The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-01-23

e"O %AShPiCoo SictiIlS Oh inc AuIneS.
Erskine College, In South Carolina, De
stroyed by Fire.
INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 22-[Speciall-
One OF the most appalling fires in
the history of indianapolis occurred
last night. The National Surgical In
stitute was burned to the ground.
The fire started at midnight in the
office. The building above the offices
were wards for babes and mothers,
known as tho A B departments. Smoke
was discovered before midnight issuing
from the advertising room of the build
ing, which Immediately adjoins tho
operating room, back of the office. The
origin is claimed to have been from
spontaneous combustion of chemicals
which had been placed in the room.
Circulars and paper about the room soon
were ablaze, and in fifteen minutes the
whole lower floor was eyeloped in
Aames.
The attendants quickly awakened all
the patients and pandemonium reigned.
Shrieks tor help went up as tho inmates
realized their terrible situation, and
the stoutest hearts wero appalled,. The
police and fremen and attendants all
worked diligently and in perfect accord,
and many patients were taken from the
upper floors by means of ladders and
carried to place of safety. No at
tempt was made to save anything but
life. Patients, both male and female.
themselves under ordinary circum-
stances barely unable to get about, as.
sisted nobly in the work of rescue.
The view in the halls and OIL the
stairways before tho fire had communi-
Gated to tho main building furnished
weird sight. The inmates wrapped in
bed clothing crawled and helped them
selves along from ono floor and ono
landing to another. Many touching
scenes occurred, such as friends stop
ping to assist others more unfortunate.
Citizens turned into help in the work of
rescue. Cots were rudely constructed
from mattresses, and strong armed
policemen picked up the Unfortunate
ones and carried them across tho street
to the now annex but recently pur-
chased by Doctors Allen and Wilson.
An immense crowd gathered about
and great anxiety was felt, for t seemed
improbable that everybody could have
gotten out of the burning. mass alive,
and their fears were justified by the
events. Two women jumped from tho
windows. One of these was badly in
jured, but another, who was caught by
man standing in tho crowd below,
escaped serious injury. Two others
threw out their babies, which were
caught and saved by the firemen. Ono
or two men jumped from tho roof and
were badly hurt.
MaDV rpSclIa6 nnnnlo unro tol-o,> -
the nearest shelter. Two largo restau-
rants soon had five or six hundred in
mates, among whom the scenes were in
dcscribably pitiful a majority of the
patients in the hospital were children
under treatment for deformities or dis
eases which rendered them helpless. a
worry large number had been more or
less burned in addition to their former
misfortunes, and had become separate ted
from their mothers or nurses. Among
these occurred the most pitiful and
touc hing scenes.
Grifliith's restaurant held the greatest
mum Der of sufferers, it is hardly posi-.
Bile to tell how many, owing to the con-
1nsion In the place totally unadapted to
the use TO which it was put in tho
emergency, but 300 or 400 hundred.
Seventy or eighty more were found
sheltered in the Weddell house restau-
rant.
Nineteen bodies so far have been
taken from the ruins.
ERsKINE COLLEGE DESTROYED.
CHARLESTON, S. c., Jan. 22.-[Special
-Erskine College, located at Due West.
Abbeyville county, S. c., was burned
this morning, only fow benches, desks
and blackboards being saved from the
wreck.
The library. containing over 1000
volumes, belonging to tho Theological
Seminary of the Associate Reformed
Presbyterian Church, was destroyed, to-
gether with the college library and fur
niture. The loss is over So, 900 and no
insurance.
The halls of the literary societies.
exhibition hall and chapel, three sepa-
rate buildings and the college campus
were not injured, and the exercise OF
the college will be resumed without
delay Erskine College celebrated its
semi-centennial two years ago, and is
now one OF the Oldest and best schools
in the South. 1t is under the control
OF tho Associate Presby terian Reform
Church. The origin of the fire is UNI
known.