The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-05-08
Terrible Fire in a Great Quebec
Insane Prison.
ONE HUNDRED WOMEN BURNED.
The xanises Shrieked in Glee e the
Red Blaze Approached.
fmpossBble 60 Rescue the DemenseA In
Estes-Ths Bodies Entirely Cremated
Male Madmen Escape Co the woods
-Heroisn Of Young Nuns

LoscrE PorxrE- -QuE-. May 6-Along line
OF gaunt towers il aii one now sees osz1she
LoLgue Pointe Inna,ic asylum, located ten
miles from Montreal, and which. with
many lives, was today consumed by flames.
The sights witnessed during this tragic
scene were such as can never be forgotten.
Nothing could exceed the horror attending
los terrible calamity. considering the num-
ber of the victims, the terrible nature OF
their death. and the manner in which the
helpless victims received their fate.
What to the spectator was . scene of hor-
ror was to the iunatics one of the most su-
preme glee, and in their delight they dis
ported themselves in the flames and waved
their blazing limbs in turbulent satisfaction
At she ruin that was about them, and not
until the walls tumbled over their heads
were their maniacal screams silenced.
There we're incarcerated in Tongue
Poinse l 800 lunatics, for that asylum was
prison more than g hospital, and now not
more than LOO are accounted for, but
many escaped into the fields aud woods
and the 1ead are ashes amongst the ruins
What the number of the dead is, is purely
matter Of conjecture and can never be
ascertained, since no other record Is kept
than that in the asylum books, and they
are destroyed Taking into consideration
the whole Of the evidence from the firemen,
half of that of the safe inmates and that
of the Sisters in charge. il Is q conservative
estimate to say 100 inmates met death,
though some say the number is double
that, and others place it below this figure
However, the fact remains that no such
calamity has fallen on the province OF
Quebec since the earliest times.
Ever since Qnebec was q province its
management of these most helpless of all
creatures has been its shame. They have
been sarrded out TO the nuns at 800 q head
per year, and the Sisters aim was to keep
them as frugally as possible. From the
construction of the building, there is doubt
in some minds as to whether it was in
tended for an asylum or q blast furnace.
In any case. IL served the latter purpose
admirably. II was constructed of brick,
and was 6C0 feet long. running back from
the river The main building occupied the
center, and on each side extended four wings
six stories in height
The fire today was started in cup
board in the second ward on the woman's
side, in the upper story. by q careless
patient. and as the ventilation was carried
By longitudinal shaft connected with the
towers, the flames soon appeared blazing
up through the roof in the center Of each
tower. A telegram was sent to Montreal
for aid. and one engine and reels started
at once. They might as well have re-
NAMED at home. In five minutes they
exhausted the water supply The only
q hat ft,a k,t,iI I-ps a.,
ST. Lawrence river. and 1t was half mile
distant When the Associated Press re-
porter arrived with the firemen the dome
of the towers had just fallen. and flames
we're bursting out everywhere.
As the heat increased the statues fell
from their inches to the ground, and the
inhabitants prostrated themselves. crying
aloud that the saints had deserted them.
Beds. furniture and utensils OF every de-
scription were being showered from the
windows, and . stream OF ill-ciad men
poured OUT OF the eastern wing.
Not male patient was lost Among the
women it vas different. The less hopeless
cascs were placed in the lower wards. and
they were removed with difficulty. From
the upper ward. where the violent pa
tents were secured. there came the widest
screams. es they resisted the men who
were trying 10 induce them to make their
escape.
Al times . maniac would be seen peer
ing through the bars. grinning and jabber-
ing at the bright fame that went up TO
the sky. As the heat became more in
tense she would grasp the bars and remain
there until the flames enveloped her. The
inhabitants had come from all parts
around about attracted by the blaze. and
In an hour the little village was full of
surging. shouting. vocifera,ing people.
When the firemen found they were pow
criess TO save the building they turned
their attention to the inmates and burst in
the doors with axes. Inside, Chief Bevoif
says. WAS such q sigat as no fireman ever
before witnessed. In one ward he entered
there we're twenty-five patients. and
at his appearance they hnddied together
ike pscs of beasts. entwining their arms
into one mass of humanity. He seized the
nearest. bat, said the chief, II could no
more separate the crowd than | could the
parts Of your horse" lie tugged M them
til the fire dar;ed in their garments and
enfolded them ike 3 shroud OF fame. and
then he escaped with ais life. in another
ward three hremen we're nesTsy trapped to
death. They entered q room and the
door. which had a spring lock, closed
behind them. As Is customary, there was
no handle on the inside. The door resisted
their axes and they rushed to q window
but were driven back o. the flames. The
chief. suspecs'ng their Peril. sent aid 10 the
other side and the men were carried down
on ladders. The engineer o. the building
did good work, saving nine patients. and
every fireman made record Of which he
may feel proud.
On the nrsi alarm the engineer turned on
the hose. bat il was utterly useless a. the
fre leaped along the veniilhting shaft to
th. towers ard harned ia dozen places 81
once. one og the nuns. SISTER Mary, iav
sick in the intrmarv on the nth door. aud
to her reseae came three Others, Demorest.
Gilbert asad Lumiene. They ss;xed their
cntnpAnion and oore her In blanket 70
the staircase e1t they we're met by a
sheet Of Same and al perished- None OF
them acre over 20 years of age
The Sisters worked with the persistence
OF heroines. by taras importing. eeseechiag
aad commanding sae patients. and finally
saving q very lsrge number, IN view of the
inassse1:ase facligtses ~ hand.
A load expsoSson VA followed ny the
crash OF beams. The interior sss giving
and shrleks of uaan4aFs we're loss IN the
general uprosr, and. as one by one she
wasls topped Inward. elrEe hssrss up