The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-01-23
FEARFUL HOLOCAUST
Nineteen Cripples Killed in an
Indianapolis Hospital Fire.
AeoNIzING CRIES FOR RESCUE.

INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 29.-The fire in
the National Surgical institutue, which
occurred yesterday morning, was one of
the most appalling in the history of this
city. The fire started in the Office build
ing, and above the offices were the wards
Tor babes and mothers, and known as
the ga, b, c. departments. Smoke was
discovered issuing from the advertising
room of the building which Immediately
adjoins the operating room back of the
Office. The origin is said to have been
from the spontaneous combustion OF
some chemicals which had been placed
IN the room, and circulars and papers
about the room soon were ablaze, and in
fifteen minutes the whole lower floor
was enveloped in flames.
When the fire department arrived the
windows were full of screaming, moan
ing cripples, and the scene was one of
horror beyond description. The work of
rescue was begun at once with ladders,
and the inmates were removed with
great rapidity.
Shrieks of Agony.
The attendants barely had time to
awaken the patients, when in the halls
and upper rooms pandemonium reigned.
Shrek after shrek went up for help as
the inmates realized their terrible sit
!uation. In a few moments a row of
thoroughly frightened faces appeared at
each window of the large building, and
lips could be seen beseeching succor
from those below, yet M voices could
be heard. Prayer after prayer went up
from the unfortunate creatures, already
A1,a W, nf ,,ir stn hat
they might not perish in flames.
The police and firemen and attendants
all worked diligently and in perfect ac-
cord, and many patients were taken
from the upper floors by means of lad
ders and carried to places of safety by
them No attempt was made to save
anything but life. The halls and the
stairways just before the fire had COM
municated to the main building were
filled with inmates wrapped in bed
clothing, who crawled on their kness
and helped themselves along from ono
floor to the other. The citizens turned
out to help in the work of rescue.
Cots were hurriedly constructed from
mattresses, and strong armed policemen
picked up the unfortunate ones and car
them across the street TO the new annex
recently purchased by Drs. Allen and
Wilson.
The Rescued Sufferers.
At Weddel's restaurant, whereseventy
or eighty of the patients were carried,
the sight presented as one entered and
looked upon the indiscriminate gather
ing of suffering eripples, many Of them
maddened by pain and anxious for
friends, was one that almost defied de-
Bcription. Stretched upon the improyised
beds, spread on the tables, We're little
children moaning, crying and coughing,
their faces blanched with fear, and half
choked with the pungent smoke they
inhaled.
"Oh, mister, please don't touch my
legs; it will almost kill me if you do"
pleaded little girl whose bandaged feet
extended over the edge of table.
Lazarus Stearn, of Dubuque, Ia, who
has been an inmate of the institution
for about five months, was left in room
101. He was helpless, and on his limbs
were braces, which he conld not remove.
He could not get off his bed for fear of
rolling down under the bed of his room
mate, which was right nest to his own.
He lay there calling for help. The fro
burned through the partition at the foot
of his bed and a portion of the burning
boards fell on him. He lost conscious
ness. He was removed by the police
and fremen, but when taken to the
restaurant it was found that his feet
were SO badly injured that the flesh had
burnt assunder, exposing the muscles.
An ambulance was summoned and he
was removed to st. Vincent's hospital,
where, after examination, his condition
was pronounced very critical.
A Little Girls Terrible Suffering.
One of the most pitiful cases was that
of little S-Year-old Ethel Platt, daugh-
ter of James NJ. Platt, of Pinckneyyille,
Ills. Ethel was found in her bed on the
third floor half strangled with smoke
and helpless from spinal trouble.
Wrapped in blanket, she was taken up
in the arms Of a fireman, carried down
to the next floor, through dense smoke
and roaring flames to window, and as
the crowd gathered below and extended
their arms she was thrown out With
q broken leg she was taken across Hill
nois street, placed on table and COW
cred with blankets, She suffered ter
ribly and frequently screamed out from
her desperate agony.
When raised she cried out: "Oh,
please don't lift me; you'll kill me. Oh,
my leg is broken The cries of the suf-
Gerer continued to ring out as she was
taken into the street and removed to the
house Of Mrs. Gilbert.
List of the Dead.
Nineteen dead bodies have been re-
covered thus far, and two others are
missing. The identified dead are: lima
Payne, aged 1s, Dexter, Mimi; Minnie
Arnold, aged II, Lancaster, Mo-; Will
lam Ramstack, aged II, Milwaukee;
Mrs Il. Earl and child; Mrs. Lazarus,
Chicago, jumped from the second story
of the rear building; Stella Specs, Ma
comb, o.; George Ellis, California, KY;
Mrs. Burns, Newport, Mimi; C. A.
Gorman, Mcdonald, Mich; Hannah
Broak, Taylorsville. Ills; Fred Docken-
dorf, saltwater, Mimi; Minnie McDon-
aid, Negaunee, o.; Fannie Breeder,
Memphis, Tenn, died of her injuries;
Mortie Decko, Farnham, Neb.; Arthur
Bayless, Frank Burns, Newport, Mimi;
Kate L. Strong, Salem. Ore.
Many pairs of braces We're unearthed
in the ruins, showing that some of the
unfortunates, in their efforts to escape,
had unloosened their braces and thrown
them AWAY