Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-01-19
AN ASYLUM HORROR. I
TWELVE INMATES BURNED.
The Eastern Illinois Hospital for the
Insane Burns at kankakee-List
OF Dead and Missing.

KAsKAKKK, Ili.-At O'clOck this morning
a detached ward Of the Eastern Illinois Hos
pital for the Insane was discovered TO be on
fire By the night waicaman. The building
was a two-story stone and brick. with no
wood about Il except the hOor and stairways.
IL vas completed last August and cost s2o,-
900. Il was used as an inhrmary and con
tanned forty-dve insane inmates, twenty
three on the first hO0r and twenty-five on
the second Brown, Rose and the latter's
wife, were sleeping on tie second hoor, and
attsndsnts Reid Williams and Freeman
slept on the first floor. The building was
heated b. hot air furnaces. lt was twelve
degrees below zero when the wat~hfnfh
discovered smoke Issuing from the 1oor I'M
medlatdly above the furnace and awoke the
attendants. The smoke at once became
drawn through hot-air fue and along the
halls 10 all parts OF the building. The FIRE
spread rtpldly, and all efforts 10 save the
building were useless. Attendant w. A.
Reid began dragging and carrying out
patients. Many clad In night clothing rushed
from the bitter cold mir back into the burn
ing building. Reid, az the risk OF
his Af., struggl Il on tall twenty
one OF his twenty three patients
were rescued, when he became exhausted.
On the second floor attendants Rose and wife
heard the alarm and escaped down the stair
way just before 1t fell. Attendant Brown,
sleeping on the second floor, was awakened
by the smoke. He attempted 10 save a
patient In an adjOing room. but failed, and
sliding down sheet from his window,
jumped 10 the ground. Supt. X. 5. Dewey
reached the scene and with ladder climbed
10 the second story windows, smashed the
windows and rescued several patients.
A q. of zad IN
co operate IN efforts being made to save
them and were only rescued by being drag
ged from the flames and held from return
ing. marvellous Escape was that OF an IN
mate who fell with the second floor, struck
the burning debris above the furnace, and
BOUNDED through a wiOdJw to the ground un-
iniur "a The remains of twelve patients
have been taken from the ruins. all burned
10 fragments. and only identIiable by the To-
cation where found. The dead thus far
identified. with ages and residence, are: ii.
w. Belden, aged 20, Galeburg. ILL.,:
Thomas Hereley. aged n. Chicago,
brother OF State Senator Hereby; James
30, Chicago; Thomas Hickey, aged 81.
Springfield; f. Weymouth. agad 81, Peru:
Henry Brown. aged a. Rock Island: 3. W.
GALLOWAY, aged Il. Saybrook: Geo. Bennett,
aged 2t. Morris. H.: j. Johnson, aged 35.
Dowville; Matthew Haigh. aged 43, Chebanse.
Theodore HOener, eeed S,, Freeport. The
following missing. doubtless perished: Al
fred Rimyard. aged 20, Winnebago; G. NJ.
Tyler. aged -. Sheldon; G. Shatz. aged 90,
Chicago; John Nathan. aged AZ, Chicago;
Orlando Ellis, aged Il. Pontiac.
At the coroRer's inquest this afternoon
Supt Dewey testified that ne had asked the
Legislature two years ago for $500 to pro-
tect these detached wards from fire, and
81 900 we're allowed. all of which was used
in water mains and hydrants, but that
amount was insufficient 10 answer the pur-
pose. ,
After hearing Supt. Dewey's testimony. the
coroner's jury adjourned till tomorrow.
The Are was caused Toy defects in the steam
heating apparatus. and the los of life may
be accounted for principally from the fact of
the inability and helplesSneSs OF insane per
sons IN such an emergency. There are ,5OO
patients IN the other wards of he asylvm, of
which the burned structure was the sick hos
pital The telegraph office tonight Ia Hood
ed with tel grams from all parts of the Stite,
inquiring for the safety of inmates. The Pc
cuniary loss will probably reach $4,000.