The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-28
THE ASYLUM FIRE.
Particulars Of the Ere at the Insane
Hospital.
Lcss, SIS 900, with no Insurance-How
the Fire Orisinated-Inadequ
Supply OF Water.

The Sentinel of yesterday contained q
brief account OF fire ia progress az the
State Hospital for the Insane, at the time OF
was possible 10 make 1t, owing to
the fact that everything was in con-
iusion and it vas impossible to give details
until the FIRE was under control. Tais conld
not be accom- plished until after daylight
and, although the FIRE was nearly entirely
extinguished at that time, the Fire Depa-t
ment continued to work on The wreck u iii
10 o'clock IN the morning.
ORIGIN or THE FIRE
The fire W as the most disastrous which hiss
yet occurred at the Hospital. Ii began in
the boiler room, which is located in the
double L building in the rear OF the main
building. This is where the FIRE occurred
two weeks age, and Superintendent
Fletcher and the other employees have bean
very anxious lest the fire should
aga in break out in this part OF the institu-
lion. The building Is three stories high be-
sides the basement and is separated from the
main building. in which ara the wards en-.
tanning the patients, oy heavy walls. n this
are located the engine room, boiler room,
store room, laundry, bakery, kitchen and
chapel. In the center of it rises the smoke
stack. 10 feet high. Just how the Ore
caught could not oe determined bat when
Surerinte hdent Fletcher heard the hurried
walking of the employees aoous o'clock he
hastily dressed himself and went out 10 see
presentiment thar it was the dreaded fire.
The smell Of smoke was strong in
the passage leading back from the dining
loom, but II was not until the engine room
was reached that the fire was discovered.
The fight against the flames began at once,
and 100 hand grenades were soon broken
over the FIRE, almost entirely quelling it,
but when these were gone the flames
were observed working on the floor imme-
diately above this part of the building and
it was with sinking hearts that those present
telt all hope OF saving the block was past.
For nearly half an hour the fight had Goa.
tinued and every one had forgotten to send
in an alarm TO the city. Finally when this
was thought of il was net properly sounded
and the result was that the BELLS clsshed and
struck in the widest and most uncertain
manner, so that il was some minutes before
the fire could be located. However, Chief
Webster had been notified by telephone
previous to the sounding of the alarm, aud
sleady had two engines on the road. As
soon as the alarm was sounded two more
companies responded, and these, with the
Fire Chief in his light wagon. were all on Z
gailop for the scene of the con6agration,
AN UNEQUAL FIGHT
was kept up almost all the time by
those who aided in subdning the re.
Tie hand grenades were good so far as they
went, but il was found Inn possible 70 ght
IRE which was already playing along under
meath the flooring with these small ex-
tnguishers When the engines first arrived
tley began in manner which promised to
c1eok the flames where they were found,
H.
we're sgain ready 10 work, it was found
necessary to fight the fire from the chapel.
This could then only be reached By ladders
and the ladder wagon had not yet arrived
When tho tirst cistern gave out the IRE boys
stepped back from the entrance where
they bad been at work on the chapel when
he roof came crashing down, and with IL
'Orty-foot beam, which struck end foremost
upon he very spot where the brave fireman
rad been standing. The first section OF hoss
Rad been caught By the falling roof, ana IL
Nes necessary to cut this loose and leave il
to the mercy Of the IRE, which By this time
vas playing sad havoc with the blocK. Ths
Ky was literally painted red by the rehe;.
ion, and was TO be witnessed for many
miies. But the other engines were nov at
work, and it was not long until all DANCE OF
fire to the main building was over.
THE LOSS
will reach S85, coo, and Is loss more deeply
felt because il includes those departments
most in demand. The bakery can nol be
dispensed with, ard although laundry work
uev be sbridgsd, 1t must siso be continued.
The worst feature abOu, l., however. is the
inability to use the steam heating apps-
ratus with which the 1 20 rooms
IN the Female Department are heated.
This necessarily has caused an economy
IF what heat has been in the institu-
iion snd i is thought that by this morn
Is The connections can again be arranged
Tor the roper heating Of the wards.
Superb 'eDdent Fletcher places the toll
lowing estimates on the property destroyed
Machinery snd O0l
hhptl ADu Du "a, oOO
laundry apparatus and clothing n,000
Total SsS mo