Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-06-10
THE ASYLUM FIRE.
A SCENE OF DgsoLAroN.

Meeting OF the Board : The Insurance :
The origin or the Fire 20 be invessi.
gated.
fconespondencc Of the Richmond Dispatch
WILLIAMSBURG, June o, 1885.
The town has regained its usual
|. quiet, and the exhausted citizens are
beginning to recover from their exer-
tions Of Sunday night. As seen
from the town the asylum, owing to
the dense foliage, looks as if it had
never passed through such fearful
confagration, but upon entering the
grounds by the main entrance the
scene is completely changed, and desc
lation breaks upon you with all its grim
accompaniments. The skeleton Of the
original asylum, stretching around three
sides of q square, lifts its gaunt walls
and strikingly illustrates the force by
which it was consumed. All Of the
trees Immediately around are parched
and shrivelled. A column Of smoke
perhaps rises from the depths OF some
embers, a shattered wall at intervals
falls with a dull crash, raising clouds
of dust. Attendants are seen hurrying
to and fro through the yard directing
the servants where to carry the saved
furniture. The inmates are quartered
in the remaining buildings, which COM
prise all of the new and handsomest
structures.
The patients are all quiet, and many
seem to be benefited by the change.
The greatest inconvenience experienced
is in the deficiency Of the dining-tables,
which will be remedied as soon as pos
sible.
The Board met to-day, with the fol-
lowing present: Hon. Henry Atkinson,
Charles Millhiser, r. NJ. Booker, Ma
jor V. Walden, George Richardson,
Robert A. Bright, and Mr.. Leake.
The insurance on the burnt buildings
was ascertained to be s44, 500 in the
Mutual Insurance Society Of Richmond.
The company claims to have reduced it
to 100000, but the Board say they had
never been notified of that fact.
The Board has notified the Governor,
and is considering matters which de-
mand immediate attention.
Mr.. Atkinson offered the following
ReSolred, That we now proceed to
an investigation of the cause and origin
of the fire on the 7th of June, 1885
and that not only the officers, attend
ants, and employees Of the asylum be
summoned to testify, but that the citi-
zens Of Williamsburg and the surround
ing country be requested to furnish any
information in their possession with
reference to said fire.
Quite a number Of persons having
friends and relatives in the institution
came here to look after them, but find
that they are SO we'll provided for that
they thought it useless to remove them.
In this connection it is but Just to say
that the superintendent, officers, and
employees, male and female, did their
whole duty, and worked in many in
stances at the risk Of their own lives.
This conhagration will probably be
pointed to for generations as being
almost unique in the small loss Of life.
1t is definitely settled that out Of nearly
five hundred helpless creatures only
two were lost, which simple fact speaks
louder than any words to the courage
and humanity Of those who had the
dangerous task of rescuing them.
A report seems to have gotten abroad
that many of the patients were running
at large through the county during the
night, but such was not the case. They
were all collected and guarded, and GER
tainly not more than four g't beyond
reach. One was captured early next
morning; another was drowned, and
search-parties are out for the remaining
two now and will no doubt recover
them. w.