The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-02-18

life sentence: for. murder. He ha
killed. since he has been In the In
sane asylum, the department cool
and two attendants. ALI Of the In
mates insthe insane dapaxtuent'wer
rescued safely, except these. In tn
third story Of the wing in whicl
the fire caught. The total loss 9
life is Is.
There is nothing except wild thee
rlzi4g as to The CAUSE of the nre. N
facts are known which would justif
any statement whatever. AL 0'cl0ci
this morning the entire group o
tuildings making up the insane de
partment was In flames. and ther
was no prospect Of saving any o
them, although the flremen had tn
fire well in hand. All the other de
partments Of the building were saved
The loas to property will amount t.
about $50, 600. -
The go inmates turned out of the
various wards, as far as possible, ani
as soon ss could be, were provided fol
in secure parts OF the almshOuse.
Many of them, however, escaped into
the city and wandered about the
streets, where some were captured by
the police, and either returned to the
institution or locked UP. The bulk Of
them were taken to the hospital, and
g. large mum Der of them were placed
in the Cynical lecture room of the
hospital. The women were slowed
about the hospital as far as possible,
and all were finally cared for. Nine
bodies are recovered and placed in
the dead room. DR.. Biddle, q men,
Der of the hospital committee, having
charge of the insane department, says
there was absolutely no means of
subduing the fire. There will be an
investigation at once. A rumor pre-
vailed on the almshouse ground to-
night that some 40 of the most vio-
lent patients were confined on the
upper floor, and all peIished. This
could not be traced to any reliable
and it Is believed by the at
tendants questioned In reference to
1t, that the patients In the upper floor
were all rescued and will be account.
ed for In the morning, or as soon as
the prevailing confusion and excite
ment subside.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 13.-The fire
last night at the almsh0use entirely
destroyed that portion of the instjtu-
tion set apart for the insane. Of the
B84 lunatics con fined there many are
but 1t is thought the most
Dt then wandered away. At 8
o'clock this morning two more
charred bodies were found in ward |
No. 2, they being roasted beyond all |
Several human forms |
san be seen in the burning wreck in |
he cells. 1t is now thought go of the |
inmates perished. That number |
Of violent patients were locked In |
cells on the third floor and could not |
be reached. Eight of them have |
0een taken out and others have not |
)een accounted for. 1t seems there !
9 no doubt that they are lost and
heir remains are among the ruins. |
During the night many ins ane per-
ons were found wandering in differ
mt parts of the city, some nearly
laked. The poor creatures generally
eemed unable to understand the SIT
lation and in some cases begged their
:aptors piteously not to throw them
nt0 the river. Others seemed to
AXE it as q grand joke and laughed
.leefully when the subject Of the fire
vas mentioned. Another came fly.
ng down South street early this
morning with manacles attached to
lis wrist and q few links of the
;hain dangling from it. He shrieked
md laughed as he struck right and
eft among the frightened people. 1t
vas found necessary to use violence
md knock him down before he
,ould be secured. Another mad
nan caused a fright In street rar
y rushing in half clad, and with
lis face scalded and bleached. He
ank covering In q corner. It was
o0n found that he was more fright
ned than those who ran away. A
eport that the streets were full of
scaped maniacs caused much alarm
q West Philadelphia, aud strangers
ooked upon each other with much
istrust. Five men are still working
n the ruins. They are weary and
lalf frozen, each mans helmet and
oat appearing a. hard as an arm0r,
'ut search for the bodies continued
teadily. 1t appears that there has
'een q great deal of unnecessary
rouble caused by rotten hose and
he scarcity Of wafer supply.