Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-19
LAST NIGHTS NEWS.
IsrEcIAL DISPATCHES TO THE REcoRp-uxIoN.l
DOMESTIC.
Insane Hospital Misunderstanding Loss
of Life.

morning at 4:30. The Gre originated ia the
furnace-room, aud had got good beading
before it was discovered The woodwork
of the building being of pine, it burned
very rapidly The building was occupied
by 10 patients, and one night-watchman.
Seventeen patients are missing, and thlr-
teen bodies have been recovered All the
patients were intirTn. The bedT7dden were
rescued FIRST, but those able to assist them
selves did not realize the danger, and many
of them persisted The attendants lost all
their effects, and many had a very narrow
escape One of them had to tie his bed
clothes together, and let himself down
from the top window. The building was
a new one and >cost S76,0ae, but was not
vet provided with water-works.
SECOND DIsPATCH.I
KASKAKEE. January 1Sth.-The building
was a two-story stone and brick, with 40
wood about it except the floors and stair
ways. II was used as asa intirmary, with
Is inmates-23 on the first floor and - on
the second. Attendants Brown, Rise and
wife were sleeping on the second floor.
Attendants Reid, Williams, and fireman
Labarge slept on the first floor The build
ing was heated by hot-air furnaces. 1t was
l2o below zero when the Waterman, named
Cobb, discovered smoke issuing from the
floor Immediately above the furnace. He
awoke the attendants. The smoke at once
became drawn through the hot-air tlues
and along the halls and stairways to all
parts of the building The fire spread so
rapidly that all efforts to save the building,
in the absence of fire alarm to summon
help, and for want of facilities to quench
the flames, were found to be in vain. At
tendant w. A. Reid began dragging and
carrying out the patients. Many patients,
clad in their night clothing, rushed from
the bitter cold air back into the building
Reid, at the risk of his own life, struggled
on until y of his % patients were
rescued, when he became exhausted
and was carried away. On the second
floor, attendants Rise and wife heard the
alarm and escaped down the stairway just
before it fell. Attendant Brown. sleeping
on the same floor, was awakened by the
smoke and attempted to save patient in an
adjoining room, but failed, and sliding
down by means of a sheet from his win
dow, jumped to the ground. Superintend-
ent r. s. Dewey reached the scene, and with
ladders climbed to the second story win
dows, smashed them in, and was able to
rescue some patients thereby. Almost all
the patients refused to cooperate in the
efforts being made to save them, and were
only rescued by being dragged from the
flames and forcibly prevented from return
ing. \ marvellous escape was that Of an
inmate who fell with the second floor. He
struck the burning debris above the fur
mace. and bounded through a window to
the ground uninjured. The remains of the
bodies of twelve patients have been taken
from the ruins, burned to fragments, only
TO be identified by the location i'll which
they were found.
no or'S a
Superintendent Dewey testified that he
had asked of the Legislature two years ago
81. 800 to protect these detached wards from
fire that 81 900 was allowed, all OF which
was used in mains and hydrants: that the
amount WAS insufficient to answer the pur-
pose. He suggested that the floors above
the hot-air furnaces be changed, it being
shown in evidence that it was but four
inches from the outside and ten inches
from the inside of the furnace. to the pine
joists. He gave two reasons for the great
number of deaths First, the patients were
almost all sutfocated by smoke before they
could be reached; and second, the inability
or unwillingness of the insane patients to
try and help themselves.
The remains Of the bodies, with one ex-
ception, did not aggregate each but little
more than a handful of charred ashes.
The entire remains of ten Of the victims
were spread on small table two feet
square. Friends are arriving in search of
lost ones. The scenes on their arrival are
necessarily very heart-rending kilograms
are pouring in from all parts Of the State
from parties asking as to the safety of their
friends among the 800 inmates of the
hospital.
Tie Coroner's jury, which adjourned
until tomorrow afternoon IS investigating
as to whether the furnaces were defective.
The facts that there is no general fire
alarm between the various buildings of the
hospital, or any system of water-worEs TO
protect life and property there, accounts
largely for the very large loss of life.
THIRD DIsPATCHI
KASKAKEE, January 1Sth.-H VI. Bel
den, aged 80, of Galesburg, one of the vic
Tins. and the only one whose remains pre-
served even the semblance of human
being, was u prominent man in his section
Of the State. He was on the second floor
was an invalid, and was unable to hep
himself
Superintendent Dewey, aided by an at
tendant, placed a ladder to his window
and Dewey assembled it and broke the glass
with his hands, but being unable TO break
the sash, descended for some implement to
break it with Meantime Belden's shreks'
for help were loud and agonizing. AS
Dewey reascended the shrieks died away
and smoke and flames poured from the
window SO that no help could be given
him. DR.. Dewey, having calls for help from
another window, hurried to the rescue and
though a man of light build, dragged a $50
pound patient through the window and
bore him safely to the ground.
The burned building was used as an in
from sickness to walk. The only chance
for obtaining water was from small wash
stand faucets, not even tire-buckcts or
barrels being on hand.
Night Waterman Cobb testified before
the Coroner's jury that he registered the
report OF his calls every half hour. The
register showed that he visited the furnace
room at $40 and found il all right then.
At 40 he discovered the fire The floor
Immediately over the furnaces had fire.
quently been noticed by the attendants
sleeping there to he uncomfortable hot.
The furnace was rooted by sheet-iron, then
by two layers of brick laid in mortar, with
Il space of but six inches between them
and the pine.
Attendant K. c. Williams testified that five
minutes after the fire was discovered it was
blazing through the floor; that on being
reused be ran outside, and saw that the
fire was only visible about and around the
furnace.
Attendant J. c. Mcfarland, outside night
Waterman, testified that he heard a cry of
fire" reused the attendants of the wards
Nos. ) and 6, and carried two ladders to
the burning building from the carpenter
shop, 100 yards away.
Though an alarm Of fire was sounded in
the city kankakee has no fire department,
and Is the hospital is half mile away, no
aid reached it. The State does not insure
its property, but comparatively slight APP
preparation added to the present inCom-
plete facilities, will furnish to the hospital
adequate means for fire purposes
Field Henley-Which?
WASHINGTON, january 18th. - Justice
Field has, 1t is said, decided to enter the
lists against Henley for the control of the
California patronage. The fight at the
Stockton Convention has been transferred
to Washington. That Convention in
structed the delegates from California To
the Democratic National Convention at
Chicago 10 vote against Field, and the JUS
tier, it is asserted, has determined to be re-
ycnged upon his enemies. Pacific coast Cos
sips in Washingtnn say that Field has served
notice upon Henley that he proposes
10 have something 10 say about the filling
OF the California Offices. 1t is reported
that some time ago Henley was invited to
meet the Justice at the latter's house, and
that they had conference upon the
subject Eipll ii Is Soi1 told ITar, 10y tbat