything and omitted moth
ing. ...,,
There will be an official inquiry into It's cause.