, 1890-05-08
THE LIST G ROWS.
$50 Patients Now Said to Have
Been Burned.
Maniacs Roaming at Large in
the Country.
Scranton, Penn, Visited by the
Fire Fiend.
At Tongue PoInte.

Tongue PoINTE, May Sister The
rese de Jesus, superioress of the burned
asylum, places the loss of life at certainly
twenty if not fifty. DR.. Duguete, govern
ment medical inspector, places the loss of
life at sixty. He is strongly opposed to
the system of placing the l%unatios under
the care of the sisters, and will ask the
government to place the incurable and fu-
nous ~lunatics in a small Institution where
they can have skilled treatment. The
harmless insane could, he said, be placed
to greater advantage under the care OF
the sisters.
The ruins OF the asylum were next yis
tied. Nothing but heaps of smoking
brick and mortar can be seen. No yes
tige of the dead can be traced. In the
rear Of the asylum are stables. where
about 100 male patients were quartered
last night under the supervision of the
sisters and four Montreal policemen. The
scene is not one TO be easily described and
surely not one to be easily forgotten.
Lying on heaps of straw, sickly and fee
bic lunatics we're to be seen moaning,
gibbering, shrieking, twisting and jump.
ing. 1t made one shudder to pass down
between W large hay mows in which
were confined the worst cases, so fierce
was the expression Of their c-ountenauces.
In the laundry are 100 patients, mostly
quiet, whose aid has been taken advan-
tage OF in putting things in shape. Some
of them did most heroic work in rescu-
ing unfortunates from the flames. Oae
of the attendants said that seven lay nuns
persisted. The loss financially is placed
as high as 81, 500 900, insurance $500, 900.
MONTREAL, May As the full de-
tails Of the Tongue Pointe asylum fire be-
come known the horror is Intensified and
the sister is derided who asserts that the
number of dead does not exceed sixty. 1t
is known by the last report to the Quebec
government that there were l,7S0 in
mates instead of 1900. and this much is
certain, that no one will ever know the
number of victims. From collateral In
formation it is certain that there are $50
dead. If enough material can be found
an inquest will be held. The fremen
have left the ground and the heat is dy
ing out OF the ruins.
An Associated Press reporter was on
the spot all day, his horse %hounderIng
among the mud and ashes. A discharged
patient today afirms that t. all inquiries
sent BY friends as to the progress patients
were making one stereotyped answer was
given without any restrictions as to ac-
curacy: Your friends physical condition
is excellent, but mentally there is no i'm
provement.
1t is now known hat many of the
wards we're locked. In cases where
friends did not break in whole rooms full
persisted. The sight OF screaming wretches
yesterday was bad enough, but to-day
there was a sadder sight in the weeping
relatives seeking in vain for some tidings
of some member of the family. Men
coming up town tonight to dinner were
startled by seeing a lunatic parading the
streets, rejoicing in his freedom and mem
acIng women and children until he was
secured. Paying patients Jared best, but
the great loss was among those confined
in the upper story and those imprisoned
in the dark basement cells.
Fire Commissioner Perry characterizes
the building as a death trap and a dis
gree to a civilized country. A startling
report current tonight is that a large num-
Der of male patients persisted in the
flames, all of whom were thought to have
escaped. 1t is absolutely impossible. how
ever, to add any names to the list Of
deaths. 1t will be weeks before the nuns
will be able to give any information.