The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-03-25
AN ASYLUM BURNED.
SlXO OFTHE INMATES PERISH IN THE
FLAMES.

The Central Insane Asylum Near Nash
Vile, Tenn, a Mass of Ruins-Over 400
Persons In the Building When tho
Alarm Was Given.
NASHVILLE, March 1.-THE beauti-
full Central Insane Asylum, seven miles
from this city is almost mass Of ruins,
and beneath it are the charred bodies Of
a half dozen inmates. In the outhouses
near by are huddled poor creatures who
fonnd the asylum once a grand OLD
structure. now laid in ashes.
At 1915 last night tongue of flaD
broke through the roof on Wester,
main wing. How it caught none could
divine, but it reached from the ground
through the second and third stories and
cut off a few rooms beyond it. The
alarm was given and the 400 inmates Of
the institution were thrown into wild
commotion. Twenty-eight men were in
the wing when the fire caught, and
twenty-five of them were quickly re-
moved to the main hall, the other six
being lett to their fates behind the lm-
passable wall of flames. The loss is
heavy, but the building is insured.
The city was telephoned for aid, but
Chief Carrel of the Fire Department
could not be found and his Subordinates
refused to move without instructions.
Finally, after two hours delay, the Chief
was found, and he, with two engines,
left for the scenes Of the disaster. In the
meantime the West wing had collapsed.
Theiumates, made frantic By the danger,
were beginning to break froLa the guards
and scatter like frightened animals over
the surrounding country The fire en-
gines arrived at 2::l5, and n few mo-
ments a fine stream of water was play
ing on the building Previously the in
mates, servants and guards had render.
ed fine service with buckets, and sue
ceeded in holding the fire in check to
some extent. Had it not been for their
vigilant service the entire structure
would have been 10 flames before the
arrival of the fire department.
The names of the killed were: J. S.
Johns of Rutherford County, }. Burt
Dexter of Wilson, Blue Preston of Can
non, John Kelly of Wayne, w. H. Beas-
try of Hickman, B. F. HolloWe!l Of
Davidson-all white men.
By midnight nothing remained for
the men, who had fought SO nobly, to do
but to stand aside and await the coming
of the engines frora the city. When
one of the reporters was about a mile
this side OF the fire on his way out, he
met couple of lunatics in their shirt
sleeves trudging along the highway with
their arms locked about each others
neck. AS they passed one of them cried
out: "Fire. fire! cold! cold." On his
return the same pair were oyertaken
just within the corporation line. This
time they were heard to says: "We are
free, we are free. but don't you tell!
don't you tell..' And turning around
he saw their arms were well locked
about each others neck. Hiding in the
shrubbery Immediately around the road
were many who had escaped 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
source of pleasure to them and the bit
ing wind a thing unfelt. At 3:l5 the
inmates w@ had been huddled 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.
at this moment the West wing had be-
come entirely demolished and about one
half Of the main building. The danger
Gus lunatics were kept locked all the
time in the East wing. and none OF them
were subjected to exposure or danger
during the progress OF the flames.
. 1t was reported at $3.50 this morning
that one of the women, an inmate Of the
asylum, 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, and the
inmates were comfortably housed and
all was quiet.
The loss to the building is estimated at
about S5O.OOO; fully covered by insur-
ance. The fire is supposed to haye been
caused by Lee Ford, an inmate, who IN
some mysterious manner escaped. It's
reported that he was recaptured to-day
near Severgne. About 125 Of the in
mates will be transferred to the West
Tennessee asylum at Bolivar.