Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-13
ROASTED ALIVE.
Philadelphia the Scene of an Insane
Asylum Horror by Night.


PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 12.-Fire broke
ont in the insane department OF the coun-
ty aims house in West PHILADELPHIA.
about 9 O'Clock tonight. The flames
spread rapidly, and before the inmates
could be released 10 of them were burned
to death. Others were left to roam about
the grounds at will, and many of them
were picked up by the police throughout
the city. The buildings, at IL O'Clock,
W9re still burning, and the other depart
ments were in great danger.
The fire originated in wing of the old
building Of the insane department of
Blockley, which fronts towards the
Schuyklll river, and directly east of the
main building of the aims house. This
wing has 1l5 feet front, and is so feet
deep, connected on the south with the
main building of the old structures of the
insane department, which runs south 400
feet to similar wing to the one in which
the disaster occurred. In the north build
ing, where the fire broke out, there were
60 separate cells for violent patients, 2OOn
each floor.
ADDITIONAL UNFORTUNATES.
In addition to this, there was a large
room on each of the three floors in which
cots for twelve men were placed, all of
which were occupied when the fire broke
out. On the second floor. OppOsite the
central cell of the row of separate cells
on the north side of the corridor, which
runs from east to west, was a dry room
heated by steam. This room, which was
about ten feet square, was directly along
side the middle stairway leading to the
floors above and below. Here the flames
originated, but from what cause is not
known. At the time there were insane
Vaa4fn in, - =,
these three floors, ten in the large room
on the first floor, and twelve in each of
the large rooms on the second and third
floors.
THE ALARM.
From all the conflicting accounts to be
obtained it appears pretty certain that
the first alarm was given by an insane
patient on the first floor of the main build
ing. This man, Joseph Nadine, occupied
room adjoining the stairway and drying
room with about 20 other patients. When,
about 1850 O'Clock, he saw smoke issuing
from above the door, which opened into
the wing in which the cells were situated,
he ran to the big iron grated door fronting
on the main corridor of the building and
cried out, ''Fire" His alarm was heard
by an attendant. An attempt was made
to put out the flames with buckets of
water, and at first it was supposed that
ground floor near the stairway, but in
almost an instant it was found that the
real point from which the danger came
was the second floor, at the top OF and
above the dry room.
REMOVING THE PATIENTS.
The removal of the patients was at once
undertaken and was attended with the
usual difficulty in such cases, as having
to use force some times. All were safely
gotten out OF the first and second floors
ana turned loose in the yard. By this
time the flames had fun possession of the
corridors of the third floor where % men
were confined, 20 in separate cells and s
in the large common room. Some of these
were rescued by firemen and attendants,
but Is are known to have lost their
lives. One of these had been in the insti-
tuition y years, and in that time had
killed three of his fellOT-unfOrtunates
HIS hands have for 20 years been chained
to his body to prevent him from killing
those around him. Another was a man
who had been for 20 years ccn1ined in a
miserable shanty by his parents.
The CAUSE MYSTERY.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 10, 2:1O A. M
There is nothing except wild theorizing
as to what caused the fire. No facts are
known which would justify any state
ment whatever. At O'Clock this morn
ing the entire group of buildings maxi
ing up the insane department
was III flames and there was no prOspect
OF saving any portion of them, although
the 1remen then had the fire in hand. All
the other department buildings were
safe. The loss to property
will amount to about Sl50. 900.
Six hundred and thirty inmates who
were turned out of the various wards
were as far as possible and soon as could
be provided for in out wards
and other parts of the aims house.
Many Of them, however, escaped
into the city and wandered about the
streets, where some were captured by the
police and were either returned to the in
stitution or locked up in the station
houses. A majority Of them We're taken
TO the hospital, and large num-
Der were placed in the clinical
lecture room of the hospital
as far as possible, and all were finally
cared for. Nine bodies were discovered
and placed in the dead room. Only three
of these had apparently died from
burns received, the others evidently
having been suffOcated by smoke. Dr..
Biddle, member of the Hospital Com
mlttee, having charge of the insane de-
partment, says that there were absolute
ly no means of subduing the fire. There
Will be an investigation at once.
ROARING FLAMES AT PRINCETON.
PRINCETON, Mo-, Feb. 12.-Early this
morning fire broke out in the store of the
" White Grocery Company, and spreading
destroyed the entire west side of the pub
lie square, including six brick and five
frame buildings. The loss is about $75,-
GOO. The Insurance is $500. The
Princeton Press and Princeton TeIeqraph
newspaper offices were both destroyed.