The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-05-16
AWFUL HOLOCAUST.
Lunatics Meet Their Death at
an Insane Asylum Near
Montreal.
Attempts to Rescue Them
From the Flames Resisted by
the Maddened Lunatics.

line OF gaunt towers, the blazing debris
shining in the wild eyes of maniacs-that
is all one sees of the Tongue Point maniac
asylum, located ten miles from Montreal,
aud which with many lives, was to-day
consumed by flames. The sights one wit
messed before this tragic scene are such as
can never be forgotten. Taking It all in
all, nothing could exceed the horror at
tending this terrible calamity, considering
the number of the victims. the terrible
nature of their death and the manner in
which the helpless victims received their
late. What to the spectatdCs was a!scenc OF
horror was to the lunatics fanoment OF su-
preme glee, and IN their delight they dis
ported themselves in the flatnes and waved
their blazing limbs in turbulent satisfaction
in the ruin that was abouf them, and not
not until the walls tunf led over their
heads weae their maniacal Seams silenced.
There were incarcerated ini Tongue Point
thirteen hundred lunatics, # that asylum
was prison more than hosf end now
not more than eleven hundral q f"sa count
ed for; but many escaped iA, eHe fields
ond woods, and the dead are les among
ashes. What the number of ii dead is is
purely
ANATTER OF CONJECTURE
and can never be ascertainetl, since no 9th.
er record is kept than that in the asylum
books and 1t is also destroyed. Taking
into consideration the whole of the evil
dcnce from the firemen, hali-sane informa-
tion. the Sisters in charge, bystandcrs and
personal observation it lisa conservative cs-
innate to say that fully fifty victims met
their death, though some assert that the
number is double that stated, and others
place it below this figure. The fire
STARTED IN THE SECOND WARD
on the woman's side in the upper story,
and as ventilation was carried ON by longi-
tudinal shaft connected with the towers the
flames soon appeared blazing Up through
the roof in the center of each tower. AZ
five minutes of II tclegraphic message was
received in Montreal saying that the asy.
lum was on fire and imploring for assis.
tance. This could not be given without
consulting Mayor Canier, who was found
at the Banque Du Peuple, and he at once
ordered engines to BIO dispatched. One en-
gine and two reels started on their ten-mile
run and were quickly on the spot, but they
might as we'll have remained at home for
in five minutes they exhausted the water
supply. The only thing that could save
the save the building was the St. Lawrence
river, and it was half mile distant. When
the reporter arrived with the tircmcn the
dome of one tower had just fallen and
flames were bursting everywhere Streams
ofwater were brought to bear on the flames,
and while they lasted some good was done,
but that was for very brief space and then
the horror of the situation was revealed.
As the heat increased statues fell from their
inches to the ground and then the labitants
Frustrated Themselves, crying aloud that
THE SAINTS HAD DESERTED THEN
indeed. Meantime the beds, furniture and
utensils of every description were being
showered from the windows and stream
OF Ill clad men poured out of the eastern
wing. Not male patient was lost. Among
the women it was different. The less hope
less cases were placed in the lower wards,
and they were removed without dflicnlty
but from the upper wards, were the violent
patients were secured, there came the wild.
est screams as they resisted the nuns, who
were bcsecchlng them to make their escape
When the fircmen found they were power
less TO save the building they turned their
attention to the inmates and
BURST IN THE DOORS WITH AXES.
Inside, Chief Benoits says it was such
sight US no fireman ever witnessed In one
ward that he entered were twenty-five pa-
tients, and at his approach they huldlcd
together like pack OF beasts cntwining
their arms into one mass of humanity.
He seized the nearest, but, said the
chief: II could no more separate the
crowd than could parts of your
horse" He tuggcd at them until the fire
darted into the garments and cnfoldcd them
like shroud Of flame, and then he escaped
with his life. In another ward three fire.
men were nearly trapped to death. They
entered and the door, which had spring
lock, closed behind them. AS is GUS
tomary there was no handle ON tho in
side. The door resisted their axes
and they rushed to the windows.
but were driven back by the flames. The
chief, suspecting their peril, sent aid to the
other side, and the men were carried down
on ladders. The engineer of the building
did good work in saving nine patients, and
every fireman made record of which he
may feel proud. On the first alarm the cll-
gineer turned on the hose, but it was utter
ly useless, as thu fire leaped along the
ventiiating shaft to the towers and burned
in dozen places at once.