Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-12-28
Five Hundred Of n, Inmates Frantic
ais Screaming with Terror
Turned Loose.
HEROIC eFFoHrs TO SAVE The
UNFoRTuNArEs
Many Women Severely Burned.-One
Lunallc Mlsslng.-k Heavy
Loss.
ALuNArIc ASYLUM.
Terrible scenes DurInE connngra.
tion In Michigan.

tiou Ia Michigan
roNgIAc, Mich, Dec. 20. Fire was
tiscUveud IN the north wing oil the
Eastern Michigan Insane Asylum NJ
! 1 O'Clock this morning. The nhmcs
furead with fearful fsuidity, aud, with
the limited facilities VI hand, the fire.
men we're pOwerlsss. Fifteen minutes
after the frst alarm sounded the Occu.
Iants Of the wing, 800, were turned
loose. Screaming irnntically with
terror, the mhulAcs surgcd through
the corridors, where the air was al
ready filled with smoke. The ilamts
were visible through II all, aud the
sight Oiled tbs drmuntui creatures
with terror. Some ran like Wild anl.
mRla, ,ramping their slower cOmpau.
ions g. their mad efforts 10 escape.
Others we're psralyled with fear and
stood rooted e. the spot, with eyes star.
ing horribly INTO the rOsnug htc. The
attendants performed dcehs Of Hero
ism IN tie uudeavOr tho rescue the
helpless. Rushing hither aud thithur,
dragging hositatine ones from their
rooms ,hey dove the Insane women
int0 the OMEN air. When some Wore
once uIOn the outside they would break
and rush Tor The building again.
Superintendent Burr aud a.slsihniF
NJ NE medical StaH gave directions fJr
sac rsmovn! Of the lnmaie4, uud by
elt excellent AMI valiant labOra sil,
30 believed, were rescued alive.
Ne rrtholt-s, som. say that several
wUmtn were seen as the windows after
the patients were supposed 20 bu all
out. They had torn every vett,gC OF
clothing nom tholr persons ani were
laughing Ia hidrOus glue ~ tho ap.
proach OF zoe flames. 49, ll;HO tu, en-
ifr nuIih Miug W1H Wrapped lu HHnel.
The gt,enuuut8 had dIno ~ in tholr
power ami nothing Waa lpft hut TO try
anu -hv" thr rest " the usylum from
the uhmpg.
SPECTATOR declare that they heard
Hhr.gkH OF auruiah from .honW fui pyrc,
a. Ii ths uomrAtrd victims yielding
tuuir lives % the llamcs. But Ia the
CON uunn II Uis Impossible 10 dis
i4uguish The screams oi tie frightened
inauiaCH without from the expiring
uuicry OF the victims within, " my.
There were strenuous efforts made 10
convey the pationls 70 cottages Tor safe
l,coplug. rhla was accomplished with
tits utmost difficulty.
G.ent fear was felt les, the fire should
spread across 10 thu south wing, where
nearly Hryuu hundred men are con-.
fined. Preparations were siiately
made 10 rumovu tho men u IL became
necessary.
Inside the south wing, from the mo.
mcut thc flames came out, the wildcat
excitement prevailed. Seven hundred
crazv meu tore about their rooms, yen.
Ing Ike demons.
Hundreds OF People from Pontiac
aua vicinity Jolucd ia the fght with
the flames at This Iuncture, and, by a
most stubborn resistance, the wing wac
saved. Aside from this everything save
the chapel, hOspitu aud eng ine.housU,
was destroyed. A number OF women
who were IN the section OF the build.
ing hrbt destroyed were severely
burned ON being removed, but prompt
attention avettod any serisons conse.
quoncts. James Lyon, Frederick
Linton ana another attendant whose
nams could not be learned had mar
row escape while fighting the flames
ont g fourth door Unknown TO them
the lire surrounded the spot at which
the mon we're working and, only when
Ihty found every avenue OF escape
olos, d except one smsll window, did
they think Of their safety. When the
flames were nearing them, n long lad.
uer was raised aud the men rescued,
Just ~ they were on the point OF falling
back iuto the raging furnace. A mum
Der OF other narrow escapes occurred
mud hui few Of the attendants escaped
without severe burns or other injuries.
1t il difficult to obtain accurate
figures on the loss. One OF the board
Of trustees OF the asylum estimates Il
at not less than 100000. The patients
must, for several days nj least, suffer
great hardship. The kitchen 10 among
the destroyed buildings and some time
must elnpse before the culinary depart.
ment can be- rr.establlshed and the
lunatics properly fell.
ONE NAN MESSING.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich, Doc. g.
The Democratic Pontiac special says:
IN. situation at the burned insane asy.
lum has Improved today. Theinmht.s
have founu quarters in the nelghbDriug
asylum cottages and In houses which
the citizens placed at the disposal OF the
asylum authorities. The Injured have
greatly improved, and n search revealed
hut one Inmate missing, mhu named
Steele, from Detroit. The trustees will
begin rebuilding at once.