Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1885-01-19
I HlRD EDITION,
An Awfa, 1alam a. /.

kAMkAKEE, H., January 18-The
ooutii lhtrMasy OF the Illinois Eastern
Hospital Tor che Insane was burned
this morning 81 4.25 O'Clock. The fire
0riginattd in the furnace room, and
hal obtained h strong head way before
II was discovered The wood work Of
the building, beng IF Southern pine,
buried very rapidly. The building
vas occupied by forty Ave patients,
six aitenda It's and one night watch
man Seven teen patients In ell are mis-
sing. Thirteen bodies have already
been recovered burned hey ond recogni.
ton.
Ali of the patients were infirm and
fucurAble, The bed-ridden ones were
rescued first, and those who were able
to help themselves did not realize the
danger IN time, and they we're the ones
who persisted. The attendants lost all
their personal effects and many mar.
rowiy escaped with their lives, one Of
them having to tie the bed clothes TO-.
gether to escape from q window TO the
ground. There we're no facilities for
putting out the fire, the State not
having made any appropriation for the
purpose. The building was q new one
and cost about $4,000. 1t is a total
loss
The building destroyed WAS q two.
story stone and brick structure, with
no wood about 1t except the floors aud
stairways. 1t was comp leted last
August Twenty-tbree of the patients
were on the first floor and twenty. tive
on the second. The attendants, Brow n,
Rose and the latter s wife were sleepine
ON the second floor.
Attendants Reed, Williams and Fire
man Labarge slept on the first floor.
The building was heated by hot-ai
the watchman (Cobb) discovered
smoke issuing from tho floor imme
diately above the furnaces. He =,
once awoke the attendants. Smoke
was drawn through the hot-air flues
and along the halls and stairways To
all parts Of the building.
The tire spread 30 rapidly that all
efforts to save the building, in the ab.
sence ola fire alarm to summon help
and for want OF fac ilities 70 quench the
flames, were found to be in vain.
Attendant Reed began carrying and
dragging out patients. Many patients
clad in night clothes only rushed from
the bitter cold air back into the build
ing. Reed at the risk of his own life,
struggled on TIL twenty. ore of the
twenty-three patients on his II tor were
rescued, when he became exhausted
and was carried away. On the second
Moor attendant Rose and wife heard the
alarm and escaped down the stairway
just uei,re 10 fell.
Attendant Brown was awakened nv
the smoke, and attempted to save ~.
uent in an adjoining room, but iaiied
and, sliding down by the aid OF a shee,
from his window, jumped TO the ground
superintendent l.. S. Dewey reach he'd
the scene and with ladders climb 10
the second-story windows, smashe 81
them and was able to rescue some OF
the patients by this meaus
Almost all the patients refused to co.
operate in the efforts being made t,
save them and were ouly rescued by
being dragged from the Flames and
held from returning. A marvellous TO-
cape was that OF All lJmate who fel
with the second floor, striking The ~ FL,
ing debris above the furnace. and /. O..
ded through a window H. H.. srau
uninjured. The remains ~ ne . ~.
of twelve patients have been tax 3ou
the ruins burned to fragments, unts T..
be identified by the location in ~hicI
they we're found.
A Coroner's inquest was held thi
afternoon. Superintendent Dewey CAV
two reasons for the great number L
deaths: First, the patients were almos
all sutfoca Ell by smoke before the
could be reached ana second, the II
ability or Willingness Of the insan
patients TO try and help themselye i
The remains Of the bodies with on
exception represented SIMPLY a hand
full of charred ashes. The entire r,
mains OF ten Of the victims were sprea
...l.e e. FfVt
fact that there ia no general fire alari
between the various buildings OF IL
hospital, or any IS stem OF water worl
10 protect life Al property there, "a,
sour Is largely for the very large lo
Of lite.