Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-05-08

flames. Had II not been for the timely APP
peargnce Of three nremen all four would
have Ierished.
Thomas Kourke, engineer OF the asylum,
acted the part OF u hero, eayinR NO less
than 10 women OF the furious aud intrm
ward. Hetold tho following story tonight
to q reporter: 81 was endeavoring to con-
fine the IRE to the wing in which 1t started
with tho asylum boss coil OF which was
placed on zach Nat, when DR.. BourKat, the
asylum physician. came iunning up and
said: 'nOurke, for Gods sake, run up to
the Homen's furious ana imbeciie wards.
Jae fire has got there from the other side,
and tho sisters cannot g0tine maniacs out I
ut once ran to the stairway to get up to
these wards by the usual way, when found
the entrance literally Blocked by fire and
smoke. All the sisters mad had 10 give up
| their brave efforts and had left to devote
their energies to work calculated To have
results"
| The only known PARTITION In the whole
] building was that between tho main hobg
and the laundry building, valued at $10G, 900
Z which has been savaa.
/ The statement WIS circulated this evening
/ that tine Ere was caused py the electric ap.
/ planes, which had only recently been
! placed throughout tho Whole building. The
| electrical superintendent, however, rlil-
/ culed tue idea, and says that there were no
/ appliances In that portion of the building
| where the c'a originated.
at midnight the Are engines were still
| playing on the rulGs TO prevent any danger
| OF the flames spreading to the asylum laun-
! dry and stables, the only DnildlnRs con-
| nected with the Institution not wholly IA
| ruina. Since nightfal sGarosly 10 minutes
! has passed without some patient who had
run away roaming back 10 the ruins Of the
asylum, A regular hunt after tbs missing
! patients will be Instituted TO- morrow.
One by one the walls topped Inward, ami
fierce blazo burst up from the nav =
added fuel that rose TO the dark sky and
shot It's glare over tho st. Lawrence to the
southern shore, and even tinRed the crest
| OF Mount Royal, ten miles distant Then II
| died down into placknass and nothing but
| a few oxen towers remained bounding
| the seething mass OF metal ami debris,
under which ara nov, not the bodies, but
/ the ashes of a hundred Victims. by this
| time 1t was growing dark and very cold.
The spring rains had converted the piHcs
4 Into quaglnire, aud only horsemen could
/ Ret from place TO place. fhe poor sisters,
most OF them young and delicate. stooi
ankle deep in mud, securing and snperin,
tendiDR the removal Of such furniture as
had been saved, Patients wandered about
aimlessly, clad In scant garments, naay oil
them verisable '0pnellas" IN their fantastic
| dress.
The water supply was very defective, and
In short tins was exhausted. The fire.
men damned up neighboring creek and
| used II to the best advantage. Chief Of Fire
Department Benotd was the first to arrive
aud frightful siglt caught Ills eye
Dozens OF frantic females, pursued by the
| hames. were screaming for life at the iron
barred windows. The chief succeeded IL
breaking through the bars OF one OF thu
wlndows and saved three women. Two
others might have been saved, hut thsj
rushed from tho tirenen and dashed into
the flames.
The financial loss reaches Q $3.50 ,OCO
The Institution was insuIsd Ia the Roya
Insurance Company OF England fol
950O.0DO, the amount being sublet to Il
companies. The government will have t
foot the balance.