Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1890-05-14
ANOTHER AsYLuM HORROR.

~ Poor. Houss. and Nine Helpless In.
mates OF the Idiot Departments Are
burned to Death In Their Cells.
Utica, N. Y, May 9. The larger por-
tion Of the Chenango County buildings,
which for fifty years past have been lo-
Gated ut Preston, about six miles from
Norwich, were destroyed by fire Wednes-
day night about midnight and nine Of the
inmates, possibly more, were burned.
The buildings destroyed were the
asylum, in which there were about
eighty inmates, and the pauper house
and idiot ward, in which there were
about forty inmates.
The horrible part Of the disaster was
the burning of nine idiots who were
penned in their cells and were roasted
alive. The fire started in this portion
of tho main building. The keeper was
awakened by pauper, and tried to re-
lease the idiots, but was driven back by
the fire. He then ran through the other
building in his night clothes, rousing
the inmates and turning them out
of doors, Some OF them escaped and
took to the woods, where the sheriff and
large number or deputies are hunting
for them. The names Of the nine idiots
who were burned are:
Sarah Mills, Sarah Gallagher, Arvilla At
wood, Sarah Bailey, Laura Gray, Deborah Dib.
BILE, Mary o. Daniels, Almeda Austin and
Adelia Benedict.
All who had friends among the IN
tortunates have eagerly sought infor-
nation of their fate. Preston is six
miles from any railroad, and process.
sion Of all sorts of vehicles has been
going there all day.
The idiots were locked in and roasted
like beasts. Their unearthly screams
first aroused pauper named Edward
Francis, who slept near them. Francis
says that he aroused Keeper Maenwar-
Ing, and by that time the building was
doomed. The inmates were screaming
for help, but no one could enter the
place, and they were forced to abandon
the unfortunates to their fate and pro.
ceeded to rescue those in other parts OF
the building. None persisted whom II
was possible to save. E. F. Maenwar-
ing, the keeper, said:
ION opening the door leading from the hall
to the idiot department: saw that the interior
was ablaze, In fact, 1t was one mass Of flame
and the smoke was overpowering. l attempted
to open the door and rescue the poor Inmates
who were all securely shut In their cells as
usual, but was driven back by the heat and
smoke.
II saw that the idiots were doomed and that
nothing COULD save them then ran out and
gave the alarm. I ran through the corridors
and aroused the paupers telling them what had
happened. In some instances the poor people
were dazed and it " as necessary to carry them
bodily from the house and turn them loose in
the yard and the fie ds.
There were twelve inmates in the idiot
asylum and they must have been overcome by
the heat before awakened them, for heard
nothing from them, and they roasted like pigs
In q hole. We have done the best we could fol
the unfortunates who were rescued by quar-
tering them in the churches. hotels and houses
In the village, and the people are ministerina
to their wants. How the fire originated is 9
mystery. When l took possession as keeper o.
the house threw out oil the old stoyepipe and
replaced it with new. besides putting heavy
sheet iron screens around every stove and be
sides this, it has been my hobby to do every
thing TO prevent q conhagration. It must have
been q case OF spontaneous combustion"
The Chenango County poor-house
was situated on the county farm on the
east side of the road leading from Pres
ton to Oxford. 1t was six miles west
of Norwich, six miles north of Oxford
and about one mile from Preston Cor.
ners. The building devoted to pau.
pers was built of wood, three
stories high above the base
ment. The main building or GEN.
trail part was forty by eighty feet. At.
tached to this were two two-story wings
extending east each thirty by forty
feet In the rear Of these at distance
of twenty-six feet was the milk-house.
The building was erected in 1862
and afforded originally accommodation
for 1875 inmates. The insane asylum
was situated north of the poor house
building and separated from it by a
driveway twenty-five feet wide. This
building was two stories high and
eighty-iive feet long. The insane will
be removed to Utica asylum.