Morning journal and courier., 1885-02-13
News by Telegraph
FROM ALL QUARTERS.
PAUPBRS BURNED OUT.
A Crowded Almshouse
On Fire.
FORTY BURNED TO DEATH.
Exciting Scenes at the
Fire.
A TRAGEDY IN A SEWER.
The Western Snow Block
AIDE Lifted.
TRAGEDY IN A SEWER.
A HOLOCAUST OF PAUPERS.


A HOLOCAUST OF PAUPERS.
The AImshouse At West Philadelphia
In Flames-The Insane Ward Burned
To The Ground-Scenes Of Terror
Among The Inmates-Forty of The
Poor Lunatfcs Burned To Death
A Brave Battle Waged BY The Fire.
men.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 12-At $50 this
evening fire was discovered in the insane de-
partment of the Philadelphia almshouss To-
Gated in West Philadelphia. The news of
the fire spread rapidly throughout the city
and rumors that there was a great loss of life
were rife. At this hour-1O:3O-the fire,
still burning fercely, is thought to
be under control. No lives are known to have
been lost.
SECOND DESPATCH.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb IA fire broke out
this evening in the male department of the
insane asylum at the Blockley almshouse in
12 o'clock with the probability that the fe-
male wing will also be destroyed. The
greater part of the inmates were removed in
safety, but so far twelve dead bodies have
been discovered. It will be impossible to
ascertain how many of the poor inmates have
persisted before morning. Nearly the whole
of the fire department of the city has been
iaservice since nine o'clock, but the buildings
being nearly all connected and the water sup
ply being insufficient the almshouse may al
so be destroyed. The buildings are located
over three miles from the center of the city
and the news from the ground is considera-
bly, delayed, there being no direct communi-
cation by wire with the building. The fire
is supposed to have originated from an over
"
fue. The number of insane patients
confined in the department where the
fire broke out was over six hundred. Every
effort was made to remove the poor helpless
creatures, but SO rapidly did the flames
spread that it was impossible to get them all
escaped from the guards and found their
way into the streets and are now wandering
through the city. A number of these
have been captured by the police and are
locked up in the different police houses.
1890 a. ma telegraphic message just
received from West Philadelphia states that
it is now reported that sixty of the inmates
persisted. The fire is now thought to be I'M
der control and will be confined to the male
department..
THIRD DISPATCH.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 12-That portion of
the Philadelphia a1lnshouse and the hospital
set apart for the insane was burned to the
ground tonight. From twenty-five to forty
insane patients, most of them in the "vio-
lent department, persisted in the flames.
There were 6S4 insane patients in the build
ing, many of whom were rescued after being
almost suffocated by the smoke. Only seven
of the bodies of those who persisted were
brought out of the burning building. At 8
O'Clock Mrs. Umsted, the head nurse in the
department for the insane, discovered fire
in the wall in ward NJ, which led
from the first floor to the top of
the building. She called her women assis-
tants and endeavored with their help to put
out the flames, as they appeared to be of u
trifiing nature, by dashing upon them buck
cts of water few minutes work convinced
the women that this method of distinguishing
the fire would prove Intellectual.
The watchmen from the different build
ings mustered with all possible speed
toward the burning building and turned on
the hose But the force of the stream was
very feeble and the watchmen soon saw that
they could not succeed in the combat with
the flames ard an alarm was sounded from
the Twenty first district police station. The
order was then given by Superintendent
Smith to remove the 694 unfortun-
ates to : q place of safety. By
this time the smoke filled the long corridors
and penetrated every iron barred cell in the
building, arousing the patients to a sense of
danger they knew not what. In a very
short time the cells were unlocked
and those of the patients who were
well were told to flee for their
lives and the attendants began to remove the
sick. Scores of these wretched beings near
ly suffocated by the smoke, which grew
denser every moment, were placed il
blankets and on stretchers and car
ried to other buildings on the grounds
Many of the other insane ones who had beer
liberated from their dungeons in order tt
give them a chance for their lives fled wildly
out of the building and large number es
capped from the grounds and departed 81
swiftly as they could in all directions. Som'
of those who ran off were clad in nothing
but their night clothing and others had onl.
the additional covering of blanket on them
The fire burned iercely every moment. Tht
entire upper portion of the southern end O.
the insane department was soon mass O
flames, and step by step the faithful nurses
forced to leave many helpless crea
lures in the violent ward in thu
third story to their fate. An immense crowe
attracted to the fire from all parts of Yves
Philadelphia watched the efforts of the fire
men, and when the first man with dripping
helmet and smoking garments appeared upo1
the head of the ladder bearing in his arms
sick patient they cheered again and agail
with a mighty enthusiasm that animated tn
men to increased exertions. The roar of tn
flames sounded like the noise of Niagara a
they enveloped the doomed building, bu
| when the flames at last reached the cell
of the miserable wretches who had beel
left there came out OF tn
fire cries and wild shrieks for help tina
chilled the blood of all who heard them ant
rose above the roar of the destroying ele
ment Wall after wall of anguish told tn
| fate of some poor creature who was bein
| burned to death in the hearing of thousand
| of spectators.
ga. m-The fire is still burning, but
| under control and will be confined to the in
sane department of the almshouse. N
more dead bodies have been taken out an
| it will be impossible to tell the exact mum
! Der that has persisted until the fire is extin
guished and an examination of the ruin
| made.
The Foreign Committees Action.
| WASHINGTON, Feb. 12.-The House Con
| ,,,;ttaa on Eoreien fairs to-day adOpted til