The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-12-30
THE FLAMES.
II...t,,i4 * ~ aS.fs .0e
Eastern Michigan Asylum for In
sane Burned. l,'. oA-a +.
.M g,lM N y 40 ~
Nn nuoJIuI TICo PEP0PTED
10 CASUALTIES REPORTED.
The Total Property Loss Will Probably
Reach Sl50,00O.
OVER HALF A MILLION

Dollars worth OF Property Destroyed ut
Chattanooga Tenn, la Less Than Two
Hours AfQ-4
PONTIAC, Mich, Dec, %. The mass
i've main building Of the Eastern Mich
igan insane asylum was almost totally
destroyed by fire Saturday morning.
Not one life,' so far as known, was lost.
The loss will not fall below S500,0O0.
The fire broke out just before IL
o'clock in an attic in the women's de-
partment.
The cause is a mystery, as the hre
started in part that was unoccupied.
Owing to this and the high wind the
flames spread rapidly. The admirably
organized FIRE department Of the asylum
was of no avail, but the fire department.
of the city, which arrived on the scene
at 2 o'clock, and several hundred citi-
zens fought the fire heroically. 1t
seemed for q time that before the day
closed tragedy would be enacted ex-
ceiling anything in the history OF the
state. But the admirable discipline OF
the institution averted every calamity.
except the loss of property, which is
very great. The patients were SO quiet
ly moved from hall TO hall and finally
TO the cottages apart from the main
building that 10 one realized they were
moving at all There was no resistance
and no force was used. The flames
, were confined to the three sections OF
the north wing and the administering
part Of the main building, containing
the Offices of the superintendent physi-
clans, etc. These are wholly destroyed
except the walls, which are still stand
ing.
At the beginning OF this year the
number Of patients at the asylum was
p75, Of whom 475 were females. Since
the number has been increased to some
thing over 1000. The care Of these re-
quired about 200 employees The in
mates must for several days at least
suffer great hardship The kitchen is
among the destroyed buildings and
some time must elapse before the culi-
nary department can be re-established
and the lunatics properly fed. Moth
ing Is definitely known as 70 any steps
for the rebuilding OF the burned struc-
ture, but instant action is absolutely
necessary.
LATER-Trustee Sawyer thinks $3.50,
900 will cover the entire loss, and says
the work OF rebuilding will begin at
once.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, Dec 26-Chat-
tanooga's most disastrous fire occurred
Saturday. d. b. Loveman & Co 'sgreat
dry goods house, occupying three num-
bers, on Market street at the southeast
corner of Eighth street, was discovered
10 be on fire while the clerks were al
their luncheon on the third floor. The
flames spread with astonishing rapid
ity, burning through the elevator shaft
and stairways, cutting off the escape Of
about thirty female employees, who
were rescued from the windows with
the ladders of the fire department
aided by the citizens Two Of the
women fell from the windows and wer'
somewhat injured, and a third was res
cued in an almost suffocated condition
The adjoining buildings were sool
afiame, the fire licking up over half
million dollars worth of property i
less than two hours The fire began a
1890 o'clock in the afternoon and b
1:3O the buildings on the north side @
Eighth street were ablaze.
Four Of the leading dry goods house
were destroyed and the principal boo
and shoe, crockery and furniture houses
. two banks, the public library and chan
Der Of commerce rooms. Cobweb clul
{ and a variety of small shops, Office
etc. The property destroyed is on II
two most important corners in the cit.
Loveman's dry good house was one I
the largest retail dry good houses in Il
south, there being 100 employed in tn
one business All Of the property owl
! ers say they will rebuild handsou
structures, and new quarters are q
ready being secured by business house
All the merchants in the near vicini
suffer more or less loss by reason Of 7
j moyal of goods II appeared at OF
II time as II the the entire business pc
ton was TO be destroyed