Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1885-02-18
ANOTHER HORROR.
Eighteen Raving Maniacs Roasted in
Their Cells.
An Almshouso in Philadelphia Wrapped
In Flames.

Eighteen raving maniacs were burn
ed to death in the insane department
OF the Blockley almshouse on the west
side of the Schuylkill River, Philadel-
phia, on the night of the 10Th, in a con-
hagration which needed nothing to
make it the most horrible disaster Of the
kind ever known in tho history of the
city. The fire originated in the wing
of the old building, which fronts to-
wards the Schuylkill, and directly east
of the main building of the almshouse.
This wing is 145 feet front and 60 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 ono in
which the disaster occurred. In this
north building where the fire broke out,
there were sixty separate cells, for vio-
lent patients, twenty on each floor. In
addition to this, there was 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 CEN
trail cell of the row of separate cells on
the north side of the corridor. which
runs from east to west, was q
dry-room heated by steam.
This room, which was about ten
feet square, was directly alongside
the middle stairway leading to the floors
above and below. Here the flames orig:
mated, but from what cause is not
known. At the time there we're insane
patients in each of the twenty cells on
these three floors. Ten were in the
large room on the first floor, and twelve
in each of the large rooms on the sec-
ond and third floor. From all accounts
to be obtained, it appears pretty certain
that the first alarm was given by an in
sane patient on the first floor of the
main building. This occurred at about
8 O'Clock, and was followed by scene
of terror impossible to describe. The
efforts of the attendants to put out the
fire were of no avail, and after sounding o
call for the city department, they de-
voted their energies to the work of saw
ing the inmates of the doomed wing.
When the fremen arrived on the scene,
all the patients on the two lower floors
had been taken out and organized as q
fire brigade. There were twenty-eight
patients in the cells and main room
on the third floor. The fremen immedi-
ately placed their ladders against the
cell windows, and by breaking the win
dow bars, succeeded in rescuing several
men. Several of those rescued died in
afew hours. Following are the names
and ages of the occupants of the nine
teen cells on the upper floor, all of whom
are supposed to have been suhocated or
burned to death, with the exception of
three who were rescued by the fremen:
Frank D. Dechacon, IS; James Mccoy,
40; John Lyden, 80; Isaac O'Neill, IS !;
Charles Scott (colored), 80; John
Dwyer, 40; James Burk, 81; Thomas
Rusk, so; Michael Wroth, SO; Robert
Cunningham, 45; Charles Nolenberger,
60; Thomas Jones, "a; John Herrigts,
48; John Koehler, 60; Thomas Smith,
38; Edward Murphy, 48; Charles
OBrien, So; Philip Newberger, 60.
The pecuniary loss is estimated at
$l5O,OOO.