The Lamar register., 1890-05-10
A TERRIBLE FIRE
A Canadian Insane Asylum Burned and
Many Lives Lost.

Tongue PoINTE, Quebec May o.
The insane asylum at Tongue Pointe,
which is ten miles from Nonvreal, burned
last night. The building was Constructed
Of brick and was coo feet long, running
back from the river half the distance. The
main building occupied the ,oenter, and on
each side extended four wiaEs, six stories
in height The fire to-day was started in
a; cupboard in the second ward, on the
woman's side, in the upper STORY by a care
less patient, and, as ventilation was car
ried on by a lonitudinAl shaft connected
with the towers, flames soon appeared
blazing through the roof in the center OF
each tower.
A telegram was sent to Montreal for aid
and engines and reels started at once
They might as well have remained at
home, for in five minutes they exhausted
the water supply. The only thing that
could save the building was the ST Law
renee River. and it was half mile disant
When the firemeu found that they we're
powerless to save the building they Turned
their attention to the inmates and burst in
doors with axes.
Inside, Chief Benoii says, was ssich a
slEnl no tNNt tNlNAN
In oEe ward he entered were Twenty-Five
patients and at his approach they bundled
together like pack OF beasts entwintas
their arms into one mass OF humanity, He
seized the nearest but, says the chief, Il
could no more separate the crowd than
could the parts of your horse" Ee tusgsd
at them until the fire earted into their
garments aud embodied them Ike, shroud
OF lame, and then be escaped with his
own life
1t is thought that not a male pa lent was
lost Among the women it was different
The less hopeless cases were placed in the
hover wards and they were removed with
out difficulty, but from upper wards shers
violent patients were secured, there eains
the widest screams as they resisted the
nuns, who were beseechiRg them to iaake
their escape At the window a maniac
would be seen pearing through the bars,
grinuing and is.hbering at the bright fame
that went up TO the sky. AZ the heat be
came more intense she would grasp the
bars and remain there until tho flames CO.
veloped her.
One OF the Tertiary nuns, Sister Marie
lay sick In the indrmar- on the 18th ncori
and to her rsaseue came three otheEs, Dem
erese, Gilbert and Luurene. They seized
their comparison and bcre her in a blanket
to tho staircase, but ti,ry were met by
sheet Of fame and all persisted None Of
them were over 20 years OF age The sis
tiers worked with the persistence Of hero.
ines, by turns in,plo,nE, bsseeohinE and
commanding the patients to leave the
building
The closest estimate that can be made
at this time places ;she uumb,T Of lives lost
at nfty.
A new dread has e'ine upou the inhAo-
itants from the presence OF 20 many as
capped lunatics, and they will count them
selves fortunate II theJ are NOS visited by
a series of such crimes as uoly InAdmen
can devise
The Sisters of Providence spent ia
founding and organizing this Institution
81, lS2, 1872, OF which $4,000 was spent on
the buildings The buildings were ia
sured by the governrrenr for $4,000.
With the exception Of tho medical depart
ment consisting of the doCsors, tho sisters
retained complete control Of all the de-
partments-
Premier Mercier has placed the MoR-
treal exhibition building at the disposal Of
the nuns asnd tomorrow the building VIII
be stocked with provisions. The strangcst
wonder to the firemen is that such an alb
sence of fire fighting facilities could exist
Although tho appliances were there they
were utterly useless. The institution had
an excellent enigma ten good pumps and
the pumps and the boilers.