The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-01-19
Seventeen Bodies Cremated, and All But
One OF Them Reduced to a Few
Handfulls of Ashes, and
Spread on Table.
PROCEEDINGS AT THE INQUEST.
Insane Asylum Horror.

he fire originated in the furnace room,
nd had secured strong headway before
was discovered. The woodwork of
he building being pine, it burned very
apidly. The building was occupied by
5 patients, 6 attendants and / night
,atchman. Seventeen patients are
Missing.
THIRTEEN cHARRED BODIES
AYE been recovered. They are burned
,eyond recognition. All of tho patients
we're infirm and incurable. Tho bed
hidden ones wore rescued first, and |
hose who were able to help themselves
lid not realize the danger, and they
we're tho ones who perished. |
The attendants lost their personal ef-
Tects, and many narrowly escaped with
their lives, one of them having to tie
bed-clothes to escape. There were no
facilities for putting out the fire, the
state having made no appropriation.
The building was new one, and cost
about $4,000. 1t is total wreck.
THE FOLLOWING PERIsHED.
Henry Brown, Rock Island.
S. II. Webel, Galesburg.
George Benne t, Morris.
Joseph Colbert, Chicago.
Orlando Ellis, Pontiac.
j. w. Galloway, Macoupin.
Thomas Hockey, Springfield.
Mathew Hogue, Chebanse.
Thachnor, Stevenson county.
Thomas Hereby, Chicago.
John Johnson, Vermillion.
Michael Jordan, Chicago.
j. Nathan, Chicago.
A. Runyard, Winnebago county.
G. Strait, Chicago.
j. w. Taylor, Chicago.
II NUaumnpth putnan nOnntu
Thomas Hereby was the brother of
the late Senator Hereby.
THE BUILDING
was two.story stone and brick, with
no wood about it except the floors and
stairs. 1t was completed last August. 1t
was used as an iniirmary, and con-
tanned forty-five insane inmates
twenty-three on the first floor and
twenty-five on the second. Attendants
Brown and Rose and the latter's wife
were sleeping on the second floor. At
tendauts Reid and Williams and Fire
man Iceberg slept on the first floor. The
building was heated by a hot-air fur
mace. IL was Il degrees below zero
when watchman named Cobb discov-
cred smoke issuing from the floor,
Immediately about the furnace. He
awoke the attendants. The smoke at
once became drawn through the hot air
flues and along tho halls and stairways
to all parts of tho building. The fire
spread so rapidly that all efforts to save
the buildings in the absence of fire
alarm TO summon the help and for want
of facilities to fight the flames were
found in vain. w. A. Reid began
DRAGGING OUT THE PATIENTS
and carrying them to places of safety
Many of the patients were clad in theii
night clothing only, and rushed from
the bitter cold air back into the building
Mr.. Reid, at the risk of his own life
struggled ON until twenty of his twenty
four patients were rescued, when he be
came exhausted and was carried away
ON THE SECOND FLOOR,
Attendant Rose aud his wife heard the
alarm and escaped before the stair fell
Attendant Brown, sleeping on thu
same floor, was awakened by smoke
and attempted to save the patients IL
the adjoining room, but failed, ant
sliding down by means of sheet iron
his window, jumped to tho ground.
Superintendent X. 5. Dewey reached
the scene and with ladders climbed b
tho second story window, smashed tn
window and was able to rescue som
patients thereby. Almost all the pa
tients refused to cooperate in the effort
made TO save them, an
were only rescued by bein
dragged from tho flames and forcibl
prevented from returning.
\ MARVELLOUS ESCAPE
was that of an inmate who fell with tn
second floor, struck the burning debri
above the furnace and bounded throug
the window TO the ground uninjureC
The remains OF the bodies of twelve pS
tients have been taken from the ruinl
burned % fragments, only to be ident
fed by tho locations in which they weI
found. The dead thus identified, wit
their ages and residences, were al
nounced at the coroner inquest this q
ternoon.
LEGISLATIVE cULPABILITy.
Superintendent Dewey stated that
had asked the legislature two years az
for 81, 500 to protect these detached ware
from fire; that $1,000 was allowe,
all of which was used
mains and hydrants; that the amour
was insufficient TO answer the purpos
He suggested that the floor above Il
, hot air furnace be changed, 1t bein
. shown in evidence that II was but fou
inches from the outside and ten inche
from the inside of the furnace to til
: Pine lolsts.
CAUSE AND EFFECT.
lie gave two reasons for the gre
number of deaths:
? First-Pationts wero nearly oil suffe
! ing from smoke before they could
reached.
Second---lnability or unwillingness
theinsano patients to try and help.thel
i selves.
THE REMAINS
y of the bodies, with but one oxceptio
d did not aggregate each lbut little mo
o than handful OF charred ashes. I
NJ entire remains OF ten of I
VI victims were spread on small tai
two feet square.
W Friends are arriving in search
d lost ones. The scenes on their srri,
were very heartrending. Telegrai
are pouring in from all parts of
state from parties asking as to
N safety of their friends among the
~ mates OF the hospital.
Vi The coroner's Jury, which adjourn
r until tomorrow, Is Investigating as
d. whether the furnaces were defecti'
10 The fact that there is no general ala
between the various buildings Of