The morning call., 1890-05-07
Destruction of the Tongue P0inte
Insane Asylum Near
Montreal.
FETTERED LUNATICS PERISH.
Appalling Scenes Witnessed by Fire
men Who Were Helpless to Rem
der any Assistance-Seyen Nuns
Numbered Among the Victims.
Description of the Premises-A
Total Loss.
Special by the California Associated Press.

MONTREAL, May 6.-The Tongue Pointe
Insane Asylum caught fire about IL 80
o'clock this morning, and at 2 o'clock the
building was a mass of flames. The fire
apparatus at the asylum was utterly made
quate and several steamers have been for
warded from here on special train. Hun
dreds of lunaties. male and female. were
grouped together in the asylum grounds in
a gibbering and frenzied condition. The
nuns made every effort to control them and
allay their fears. and as rapidly as possible
the poor creatures were removed to places
of shelter in the neighborhood. A few
minutes past o'clock detachment of the
Montreal Fire Brigade arrived on the scene
and did good work.
The fire is said to have originated in a
cupboard in the middle wing of the struct-
ure.
TERRIBLE SCENES.
1t is reported that terrible scenes fol-
lowed the discovery of the fire. The at
tendants were fighting with hundreds of
violently insane persons, who struggled,
screamed. swore and attempted to throw
themselves from the windows and roofs.
It is said that fully 40 patients perished
in the flames. The building, which cost
S1,00O,OOO, was completely destroyed.
The disorder during the fire was so great
that it was impossible to obtain anything
like a correct estimate of the killed this
afternoon, and an accurate list of the lives
lost cannot be obtained this evening.
DR.. Borque, the physician of the hos
pital. says he does not think the number of
killed will exceed fifty or sixty. Dr. Bur-
CESS Of the Protestant Insane Asylum says
the loss may reach that number. He says
state of chaos exists, and the sisters have
no means of checking the registers. Friends
of the inmates are carrying them off in car
Iiages, and the road to this city is lined
with cabs.
HELD FAST BY CHAINS.
About ninety patients in the small cells,
many of whom were faving maniacs, and
some in chains and fetters, had no means of
escape.
The fire was discovered by j. A. McKenna
Of Burlington, VT, who only entered the
asylum this morning for treatment for the
loss of memory. He was one of the first to
notice the outbreak. He was sitting in a
room after being examined, and felt the
plaster On the wall growing warm. He
sprang to his feet and ran out, shouting
fire" He became confused after being
nearly smOthered with smoke, but gained
the door, accompanied by j. J. Enright of
Burlington. McKenna was quite rational,
lint tIrr L. II
fects.
LIKE A FLASH.
The fire broke out in the northwestern
building, rushed up the ventilator and at
tackled the roof. From there it spread to
the large central building with incredible
rapidity considering the solid character of
the structure, and swept everything before
II. Dense volumes of smoke burst through
the windows, then the flames shot through
the roof high into the air, red, massive and
terrible, dyeing the sky for miles.
The smoke increased and the flames
burst through every barrier. Within an
hour the vast pile was doomed. The roof
OF the central building fell in with a loud
report like heavy cannon. The heat be-
came so intense that the fierce glow could
be felt on the cheek from the high road at
the end of the long avenue. The walls
toppled and fell, and only their black and
ragged remains were left standing at
o'clock.
HELPLESS MANIACs.
No power on earth could have checked
the fire. Sixteen hundred inmates were in
the building, many of whom were bed-rid-
den. AS fast as possible they were rushed
to the western wing and hurried down
stairs and out upon the grounds.
There upon the wet grass, huddled to-
gether under cover of blankets or wander
ing through tie grounds with faces un-
touched by the horror Of the scene, others
lying down sleeping, with old quilts for pill
lows, or humming airs which breathed the
spirit OF happiness, or looking up into the
flames, with misery stamped on their pallid
countenances, while around them walls fell
and roofs crashed in, more than a thousand
helpless creatures were gathered together
within the inclosure guarded by only one
man.
One young girl in the midst of the driz-
Zllng rain sat at piano in the grounds and
played sweet music while the flames rose
above her. Those who saw the spectacle
will never forget il.
FRANTIC PRISONERS.
Sub-chief Maud was asked how many
lives were lost He said: 81 don't know.
l heard there were some burned, but who
could tell now?"
A fireman said: az saw dozens of people
struggling against those bars"-pointing to
the top windows in the rear of the central
building. They were blackened and
shrieking, but no help could reach them
and they fell back into the flames"
saw large number of men and
women cliu pinU m ba do, nj
man LapOrte, but nothing could be done.
How many perished no one knows. tried
TO rescue two women, but could not reach
them.'
SEVEN NUNS BURNED.
Seven nuns are known to be among the
victims who were roasted to death. Their
names, as far as can be ascertained, are:
La Mere Lahla Of the Sacred Heart, Sault
au Recollect; Sister Marie GrayeIle, her
sister Julia, and two other nuns named
Gilbert and Bouthelier, all from Quebec
Ihe less hopeless cases were treated in
the lower wards. These were removed
without difficulty, but from the upper wards
"here the violent patients were confined,
came the widest screams as the Gnfortu-
mates resisted the efforts of the men to
AID them in making their escape.
at the windows were maniacs neering
through the bars, grinning and jabberine
until, enveloped in the flames, they were
compelled to release their hold, and drop
back to an awful DEATH
When the fremen found it was impossible
to save the building, they turned their at
tention to the inmates, and burst in the
doors with axes.
SIGHT NEVER BEFORE WITNESSED.
Chief Bennett says it was such sight as
no one ever before witnessed. In one hall