The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1885-01-21
ANOTHER HOLOCAUST.
The Eastern Illinois Hospital for the
Insane at Kankakee Destroyed
by Fire.
Twelve Bodies Taken From the kuins and
Four NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF Legls-
lature In Approprlating Funds
for Fire Protection.
THE PARTICULARS.

KANKAKEE, ILL.,, January 19.-At four
o'clock Sunday morning detached ward
of the Eastern Illinois Hospital for the
Insane was discovered to be on fire by the
night watchman. The building was two
story stone and brick with no wood about
II except the floors and stairways. II was
completed last August and cost $26,0Oo. 1t
was used as an nfirmary and had forty.fve
insane inmates, twenty-three on the first
floor and twenty-five on the second At
tendants Brown, Rose and wife, were sleep
ing on the second floor Attendants Reid,
Williams and Freeman slept on the FIRST
floor.
The building was heated by hot-air fur
naces. II was twelve degrees below zero
when the watchman discovered smoke issu.
ing from the floor Immediately above the
furnace and he awoke the attendants. The
smoke at once became drawn through the
hot.air fue and along the halls TO all parts
OF the building. The fire spread rapidly,
and all efforts to save the building were
useless. Attendant w. II. Reid began
dragging and carrying out patients. Many
clad in night clothing only rushed from the
bitter cold air back into the burning build
ing. Reid, at the risk Of his life, struggled
on till twelve Of his twenty-three patients
were rescued, when he became exhausted.
On the second floor attendants Rose and
his wife heard the alarm and escaped down
the stairway Just before 1t fell. Attendant
Brown, sleeping OH the second floor, was
awakened by the smoke He attempted to
save patient In an adjoining room, failed,
and sliding down sheet from his window
jumped TO the ground.
Superintendent r. S. Dewey reached the
scene, and with ladders climbed TO the Sec
ond story windows, smashed them In and
rescued several patients. Almost all the
patients refused 10 cooperate In the efforts
being made TO save them and were only
rescued by being dragged from the flames
and held from returning
A marvellous escape was that OF an In.
mate who fell from the second story, struck
the burning debris above the furnace and
bounded through window TO the ground
unlnjured.
The remains OF twelve patients have been
taken from the ruins, all burned TO frag-
ments, only identifable by the location
Wnefe IOunu.
The dead thus far identified, with ages
and residences, are: II. w. Belden, aged
so, Galesburg; Thomas Hereley, %, Chi.
cago; NJ. Jordan, 30, Chicago; Thomas
Hickey 35, Springfield; f. Weymouth, 80,
Peru; Henry Brown, 40, Rock Island; s.
w. Galloway, AZ, Saybrook; George Ben.
nett. "a, Morris; j. Johnson, 35, DOwvllle; /;
Matthew Haigh, 45, Clubhouse; Theodore
Hoehner, SO, Freeport.
The following are missing and doubtless
perlshed: Alfred Runsard, aged 80, Win.
nebago; G. NJ. Tyler, As, Sheldon; G.
Shotz, 05, Chicago; Orlando Lewis, AZ,
Pontiac.
At the Coroner's Inquest yesterday after
noon, Superintendent Dewey testified that
he had asked the Legislature two years ago
for $4,000 to protect these detached wards
from fire; that 81 900 only was allowed, all
OF which was used on water mains and
hydrants, and that amount was insufficient.
After hearing Superintendent Dewey's
testimony the Coroner's Jury adjourned
until to-day. The loss Of life may be ac.
counted for principally from the fact OF the
inability and helplessness OF insane persons
In Qttph amaruanaiaq