Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-05-09
Another Insane Asylum Burned, al
Many Lives Lost

Another Insane Asylum Burned, and
Many Lives Lost.
UTICA On. W, May Sih-A large portion
of the Chamango county buildings, located
at Preston, near Norwich, were burned at
midnight last night, and ten of the in.
mates, and possibly more, were burned.
The buildings destroyed were the asylum,
in which were about eighty inmates, and
the pauper house and idiot ward, in which
there were forty inmates.
Both were three-story wooden buildings
in good repair, having wings of two stories
in hight. They were valued at SIS 900, and
insured for $4,000, and are total loss.
The saddest part of the disaster was the
burning of ten idiots, who were penned in
their cells. They were roasted alive.
The origin of the fire was probably from
smoldering sparks from slight fire which
occurred Wednesday afternoon.
Deborah Dibble, a feeble-minded old
woman, was smoking pipe and set her
clothing and bedding on fire and was
burned fatally before the flames could be
extinguished. 1t is supposed the fire
started from some undiscovered smolder-
ing sparks from this event. The keeper
was awakened by pauper and attempted
to release the idiots, but was driven back
by the fire.
He then ran through the outer buildings
in his night clothes rescuing the inmates.
The insane patients, some of them, had to
be forced out and they fought against their
release. but all were saved
Most of them were taken to the Metho-
dist and Universalist Churches until other
quarters were procured.
Some escaped and took to the woods,
where the Sheriff and his deputies were
hunting for them to day.
The names of the nine idiots who were
burned are: Sarah Mills, Sarah Gallagher,
Arvilla Atwood. Sarah Bailey, Laura Gray
Deborah Dibble, Mary O'Daniels, Almeda
Austin, Adelia Benedict.
The keeper rescued several at the peril of
his life. The scene of the burning was in
describe. and the horrors of Tongue Pointe
were reached on smaller scale.
The demented and terror r-stricken in
mates wandered around the burning piles
in hopeless manner. The great wooden
buildings lit up the hills for miles around
A bucket brigade was formed and about
one hundred men labored to save the
small buildings in the rear, with success.
EXCITEMENT INTENSE.
NORWICH IN. Y J. Msy S:h.-The excite
ment over the destruction of the Poor
house and County Insane Asylum this
morning is intense. All who had friends
among the unfortunate eagerly sought for
Information regarding their fate.
Preston is six miles from any railroad,
and procession of all sorts of vehicles has
been going there all day. The smoke and
stencil from the holocaust is perceptible
here.
At the scene of the disaster the stencil is
sickening. The idiots were locked in and
roasted like beasts. Keeper Mainwaring
said: son opening the door leading from
the hall to the idiot department, l was
thunderstruck to see the interior mass
of flames. l attempted to rescue the poor
inmates, who were all securely shut in
their cells as usual, but was driven back by
the heat and smoke. saw the idiots were
doomed and nothing could save them.
| then aroused the paupers
In some instances the poor people were
dazed, and it was necessary to carry them
bodily from the house and turn them loose
in the yard and fields.
There were twelve inmates in the idiot
asylum and they must have been overcome
by the heat, for heard nothing from them
and they roasted like pigs
Coroner Ferrald of this place went to
Preston and ordered the removal of the
charred and blackened remains in the
ruins. Buckets of water were dashed upon
them and at length roasted trunks were
pulled out and laid on the grass. All were
burned beyond recognition.
In some instances the remains were re.
moved with shovels, nothing but the skull
or Iew bones giving any indications that
they were once human beings.