The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-01-24
ANOTHER HORROR.
Fire at the Eastern Illinois In
sane Asylum at Kankakee.
The Infirmary Building Destroyed and
Eighteen of the Unfortunate In
mates SufIocated or Roasted
to Death.
KANKAKEE, IL, January 10.

hANhAhEBi LII, January H.
Early yesterday morning a detached
ward of the Eastern Illinois Hospital for
the Insane was discovered to be on fire
by the night Waterman. The building
was a two-story stone and brick with no
wood about it except the floors and stair
ways. 1t was completed last August,
and cost $4,000. 1t was used as an in
Urinary, with forty-h insane inmates,
twenty-three on the first floor and
twenty-five on the second. Attendants
Brown, Rose and wife were sleeping on
the second floor, Attendants Reid, Will
liams and Freeman slept on the first
floor.
The building was heated by hot-air
furnaces. 1t was twelve degrees below
zero when the Waterman discovered
smoke issuing from the floor Immediately
above the furnace, and awoke the at
PENDANTS. The smoke at once passed
through the hot-ar flue and along the
halls to all parts of the building.
The fire spread rapidly, and all efforts to
save the building were fruitless.
Attendant w. A. Reid began dragging
and carrying out the patients. Many clad
in night clothing rushed from the bitter
cold air back into the burning building
Reid, at the risk of his life, struggled on
till twenty-one of his twenty three pa
tients were rescued, when he became ex.
hausted.
On the second floor, attendant Rose
and wife heard the alarm and escaped
down the stairway just before it fell. At
tendant Brown, sleeping on the second
floor, was awakened by the smoke. He
attempted to save patient in an adjoin-
ing room, failed, and sliding down sheet
from his window jumped to the ground
Superintendent II. S. Dewey reached
the scene, and with ladders climbed to
the second story windows, smashed the
windows and rescued several patients.
Almost all the patients refused 10 CO.
operate 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 inmate who fell with the second
floor, struck the burning debris, above
the furnace, and bounded through win
dow to the ground uninjured.
The remains of twelve patients have
been taken from the ruins, all burned to
fragments, only identihable by the loca-
ton where found. The dead thus far
identified with ages and residence are:
Ii. w. Belden, aged fifty, of Gales
burg.
Thomas Hereby, twenty-seven, of
Chicago; brother OF State Senator Here
ley.
James Colbert, thirty-two, of Chicago.
M. Jordan, thirty, oil Chicago.
Thomas Hickey, thirty-five, of Spring.
field.
+. Weymouth, thirty-two, of Peru.
Henry Brown, forty, of Rock Island.
s. w. Galloway, forty-two, of Say
brook.
George Bennett, twenty-four, of Nor
ris.
j. johnson, thirty-fve, of Danville.
Matthew Haigh, forty-tlve, of Chibause.
Theodore Hoehner, sixty-three, of Free
port.
The following are missing, and doubt
less perished:
Alfred Runyard, aged fifty, of Winnie
bago.
e. M. Tyler, forty five, of Sheldon.
C. Shotz, sixty-hve, of Chicago.
John Nathan, forty-two, of Chicago.
Orlando Ellis, forty-two, of Pontiac.
At the Coroner's inquest yesterday af
ternoon, Superintendent Dewey testified
that he had asked the Legislature two
years for $4,000 to protect these de-
tached wards from fire; that one thou.
sand dollars was allowed, all of which
was used in watermains and hydrantS
and that the amount was insufficient tC
answer the purpose.
After hearing Superintendent Dewey't
testimony, the Coroner's Jury adjourned
until to-day.
The fire was caused by defects In the
steam heating apparatus, and the loss o
life may be accounted for principally
from the fact of the imbecility and help
lcssness of insane persons in such emer
gences.
There are 1900 patients in the othe
wards of the asylum, of which the burne
structure was the sick hospital; and tn
telegraph office last night was foode
from all parts of the State inquiring 70
the safety of the inmates. The pecunlar
loss will probably reach 100000