The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-03-24
AN ASYLUM BURNED.
SIX OF THE INMATES PERISH IN TAE.
FLAMES.

FLAMES.
Tho Central Insane Asylum Near NasH-
yilis, Tenn., n nrass OF Rrins--O '4oo
Persons In the Baiidisg whsn the
| Alarm Was Given.
NASHVILLE, March The beautk
full Central Insane Asylum, seven miles
from this city is almost mass OF ruins.
and beneath 1t are the charred bodies of
a half dozen inmates. In the outhousea
near by are huddled poor creatures who
fonnd the asylum once q grand ola
structure, now laid In ashes.
AT 10:15 last night q tongue Of flame
broke through the roof on Western
main wing. How 1t 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-
being left to their fates behind the i'm
passable wall Of flames. The loss 10
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 hour g 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.
The inmates, made frantic by the danger.
were beginning to break from the guards
and scatter like frightened animals over
tha surroundings NOunfrv Tho f1ra oy,
gines arrived at 2:15, and In o few mo-
ments 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 1t not been for their
vigilant service the entire structure
would have been in flames before the
arrival Of the fire department..
The names Of the killed We're: J. 8.
Johns of Rutherford County, j. Burt
Dexter of Wilson, Blue Preston of Cam
non, John Kelly Of Wayne, w. III. Beas-
try Of Hickman. b. F. Holloweil- 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 from the city. When
one of the reporters was about 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
out: "Fire! fret cold! cOldw On his
return the same pair were overtaken
Just within the corporation line. This
time they were heard to says: "We are
free! we are freel but don't you telli
don't you tellw And turning around
he saw their arms were well locked
about each others neck. Hiding in tho
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 q
source of pleasure to them and the bit
ing wind thing unfelt. At 3:15 the
inmates who 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 ay $3.50 this morning
that one of the women, an inmate Of the
asylum, had beeh 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
Ill was quiet.
The loss to the building is estimated at
about $4,000; 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 is
reported that he was recaptured to-day
near Severgne. About 1876 Of the in
mates will be transferred to the West
Tennessee asylum at Bolivar.