Brookings County sentinel. (Brookings, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1890, 1890-05-09
DEATH IN A MDHOUSE.
Fire Destroys the Insane Asylum
at Tongue Point,
Quebec.
Thirteen Hundred Inmates in
the Institution-Two Hun
dred Missing.
Fifty Patients and Seven Nuns Sup
posed to Have Perished in the
Fire Trap.

TONGUE POINT, Que, May "A long
line of gaunt towers and mass of blaz-
ing debris, reflected in the wild eyes of
the maniacs, is all that is left Of the
Tongue Point lunatic asylum, and the
horrible sights that were witnessed dur
ing the destruction of the building will
never be forgotten by the spectators,
though TO the lunatics it was time of
sudden glee and in their delight they
sported themselves in the flames and
waved their arDJs in turbulent sAtisfac-
ton at the ruin that was being wrought.
Not until the walls tumbled over their
heads Were their maniacal screams 81
lenced There were incarcerated in the
asylum 300 lunatics: for the place was
more like n prison than hospital, and
in the evening not more than l., 100 had
been accounted for. but many had es-
capped into fields and woods. The num-
Der of dead is now purely matter of
conjecture and is not likely TO he ever
ascertained, since no other record is
kept than the asylum books and these
were destroyed by the fire Taking into
consideration all the evidence from fire.
men, half sane inmates, the sisters in
charge by-standers and personal obser-
vation. il is conservative estimate to
say that
100 VICTIMS MET THEIR DEATH
III the flames, although some assert that
ln,. ,e 1, II !.
fallen upon Quebec province in time ont
of mind
Five minutes before noon telegram
was received in Montreal imploring as
sistance The mayor as once ordered
help to be dispatched. An engine and
two reels Were soon started and they
were quickly on the spot, but might as
we'll remained at home, for in five min
uteS they had exhausted the water sup
ply. The fire started III the second ward
on the womens side in the upper story,
and its spread was hastened by long ven
tilatioD shafts connected with the tow
ers. The flames soon spread blazing up
through the roof III the center Of each
tower When the tiTemen arrived the
dome of one of the towers had just
fallen, and the flames were bursting out
everywhere.
Streams were laid on and while they
lasted some good was done, but that was
for very brief space, and then the hor-
ror of the situation was revealed. Mean
time beds, furniture and utensils We're
being thrown from the windows. and
streams Of ill-clad men poured ont of
the eastern wing, not one male patient
being left. Among the women it was
different. The less hopeless cases
We're treated III the lower
wards, and these PERSONS were
removed without difficulty. but from
the upper wards, where the Violent pa
tients were confined, there came the
widest screams as the unfortunates re-
sisted the efforts of the nuns in making
their escapes. At the windows the ma
MACS could be seen peering through the
bars, jabbering until they were envel-
open in the flames and compelled to re-
lease their hold and
DROP BACK IN THE CAuLDRoN.
When the tremen found they were DOW
erless to save the building they turned
their attention to the inmates and burst
in the doors with axes Chief Bennett
says it was such sight as no fireman
ever before witnessed. In one hall he
entered were twenty-five patients, and
at his approach they huddled and
clasped themselves together like u pack
of beasts. He seized the nearest, but
said the chief, II could no more separate
the crowd than | could separate the
parts of one body" He urged them un-
til the fire darted into their garments
and embodied them
IN aupOUD OE EIAAES
One of the Tertiary nuns, Soeur Marie.
had been asleep in the sick infrmatory
on the fifth floor, and to her rescue hur-
ried three others. They seized their
companion and bore her in a blanket to
the stair case, but there they were met
by sheet of flame and all four perished
Their names were: Soeurs Marie, De-
morris. Egilbert and Lumiene. None Of
them was over 20 years of age. All came
from the parishes below Quebec. The
sisters worked most heroicaliy, implor-
ing and commanding patients, and
despite the disadvantageous circum-
stances succeeded in rescujng large
Sister Theress, the superiorcss, has
been in poor health, and it is feared that
the shock may prove fatal to her.
Drs. Bourque and Baralet remained at
the work of rescue until exhausted. and
were carried out unconscious.
The management of the pauper insane
h oo hoan n long afandin0 shsna n fLa