Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-01-23

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Eastern Hospital for the Insane
was totally destroyed by fire early
this morning. Seventeen Of the
forty-fve patients are missing.
Thirteen bodies have already been
recovered. The three missing ones
are also believed to be in the ruins.
The building, which was a new
one and cost $4,000, was Il two.
story stone-and brick structure, with
no wood about it except the floors
and stalrways. 1t was completed
last August. Twenty-three OF the
patients were on the first floor, and
twenty-five on the second.
Nearly all the inmates, together
with the attendants, were asleep
at the time the fire broke out.
John Rose, one OF the attendants,
and his wife, slept on the second
floor, and Attendants Reid and
Williams and Fireman Lebage were
on the first floor. The weather
was intensely cold, the thormome-
ter being twelve degrees below
zero. The building was heated 10y
hot air furnaces. The fire original
ed in the furnace room in the
basement, and was discovered by
the Waterman shortly after lo'cloek
this morning. The stairway lead
ing to the furnace.rOOm was then
in blaze. The woodwork Of the
building being Of southern pine, it
burned like finder. The alarm
was instantly spread though the
building, but there were no facili-
ties for extingnishing the flames.
The State had not made any ap.
preparation for FIRE apparatus, and
absolutely nothing could be done
to prevent the spread Of the flames.
The attendants hurried to the res.
cue Of the patients. Dense smoke
filled the rooms and Railways, be-
ing drawn through the h0t.air
llues to all parts of the building.
PANIC-sTRICKEN CRAZY PEOPLE.
Many of the patients were very
utirm, and had to be carried from
their beds. Some Of the crazy peo-
pie who were able to escape be.
came raving mad in their fright.
They ran about the rooms and
through the Railways, shrieking
and laughing by turns. Several Of
them could not be forced 10 leave
the building, but rushed madly
through the flames, and then with
their clothes ablaze and -marting
with pain, ran towards the attend
ants and the other patients, rs
though anxious 20 force them TO
the terrible death 10 which they
were doomed. The panic attend
ing a fire in any building where
there are a large numper Of pco-
pie is terrible, but the scene among
these crazy, frightened people
bcggars description. The bed
ridden ones were carried ont first
by the attendants, some Of them
being nearly suilocatcd by smoke.
Attendant Reid succeeded in
dragging and carrying out twenty.
oneof the twenty-three patients on
the di<t floor. They were easier 70
manage than those on the floor
above. Many Of the unfortunate
people had no covering but their
thin night garments, aud on cn.
countering the terrible cold ont.
side rushed bact again into the
blazing building aud persisted in
the flames.
AZ HEROIC ATTENDANT.
Several time. Attendant Reid
was nearly sulocated. He continu-
ed, however, to risk his life in say
ing the patients under his care
until, as above stated, he had
rescued twenty.one persons, when
he became exhausted and fell faint.
ing with his last burden at the en-
trance of the building. He was
removed to a residence some dis.
lance away, and now lies very i'll
from exhaustion.
On the second floor Attendant
Ross and wife heard the alarm and
escaped down the stairway just be-
fore it fell. Attendant Brown was
awakened by the smoke, and at
tempted to save a patient in an
adjoining room, but failed, and
sliding down by the aid of a sheet
from his window, jumped to the
ground.
Superintendent r.. 5. Dewey
reached the scene, and with lad
ders climbed to the second story
windows, smashed them, and was
able to rescue some Of the patients
by this means. Almost all the pa.
tients refused to cooperate in the
efforts being made TO save them,
and were only rescued by being |
dragged from the flames and held I
from returning.
A MARvELLOUs ESCAPE
was that of an inmate who fell !
with the second floor, striking the |
burning dcJris above the furnace |
and bounded through a window to
the ground below uniniured. Tho /
bodies of the thirteen patients !
taken from the ruins are burned to
and it will be difficult to
them. IL. W. Belden,
aged fifty, Of Galesburg, Ill.,, one of
the victims, and the only one
whose remains possessed even the
of human being, was
a prominent man in his section Of
he State. He was on the second
10 or, was an invalid, and was una
Die to help himself. Superintend.
int Dewey, aided by an attendant,
placed ladder to his window, aud,
ascending it, broke the glass with
lis hands, but being unable to
Freak the sash, descended for some
Implement to break it with. Mean.
while Belden's shrieks for help
we're loud aud agonizing, but as
Dewey re-ascended his cries died
way. The smoke and flames poured
rom the window, so that no help
ould be given him. DIR. Dewey
earring calls for help from another !
hurried to the rescue, and, [
hough u man Of light build, drag.
ed a 1SO-pound patient through !
he window and bore him safely to |
he ground. The only chance for l.
blaming water was from the small y
faucets, not even fire u
tickets or barrels being on hand. a