The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-01-21
LITTLE ASH HEAPS.
AL THAT REMAINED OF THE KAN.
kAKEE ASYLUM VICTIMS.
How the last Bodies We're Found-Wanted
to Save the Canary lsiri-The Cor
oaer says the Furnace
Did 1t.

KASKAKEE, his, Jan. 2l-On Monday
morning Supervisor Burt engaged laborers
TO search for the bodies Of the victims of the
asylum fire who had not up to that time
been found Picks and shovels were used to
dig up the debris Of broken rafters. ashes and
charrei bedding. Mr. Burt held in his hand
a diagram upon which the inmates and their
ruonE were located. After two hours work
the Eve mis- sing victims were found Their
identity ooull lie fixed only by their posi-
tons. The first man recovered was Orlando
Ellis, OF Livingston county. He occupied a
single room on the first door in the corner
Of the building Hi skull, parts of his
vertebrge, and his legs were complete, but
otherwise only pile Of ashes attested the
presence once of a human form The re
mains were collected, placed in box, AMI
taken to the morgue. The searchers next
looked for John Nathan. of Chicago. They
found all that remained of him in a pile OF
charref bones and ashes Nathan C. Strotz Of
Chicago, Charles VI Tyler Of Sheldon, Alfred
Runyarl Of Wnnebago, al occupied the
south dormitory on the second floor TIE
second floor having collapsed AMI fallen T.
the ground. Burt huntei for the remains Of
mit0Ty They were found within ten feet of
each other buried under iron girders and
debris. Little flesh remained upon their
bones, AMI heaps of ashes surrounded
the skulls First the searchers IN
earthed Nathan, then Strotz, afterwari
Tyler, ana subsequently, Runyard. Nathan
was blacksmith in Chicago He weighed
2J5 pounds, and had been in the asylum for
ak months. The work Of excavation was
concluded by O'Clock and the re
mains o. all OF the victims were
gathered M, viewsl by the coroner
successfully, and placed in boxes. Some
were taken nome by friends Since those
who found them had no means of identid-
cation save by location, it is not by any
means certain that the bones and ashes have
not been mixed The authorities exercised
all their abilities to settle the question be
yond reasonable doubt, but the incineration
was too complete
The following is one Of the incidents of the
horror: Attendant Rose and his wife of the
south ward Of the insane asylum were sleep
ing III the second story of the
burning building. Awakening, they
ran clad in their night clothing through
the door into the hallway, which
WAS even then filed with smoke, when Mrs.
Rose. hearing her canary bird chipping,
womaulike would have dashed back into the
room at the imminent risk Of her life - save
it. Her husband caught her and carried her
down stairs just before the stairs fell
The coroneT's jury concluded its inyestiga-
ton Monday night Nearly every one con-
nected with the construction of the building
was examined, AMI the testimony was de-
cidsdly opposed to the theory that the fur.
aaees were faulty in construction. .-The night
Waterman, however. was positive that
the fire broke out Immediately
over one Of the furnaces and il
was testified that the floor Of the room over
that furnace had always been hot when the
furnace was in operation. The jury there
fore found thai she furnace caused the fire
and recommended that the furnaces in
other buildings be Immediately changed sc
f. 10 prevent a recurrence OF such disaster.