The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-05-07
QUEBEC HORROR.
Lunatic \ 'yium Burued-Terrlbio Scenes
Of Death and Madness.

| lunatics IL was time Of supreme glce. and
| IN their delight they dlsporied thonl-
I selves amid flames and waved their
arms in turbulent satisfaction at The
ruin that was being wrought not
until the walls tumhled over their heads.
were their manacal scroaEas silenccd.
There were incarcerated In the asylum 1870
lunatic-, for the place WAS more like a
prison than a hospital. and .hi, evening not
more than LOO had been accounted FOR,
bat many had escaped into the fields and
woods. The number of dead is now purely
q matter OF conjecture. and is not likely to
ever bc Gscortaiued. since 30 other
record is kept than The asylum books.
and these were DESTROYED in the fire. Taxi
Ing into consideration an the evidence from
ircmen. halt sane inmates. iho sisters IN
charge, hys'anGers and personal 1h-erya-
tion. n j. conservative estimate f0 sav
that one hundred victim, met their death boo
the flames. although some assert that the
number j. two hundred. No such calamity
has fallen upon Quebec Province ia time
out OF mind.
ASSISTANCE ASKED FOR.
At five minutes before noon "a telegram
was received iu Montreal imp'orng assist
ance. This could not be giyea without cone
sultng Mayor Grcninr who was found at
the Blnque du Peuple. The Mayor no once
ordered engines 90 be dispatched. one en-
CINE aud two rpfl- We're soon started. and
they were quickly on The spot. Bat mi-ht
20, Wei have remained at home. ior m iife
minutes they had exhausted thc water SUP
ply.
ORIGIN Of HE FIRE.
The iire started in tha second ward ON the
women side in the upper story. and ii-
spread Was FASTENED hy longitudinal Nen-
tIlatiou shafts. connected with fle towers.
The flames soon appeared blazing up
through ihe roof in the centre of eacn tower.
N hen the iremeu arrived the dome ot one
tower had Just fallen. aud the flames were
bursting out everywhere. streams were
laid on and while they lasted. some goo0
was done. but that was for q very brief
space. and then the horror Cf the situation
was revealed.
A HORRIBLE SCENE.
Meantime beds, furniture and utensils
Were being thrown from window, and
streams of ill-clad men poured out 90 the
eastern wing NOT one male patient being
lost. Among the women 10 was different
The less hopeless ease. We're treated in Tine
lower wards. aud these persons were fe-
moved without difficulty. nul from tine mp
per wards whore the violent patients were
confined. there came the widest screams
a- the unlorfuuatr- resisted the efforts
ofthe nuns t0 aid them loo making their
escape. At the windows thn mahiac-
could be seen pcer'u- through tIe bars,
trimming and ldhhrriu- until they were
envelope in the lamos, and compelled 20
release their hold and drop back ln the
rauldrOu. VI hen ihe hremDn found iuer
were p0worl.-, to -l,e the building. iheN
turned their attention t0 the inmates, /
and burst in tine doors with axes. /
& hief Bennett says DO was such "a
sight %, nO iirencu ever before VIE /
messed on one han Doe entered there /
wen. twenty-five patients. and no h.- ape /
Ieuance they huddlDl and cla-pod tncm- /
selves together ike pack 90 beasts. he
seized The nearest, "hut,' said tlc M.i. 81 I.
ould uO more -operlie the crowd than J /
could separate tlo part. oi One BODY il. /
fu--ed at them unu. the ii,e dar.td in.o /
their garments ANA cui0ld,d them in % /
-hroud Of ilamc.
one Of the ttrtMry uEhs.' '-j'm .rutr. 7
had been asleep in the sick inhrmaI} ON ihe /
inh nOUf and 90 nDr rescue hurried thr ]
Ylher- They seized their companion AMI /
bore hcr iu "a blanket to ihe stare i-r, bi.l 4
here they were met hy ID sheet oi I1nr. Hhd /
lll iW porsh0d. Their names Nele ~atuf /
Marie. n.m0ri-. E-.lhcrt and Luminnc. I
Nouc Of them was 0sor2l years 0t age. AI /
came from PARIS below Quebec. lhn .i-- /
t.r, worked most hrrolclliy iml lNun<, DEE
-e,chlr. and commanding patients. nud /
despite rlr 0i-ad'agta-.ou, circum-'in- /
re-. succeeded "a r.-cuing large
number. sister Theresa. tie superior /
So. has been 800 poor health, ahn /
10 is feared that t0day's shock may prove /
rital tOher. DJct0g B.rugue aud EIIalr /
remained at tine WORK 0i rescue uutii cN- /
uau-tcd and were carried out unconscious. /
AsrANpiNc SHANE.
THE management OF the paup,r insane |
has been i0ug-stauding cause ot shame in |
tine province az QUohcc. The unioriundies
uIlr been firmed out t0 nuns af 500 la bead
ger year. and lhe aim seems t0 have been to
Keep them a- chDlplF us possible and VIII
ihe least possible outlay i0r buildings or rD-
pairs. While The mo-t ur .at bodily wants
of the patients have been supplied. no ai-
tempt has been made at sy -iemutic medical
improvement
PROTESTANT ASYLUM
Hva curious coincidence the only Pre-
f.-tiut insane asylum loo tAa province N.s
iusu-ur4frd to-day D., Jos neW -un.rintenl-
cut. Hitherto patients oi Ml otnuniit.-
ti0u- were treated cog .thar. Dlt tlr if.ies.
fHui, hy persistent -DlIrtltinn rli-lG
which iI.ir oWn patient, uii-nt ne cared if'.
Forttar. tns Government Ni. been urged 81
adopt modeu'Ird treatment DitIe insane.
and last summer th- mother superior was
sent abroad 10 ascertain ifany Improvements
could bee adopted from sIuilaf institutions
In Europe: but nothing oi Nalue seems o.
have resulted from the voyage.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BURNED BtlLniNh.
The -. Jean Dieu Asylum. c0mm0nl,
called IouzIe pOiute. WAS founded n l@.4
The building consisted of ihe main cilloe.
and four smaller buildin-- connected it
WINGS. and hac "A frontage OF csi
feet. The principal building was siN
stories high. ard other portions 6
the building hNe. The sisters oi Prov
drnce spent in founding and Or-anI.n.
the institution Sl.l52OOO. of which sun
$,O1.OOO was spent in buildings. The buid
iug was insured by thcGOYcrnmeni iorf.Ao-
e9lm the Royal Insurance Company. inlf|
sum had been rcinsured in eighteen locai
COMPANIES in sums varying from SJfF
to sz2.uU0. The Sisters 81 irofitence- Wiu
owned the building. and under whose cot
troll the building has always been' D., tlr
largest Of the many large Canadian ordci-.
although only established City wears az
lis founder Wa- Nine. Damdlin. Nldo" Oi
% wealthy Montreal merchant, Who endowed
the new -i-terh00i.
Universal sympathy is I'm or Sister
Ihere,e the energetic Lady superior Di
Lougre Pointc Asylum. This lad,'- family
name Tetu. and she belongs t0tlc Quebec
distri. -. she was seriously I'D during the
winter with Inflammation ~ the lung-, ard
IL wa nnsed for some time that -he was
diving. During the last mouth she aad been
slowly s..uter.ng. hGt is SIN very weak.
There W.i. $50 trained nurses cml.oted ia
tii.Nar.ou- departments Df iac Institution.
yERlIABiE OrHElIAs.
The patients Who had I'D lrom The burl-
ing building wandered about aiulcs,ly. clad
in scant garments, many OF them tefl.able
Ouhelias in their fantastic dress. when
released many of thgm weqI for joy and
bounded like deer across the fields 10 Tie
woods. Patients cf both sexes escaped. ard
though a Gordon oi police was formed. not
an lhe patients were found, and horribly
suggestive ruh0rs We're brought IN bi pt"-
ple who came through the woods 10 the
scene of fte disaster.