Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-07-03
ALMSHOUSE BURNED.
FIRE NEAR HARRISBURG
An Almshouse m Ashes-Tho DAuDhfn
County House tsurned-A Lively
Chase After LuuaticS.

An Almshouse m Ashes-Tho DAuphtn
County House isurned-A Lively
Chase After Lunstics.
The burning of the Dauphin county
almshouss, aud insane department. coD-
nected With the institution, Monday,
was q calamity entailin, a less Of over
SlOO,OOO, ON which there is but an insur-
ance of S24 900. The almshousc, to which
Is attached about one hundred acres of
land, IS on the Reading pike q miles east
of Harrisburg. About noon. hro was
discovered in the barn belonging to
the almshCuse. across the road. in
front of the main building, and
in consequences Of i scarcity of water
and absence of tho fire apparatus it
was soon destroyed, together with some of
the newly gathered craps, farming imple-
ments, five head of mules aud two COWS.
The main almshouse building. built within
the last ten years, as = cost OF SO, 900 was
of brick and three stories high, aud 80 by
$50 feet. The flames from ths barn set
this on fire, and it being evident that
nothing could be done to save it from do
struction, attention was turned to saving
the inmates, and fortunately all were res
cued in safety, though four or five were
somewhat burned after getting out by
their clothing taking fire. The insane de-
partment, which originally was the aims
house, was in the rear of the main buildiDg,
and in short time was also ON fire and
destroyed. Nothing has been left Of
either of them but the bare walls. Tho
firemon from Harrisburg tried to save the
property, but the water was too scarce.
The school-house aud laundry buildings
were, however, saved, aud may be utilized
in a measure to harbor and caro- for the
paupers, who after the fire were huddled
together in the fields and kept together
aud protected by detachment of police
sent by Mayor Wilson, OF Harrisburg, for
that purpose. The sight presented by
nearly three hundred paupcrs aud insane,
when gathered in the fields. was one Of the
saddest that could be imagined. Crippled
old men and women, children and infants
of paupers all dazed and nearly crazsd
because of the destruction of tho Ouly
home they know. One Of tho male insane
patients escaped from those having charge,
and with great speed ran towards the state
insane asy lum d; he was picked up by q
gentleman aud taken to the mayors Office,
and for safety the mayor committed him
to prison. The insane patients were during
the afternoon removed to the state INSANE
asylum. Those of tho panpers "no wsre
sick were sent to tho city hospital. :.
The fire started in the barn shortly be-,
fore one O'Clock. Spontaneous combustion
of the fresh hay is believed to have been
the cause. The only witness of the break.
ing out of the fire, a boy, says that it
'burst out all at onc:,, all over tho roof Of
the barn." Tho main building, about
sixteen years old, was called, " fro proof
because it had brick walls, Il Stats roof and
brick Partitions But the burning barn
being SO close and a lively breeze ','owing
in just the direction to do the mo- harm,
the boards under the heated slate .rnf were
soon ablazs. There WIS no organization
or any other protsc ioa against fire except
water tanks at the top OF the building, but
there was not enough, hose to play on tho
burning roof and the water tanks soon
burst ami made tho flames fierce