The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-01-19

NGOlSC DGuuGtt1 4AulIles
Joseph Colbert, Chicago.
Orando Ellis, Porticas.
j. W. Galloway, Macon.
TlIamas Hickey, Springfield.
Matthew Hayne, Chebanz.
L. HaCtner, stevenson county.
Thomas Hereby, Chicago.
John johnson, Vermilion.
Michael jordan, Chicago.
j. Nathan, Chicago.
A. lanyard, Winncbargo county.
G. Strotz, Chicago.
j. W. Tylur, Chicago.
+. Weymouth, Putnam county.
Thomas Hereby, was son OF State
senator llerely.
The building was two story stone and
brick, with no wood about it except the
doors and stairways. 1t was not completed
till last August. 1t was used aS au inlirnlA-
ry with fOrty.iivG insane inmates, twenty
three on the first floor and twenty-five on
second.
Attendants Brown, Rose and wife, were
sleeping on the second floor. Attendants
Reid, Williams and tiremanLaBarge slept
on the first floor. The building was heat
cd by hot air furnaces.
FROM HEAT TO INTENSE COLD.
1t was II degrees below zero when the
watchman, named Cobb, discovered the
smoke issuing from the floor Immediately
above the furnace. lie woke the at
tendants. The smoke at once became
drawn through the air llues and along the
halls aud stairway to all parts OF the
building. The fire spread so rapidly
that nil efforts to save the building i'll the
absence Of fire alarm to summon help
aud for want OF facilities to quench the
flames were found to be in vain. Atten-
dant W. A. Reid began dragging and car
rying ont the patients. Many patients
clad in night clothing only rushed from
the bitter cold buck into the building. Nlr.
Reid ut the risk OF his own life struggled on
until twcnly-one OF his ,twenty-three pa
tients were rescued, when lie became
exhausted and was carried away.
On the second floor attendants Rose and
vile heard the alarm and escaped down
the stairway just before it fell.
MARROW ESCAPES.
Attendant Brown, sleeping on the same
floor, was awakened by the smoke and at
tempted to save patient in an adjoining
room and failed, and sliding down by
means OF sheet from his window jumped
to the ground. -,
Superintendent r. S. Dewey reached the
scene and with ladders climbed to the
second story window, smashed the win
dows and was able to rescue some. patients
thereby. Almost all the patients re-
fused to cooperate in the efforts being
made to serve them and were only rescued
by being dragged from the flames and for
clOiy prevented from returning. The
most marvellous escape was that OF an ln-
mate who fell with the second floor. He
struck tho burning debris above the fur
mace and bounded through window To
the ground uninjured. The remains OF
the bodies OF II patients have been taken
from the ruins burned to fragments, only
to be identified by the location in which
they were found.
TME cORoNER's INQUEST.
At the coroner's inquest this afternoon
Superintendent Dewey testified that he
Ind asked the Legislature two years ago
for $500 to protect the 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 purpose. lie suggested that the floors
LmGno oi,,o shown !o nj IN ths av;dencc That Il was
hvt's . St'j" ;Mni,"a f,om thc outside md ten
ouI io''; i.a,n tbo ;ns;,i" NJ the furnace 10
H." SS n;n" inists lie gave two reasons for
tho great number OF deaths. First, the
patients were almost sulfocated by smoke
before they could be reached, anu u SeSoGn tSo
tlle llae,.y ,iny. Va to trw and SaIn tbemseIyes
"r The remains Of the bodies with one ex-
ccption did not aggregate each but a little
more than handful oil charrea aSheS'
DISTRESSING SCENES
The entire remains Of ten OF the victims
,r,ro snread on n small table two feet
"''o 'r- T-,a,'J, o,o rr;,,;,. IN saoych nj
square. FrlenuS are "''lV'ns :" 's." y,
the lost. The scene on their arrival and
the viewing OF the remains ID necessarily
very heartrenulhg' Ic.SsFaS tHe He Syu SS1o.o
Ing i'll from Mt lArtS o. '4o S.o ~
from parties asking as 10 10 EE xnE
safety Of their irlenus at13ns T,s T,,S,S Ste a,SM,
inmates OF the hospital. Inc coroner Coroner
jury adjourned until tomorrow aterhoou G
tho investigation. us to whether the q, lur'
naces were defective. Inc iacls tilat inert y,
is no general lIe alarm DstTeem vi" u WIT s.,s
GUS buildings OF tnG I'osp 70 nnntoct i;iG M M
nrnnoptv ,S,M ri % t6sTe accounts largely for thii
very large loss Of life.