, 1889-12-05
THE BLACKFOOT FIRE.
Additional Particulars of the Burn.
ing of the Idaho Insane
Asylum.
Great Heroism Upon the Part Of
Superintendent Givens-
Desperate Struggles.

The Boise City Statesman prints the
following particulars of the recent dsas.
trous fire at Blackfoot, by which the ter
ritorial insane ASYLUM was destroyed
and several lives lost:
The fire started about l3O o'clock Sat.
urday morning and burned with fright.
full rapidity. 1t was thought to have
originated from defective tiuc. DIR.
Givens, the superintendent. who was
sleeping In his apartments in the asy.
lum building, was hastily aroused, and
at once proceeded to do yeoman work in
the rescuing of the inmates. The super.
intendent himself, and all his assistants
went through the wards and cells and
released the patients. Some of the
worst of the patients had to be strapped
to their couchcs, to prevent them from
doing damage to themselves or others
These unfortunate ones had their bands
severed, and were permitted to roam at
large. The difficulty in rcscu.
ing. the inmates of the doomed
building was increased and in
some instances rendered impossible from
| the fact that they acted like horses, and
made frantic efforts to get back into the
building after they had once been safely
taken out. One woman patient was
| particularly affected in that way, and
several times attempted to return to her
death, and was only prevented from do
ing so by the active efforts of the guards
Dr. Givens displayed great heroism and
bravery by nobly rescuing the last
patient taken out a woman. The flames
were burning tiercely right around him.
yet he assembled ladder and carried the
heavy burden back with him when it
seemed scarcely possible that the act
could be accomplished.
Sheriff Wooden OF Bingham county
Il I.. .l.t al l.. L.. H.. ~.
the scene; the patients were ironed and
allowed to roam, many of them going
down to the village of Blackfoot, a dis
tance of one.half mile.
Two of the male inmates in their
nightclothes travelled along the railroad
AS far as Eagle Rock, twenty-five miles.
They were taken in charge by the au-
thorities there in response TO telegram
from DIR. Givens.
To show how rapidly the fire spread
and how quickly II did its work oil de.
struction, 1t is only necessary to state
that the roof fell in within an hour after
the alarm was given, and the walls fol-
lowed within a short time afterward.
The new l. to the main building, put
up during the past summer at an ex-
pense of $1,000, was saved intact. Ii
would have been completed within
twelve or fifteen days, but in order to
accommodate, work was rushed along
on it, so it will be completed and ready
for occupancy to-day. The |. was in
tended to accommodate forty or fifty
persons, and was to have been used as
ward for females.
The citizens of Blackfoot did all in
their power to assist, but of couise were
late in arriving on the scene, and all
they could do was to help in keeping
the patients from rushing back into the
fire The best shelter possible under
the circumstances was furnished to the
suffering ones. No clothing was saved
from the wreck except that worn at the
time the fire broke out
The building was uninsured, likewise
the furniture and fixtures of all kinds.
DR.. Givens lost his furniture, diplomas,
books, and every thing of the kind, and
had no insurance.