The Wahpeton times., 1890-05-15
AWFUL HOLOCAUST.
Lunatics Meet Their Death at
an Insane Asylum Near
Montreal.
Attempts to Rescue Them
From the Flames Resisted by
the Maddened Lunatics.

A/ONGUE <ucss 0pCCluI-A AOuS
line of Raunt 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,
and 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
fate. What to the spectators was scene Of
horror was to the lunatics moment of SUI
preme glee and in their delight they dis
ported themselves in the flames and waved
their blazing limbs in turbulent satisfaction
in the ruin that was about them, and not
not until the walls tumbled over their
heads weae their maniacal screams silenced
There were incarccrated in Tongue Point
thirteen hundred lunatics, for that asylum
was prison more than hospital, and now
not more than eleven hundred are account
ed for; but many escaped into the fields
ond woods, and the dead are ashes among
| ashes What the number of the dead is is
purely
MATTER OF CONJECTURE
and can never be ascertained, since no 9TH
er record is kept than that in the asylum
books and it is also destroyed. Taking
into consideration the whole of the evil
dence from the frcmcn, half-sane informa-
ton, the Sisters in CHARGE bystanders and
personal observation it Isl 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 TIE SECOND WARD
on the woman's side in the upper story
and as ventilation was carried on by a longi-
tudinnl shaft connected with the towers the
flames soon appeared blazing UP through
the roofin the center of each tower. At
five minutes Of ~ tclcgraphic message was
received III Montreal saying that the asy-
lum was on fire and imploring for assis-
tance. This could not be given without
consulting Mayor Canicr, who was found
at the Banque Du Pcuplc, and he at once
ordered engines to be dispatched. One en-
gine and two reels started on their tcn-milc
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
of water were brought to bear on the flames,
and while they lasted some good was done,
but that was for very brief space and then
&ho nT t1,oc ci$p 1o,3
AS the heat increased statues fell from their
inches to the ground and then the habitants
prostrated themselves, crying aloud that
THE SAINTS HAD DESERTED THEM
indeed. Meantime the beds, furniture and
utensils of every description We're being
showered from the windows and stream
OF ill clad men poured out Of the eastern
wing. Not a 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 difficulty,
but from the upper wards, were the violent
patients We're secured, there came the wild.
est screams as they resisted the nuns, who
were bcseechlng them to make their escape
When the tircmen 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 q
sight as no fireman ever witnessed In one
ward that he entered were twenty-five pa
tients, and at his approach they huddlcd
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" lie tugged 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 the 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 en-
gineer turned on the hose, but it was utter
ly useless, as the fire leaped along the
ventilating shaft to the towers and burned
in dozen places at once.
AGORY ARTICLE.
lack tta Rippar I etter Poad Rafora