The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-01-22
FOURTEEN ARE DEAD.
And Nearly Half a Hun
dred Burned and
Manned.
A MEDICAL INSTITUTE BURNED.
Women Leap From Windows and
Babies Thrown to Firemen-
Resc uing the Sick.

L
tional Surgical Institute. one of the most
famous institutions of it's character in
the United States, was burned to the
ground early this morning. The insti-
tute was crowded with patients, four
teen of whom we burned to death.
The fire started at midnight
ia the office building. and
above the offices were the wards for
the babies and mothers, which are known
as the A. B. c department.. The origin of
the fire is claimed to have been from the
spontaneous combustion OF some chemi-
calls which had been placed in the room,
while circulars and other papers stored
there fed the flames, and in less th an fif-
teen minutes the whole lower flo or was
enveloped in blaze
FLIGHT OF TERROR.
The attendants at once awakened all
the patients, and in few moments the
thoroughly frightened inmates were rush
ing through the halls. Escape by means of
the stairway was impossible, and the in
mates, wrapped in bed clothing, crawled
and helped themselves along from one
floor to another as best they could. No
attempt was made to save anything but
life. The policemen. firemen and attend
ants worked like beavers and many pa
tients were taken from the upper floors
by means of ladders.
Patients. both male and female, who,
under ordinary circumstances, were
barely able to get about, under the ex-
element assisted nobly in the work of
rescue.
Many citizens turned out and helped
the firemen. Cots were rudely con-
structed from mattresses, and strong
armed policemen picked the unfortunate
ones and carried them across to the new
annex but recently purchased by Drs.
Allen and Wilson.
SENSATIONAL ESCAPES AND REsCUES.
During the excitement two women
jumped from the windows. One of these
was badly injured, but another, who was
caught by man standing in the crowd,
escaped serious injury Two others threw
out their babies, which were caught and
saved by the firemen. One or two
men Jumped from the roof and
was badly hurt. Over 1875
persons were taken from the firemen and
carried into adjoining stores. WeddePs
restaurant, where eighty patients were
carried, presented sight which defied
description. The unfortunate patients
were stretched upon tables and the i'm
provised beds.
One Of the m ost pitiful cases was that
of Ethel Platt. the eight-year-old
daughter of James W. Platt, of Pinkney-
vile. III. She was found, in her
bed on the third floor half
strangled with smoke and helpless with
spinal trouble. Wrapped in blanke
she was taken up in the arms of a fire.
man, carried down to the next floor
through dense smoke and hot roarin q
gathered below and extended their arms,
She was thrown out. With broken
leg she was taken across Il
linois street. placed on table
and covered with blankets. She suffered
desperately and frequently screamed out
from her desperate agony. She was flu
ally removed from the crowded room and
carried to the rooms of Mrs. Gilbert, four
doors above the restaurant. A pillow
was placed on the outstretched arms OF a
gentleman and the child was placed
thereon and moved to more pleasant
quarters.
TEN BODIES RECOVERED.
At four O'Clock this morning ten bodies
had been recovered from the ruins, six of
them were identified as follows:-
Spies, Stella, aged thirteen, Nc
Ramstack, Will, aged eighteen, Mil
waukee, Wis.
Payne, Irma, aged seventeen, Mime
sofa.
Minnie Arnold, aged seventeen.
Fred. Drockendorff, aged twenty-five.
Saltwater, MINI.
George Ellis, aged thirty-f1ve. Ken
lucky.
Hughena Mclean, aged twenty-one. of
Caldwell, Ind, is missing and thought to
be dead
Arnold were found together. Katie
Strawn, young girl who was hor-
ribly Injured, died at three o'clock at the
annex.
LIST OF INJURED.
The injured will probably number
II fnYs t<of a
L. Straughan, Indianapolis. terribly
burned about the face and back; Mrs.
Thomas, Indianapolis, badly burned
about the face and body. suffering terri
bly,; Fannie Broden, Memphis. Tenn,
burned in dozen different places
ly injured by fall from ladder,
probably fatally; Mary Stearns, Warren,
Iowa. terribly burned about the feet in
running into the burning hallway OF the
third floor; Clara Morris, home not given,
hurt in the back; Grant Vanhorsen,
Athens, N. Y, hand and ear burned;
Clarence Mead, Athens, n. Y, legs
slightly hurt; William N. Albach, Dun
kirk, n Y. slightly injured; Leonora
Knowles, Independence, Ind, back hurt by
jumping out third story window; w. W.
Winder, Troy. o., internally injured by
falling out of window while trying to
escape; Will Mansfield, Otseg 0, N. Y,
foot hurt in jumping from roof 10 rool
till he reached the grou nd; Mrs John S,
Stokes, Danville. Ill. sprained ankle; Nek
lie Mason, of Walworth, Wis, Jumped
put of a third story window OF the front
part of the building, and will
dis from her injuries; Mrs. Lazarus
of Texas, jumped from The
second story window OF the real
building and may die. although the doc
tors said that she might survive. Mrs. q
j. Simpson and little girl were carried
mt py the firemen and were seriously
burned by the fire: R. Connor. the fathel
of a little boy. who was patient. III tn'
effort to save his child fell from the sec
md to the first floor of the east wins
through hole in the floor. He received
serious, if not fatal. internal injuries.
The dead at this hour are known tx
number fourteen.
WAR IN FERTILIZERS