Los Angeles herald., 1890-05-08
THE ASYLUM HORROR
Scenes of Terror at Tongue
POinte.
Great Suffering Among the
Insane Patients.
The Number of Victims Will Never
Be Known.
The Management of the Institution Sc
verely Condemned-Fresh Flames
Break Out.
Associated Press Dispatches. !

MONTREAL, May 7.--As the full de-
tails Of the Tongue Pointe asylum fire
become known the horror is intensified,
and the sister is derided who asserts that
the number of dead does not exceed
sixty. 1t is known by the last report to
the Quebec government that there were
1,780 lunatics instead of 800, and this
much is certain, that no one will ever
know the number of victims. From
collateral information it must be that
there are $50 dead. Ii enough material
can be found an inquest will be held.
The firemen have left the ground and
the heat is dying out of the ruins. An
Associated Press reporter was on
the spot all day, his horse
foundering amongst the mud and ashes.
A discharged patient today affirmed that
to all inquiries sent by friends as to the
progress patients were making, one ster-
eOtyped answer was given, without any
restrictions as to accuracy: "Your
friends physical condition is excellent,
but mentally there is no improvement"
1t is now known that many of the
wards were locked, and in cases where
the firemen did not break in the doors,
whole rooms full perished miserably.
The sight from the screaming wretches
yesterday was bad enough, but today
there was sadder spectacle in weeping
relatives seeking in vain for some tidings
OF some member of their family.
Men coming up town tonight to din
ner were startled by seeing a lunatic
parading the streets rejoicing in his
freedom, and menacing women till he
was secured. The paying patients Jared
the best, but the great loss was among
those confined in the upper stories and
those imprisoned in the dark basement
cells. Fire Commissioner Perry char
acterizes the building as death trap
and disgrace to civilized country.
A startling report is current tonight;
it is that large number of male
patients perished in the flames All of
the women are thought to have escaped.
1t is absolutely impossible, however, to
add any new names to the list of dead
1t will be weeks before the nuns will be
able to give any information.
Tongue PoTNTE, May 7.-Sister The
rese de Jesus, the superior of the burned
asylum, places the loss of life at GER
tainly twenty, and possibly fifty. DR..
Duquete, grand medical inspector,
places the loss of life at at least sixty
He is strongly opposed to the system of
placing lunatics under the care
of sisters. He will ask the government
to place incurables and furious lunatics
in small institution, where they can
have skilled treatment. The harmless
insane could, he said, be placed to
greater advantage under the care of the
sisters.
At the ruins of the asylum nothing
but heaps of smoking brick and mortar
are seen. No vestige of the dead can be
traced.
In the rear of the asylum are stables,
where about one hundred men patients
were quartered last night, under the
supervision of the sisters and four Mon
treal policemen. The scene was not one
to be easily described and surely not to
be easily forgotten. Lying on heaps of
straw, sickly lunatics were to be seen
moaning, gibbering, shrieking, twisting
and jumping. 1t made one shudder to
pass down between the large hay
stalls in which were confined the worst
cases, so fierce was the expression of
their countenances.
In the laundry are 100 patients, mostly
quiet, whose aid has been taken advan-
tage of in putting things in shape. Some
of them did most heroic work in rescu-
ing the unfortunates from flames.
One of the attendants said seven Law
nuns perished.
The loss is financially placed as high
as 81 900, 900; insurance, 100000.
A procession of lunatics was taken UP
early this morning, and while it was in
progress, the whole length of the road
was crowded with vehicles.
Tongue PoINTE, Quebec, May 7.-The
laundry of the insane asylum, in which
one hundred patients were housed during
the night, took fire this morning, but
the inmates were all safely removed.
1t is yet merely matter of specula-
ton as to the number of dead, but the
general concensus is that it cannot be
fewer than one hundred people, perhaps
nearly double that. The only names of
victims known are Sister Gravel, Sister
Boutellier, Sister Lumine, Sister Vic
toria, Sister Lahacro, of the sacred
heart convent. The latter was patient
in the violent ward.
Other patients named were: Mrs.
Kelly, Montreal Mrs. Williams, Hall
fax; Bridget Malone, Montreal; Miss
Letoumay, Maison Euye, Quebec; Miss
Cullen and Miss Thericult, of Montreal.
Missing-Victoria Beaudry, Augustine
Laroux, Camille Marshmont, Delphine
Archambault, Marie St. Deny, Eli st.
Laus and Christine Demeis.