The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-05-07
Fearful Fl
IN A LUNA7IC ASYLUM
AtLongue pOinte, Near Montreal,
Canada, Where Thirteen Hun.
dred Imbccilcs NYero
Confined.
Nothing But Blackcncl Towers
Remain OF the Ediflco.
While Most OF tho Inmates We're
llcscucd, Over One Hundred
lyero Burned to Death.
Laughing at tho Flames That
Doyoured Them In In.
sane Glee.
. . /.
A HORRIBLE SUGGESTION
A HORRIBLE SUGGESTION
That Many Idiots mud Insane Persons
Arc Now Wandering About and
May Commit Crimes Unre.
strained Terrible Scenes
Enacted During tho
Frislitfui Fire.

Frislltfui Fire.
MONTREAL, May Ca long line OF
gaunt towers, the blazing debris shining
in the wild eyes Of tho insane-that is all
one now sees Of the Tongue Pointc Luna.
lie Asylum, located ten miles from Mon.
treal, and which, with many lives, was
to-day consumed by flames. Taking it
NIL in all, nothing could exceed the hor.
ror attending this terrible calamity, con.
sdering the number OF victims and the
terrible nature OF their death, and the
manner in which the helpless victims
received their fate.
There were incarcarated in Tongue
Pointe 1900 lunatics, for that Asylum
was prison more than Il hospital, and
now not more than eleven hundred are
accounted for; but many escaped into
the fields and woods, and the dead are
ashes amongst ashes. What the num-
Nber Of the dead is is purely matter Of
conjecture, and can never be ascertained,
since no other record is kept than that
in the Asylum book, and it lis also de-
stroyed. Taking into consideration the
whole of the evidence OF the fo,emen,
halt OF the insane inmates, the masters
in charge, the personal observations, it
is Ga conservative estimate that a hun
dred victims met their death, though
some assert that the number. is double
thnt stated, and others place it below
this figure. However, this fact remains
that no such calamity has fallen upon
the province OF Quebec since the earliest
times.
THE SHAME OF THE PROVINCE.
Ever since Quebec was a Province its
management OF tho most helpless Of all
creatures has been its shame. They
have been farmed out to the nuns at
500 head per year, and the sisters aim
was to keep them as frugally rs possible
with the least possible outlay for perma-
nent works or repairs. While their
most urgent bodily wants were supplied,
no attempt was made at systematic
'neulcal ,tealnent. ny curious com.
c'uence Tue only tfotesIant Insane Asy-
lnm IN .he rroVlnce was lnaugufatGd To-
aay pyNshew supeilhtehuent. hitherto
patients OF ail aehomnau0ns were
by PERSISTENT personal solicitations rails
ed enough money to found an institu-
ton OF their own, where their own
patlen!s are oelns cared LOT. for years
Inc Government. nus peen urged 70
ieaeem ,ls iieIln'snt ~ ,pt ~ IieihsHDe' ann
iast summer tne Nlothet superior WIN
1oay Euaio "s seh1 aptoau WIN uus
solemn1ty 70 asceltaln IL anythlng cou!o
ne learned rom similar lnstltuhons.ln
Europe, Dnt up 10 TINS morning enc has
eViuehtiy discovered no.h!ng that "oulo
be Oh Vaiue ~ Hef' III 'ne care Oh tnost
entrusted 10 hef. lJ
ORIGIN OF TIE FIRE. is
Fifteen minutes before noon the or,
..I,: u, .;,,o, rha an.o..;,;,.,o.
VI 'i'e' "'0 s''.n' AAe i'' o''H"ase>
III u eupoo"'u' 80" 40 wv
Paiied; P;Id;n, thapa ia . lo,,ht in so,ne minds a.
to whether it vas intended for an asy
lum or u blast furnace; in any case !
served the latter purpose admirably. odt y
WINS conetfncteo OF b.lck anu was w.
ieet long, running BACK from tne riyei
half the distance. 1he main outidint
occupied the centre, ana on eaci
sido extended iour wings, sl'
stories III height. 10 Inc Gus
were che mems wards ana 10 the Wes
the women's' making siStY IN an. ~
tho rear were the engine mousse an;
laundry and store roome, al! OF whlci
were saved. The lire started IN tne sec
ond ward, on the Women's SIDE In TN
nppcr story, and rs ventilation was car
ried on bya longitudinal shalt con
nectcd with the towers, the flames sool
appeared blazlngup through the rooi II
the centre OF each tower. 3,
n!!eantime beds, furniture, utensils o
every description We're being showere;
from tho windows, and stream Of Ill
clad men poured ouI Q! tue eas'et'
wing. Not male patent was lost.
SOME HORRIBLE sCENEs.
Amo,, ths women it was different
-, Amons - - :. ,.a ,r.~o rlocod :,
inc less hop,less ."s.e WV - paauu - a,,o -
the lower wards, ana 'nes-@e'e iouiove'
without difficulty, out rom tae uppe
wards where the violent patients wer u
secured there came t.ia widest scream p'l
rs they resisted the nuns VINO were " !.
seeching them to make their escape. q
.uo 'aor;nn ] thron,h tha hars or;nn;no an
iabberfpr at tho bright flame tbs