Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-15
AN ASYLUM HORROR.
The Building Burned-inmates Perish In
the FIames-The Details.
rBy telegraph to tho Dispatch.l

NAsHvuIr. March 14.-The beautiful
Central Insane Asylum. seven miles from
this CITY, is almost q mass OF ruins, 6nu De
meath IL are the charred bodies oil half
dozen inmates. In out-houses near by are
huddled the poor, demented creatures VINO
found an asylum IN the grand ola STRUCTURE
now laid in ashes.
At10:15 last night tongue of fame broke
through the roof on the western main
wing. How it Icaught none could divine,
but il reached from the ground through
the second and third stories and cut on
tho few rooms beyond it. The alarm was
giyen. and the 400 inmates of the institu-
zion were thrown into wild commotlon.
Twenty-eight men were in the wing wnere
the fire caught, and twenty-five OF them
were quickly removed to the main nan, Tue
other six being left to their fate behind an
impassable wall of flames. The loss IS
heavy, but the building was insured.
AN UNFORTUNATE STATE OF THINGS.
The city was telephoned to. for aid. but
Chief Carrel, of the fire department, could
not be found, and his subordinates re-
fused to move without instructions. FINAL
ly. after two hours delay. the Chief was
found. and he, with two engines, left Tor the
scene of the disaster. In the mean time
the west wing had collapsed and the in
mates. made frantic by their danger. were
beginning TO break from the, guard ana
scatter like frightened animals over the
surrounding country.
PINE SERVICE OF INMATES AND EMPLOYEES.
The fre-engines arrived at 2:15, and in
few moments O fine stream OF water was
PLAYING on the main building. Previously
the inmates of the asylum, the servants,
and the guards had rendered hne service
with buckets, and succeeded in holding
Al G.. ,,,o haNk n aTfpmf Han N
not been for their valiant services the en-
tire structure would have been IN flames
before the arrival Of the fire department.
The names OF the killed were: Joseph
Johns, OF rutherford county; j.. Burt
Dexter, of Wilson; Blue Preston, of Can
non; John Kelly, of Wayne. W, ii. Beast
rick. of Hartman; Is. L. follower, OF Da-
thing remained for the men who had fought
SO nobly 10 do but to stand aside and
await the coming of the engines from the
city.
LUNATIcs LOOSE.
When one of the reporters was about
mile this side of the conhagration on the
Wav out he met a couple of lunatlcs IN
their shirt sleeves trudging along the high
way with their arms locked about each
others necks. As they passed one of them
cried out, Fire. fire! Cold cold! On
his return the same pair were overtaEen
lust within the corporation line. Tins time
they were heard to say: We are free, we
are free; but don't you tell-don't You
tell" and turning around 1T was seen that
their arms were well locked about each
others necks.
HAPPY IN THEIR MISFORTUNE.
Hiding in the shrubbery Immediately
around the road were many who had es-
capped when the sudden exodus was made
from the west wing. Most of them were
but partially dressed, but almost without
exception their faces were covered with
smiles, as if the downfall of their refuge
was a source of pleasure to them and the
biting wind thing unfelt.
NO DANGEROUS PATIENTS ESCAPED.
At 3:15 the inmates who had been hud-
died for several hours in the yard in front
of the main building were returned TO the
east wing. About twenty-five had escaped,
the majority of whom were harmless. Al
this moment tho west wing had become
entirely demolished and about one half of
the main building. The dangerous luna
ties were kept locked all the time IN the
east wing, ana none of them were subject
ed to exposure or danger during the pro-
gress of the flames.
ONE OF THE FEMALE INMATES DROWNED.
II was reported at $3.50 this morning that
one of the women. an inmate OF the asy-
lum, had been drowned in the lake on the
lawn, but her name could not be learned.
The fire was at the same time reported fully
under control, the inmates were comforta-
Div housed, and all was quiet.
Ii is impossible as vet to give any esti-
mate of the loss, but it will be heavy. The
building was fully insured.