The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-08-04
THE FIRE.
THE LUNATIC ASYLUM SET ON FIRE
BY LIGHTNING LAST NIGHT.
The North Wing Of the Female Building
Burned-All the Patients Rescued With.
out Excitement and with no Loss Of
Life-Damage not Known.

Last night at S:l5 o'clock, during
the electrical and rain storm the
lightning caught the electric light
wires of the Lunatic asylum, and
every light in the institution was ex-
tinguished. The gas was lighted and
it was thought no other damage had
been done. But when the watch was
changed at 8 o'clock it was discovered
the roof of the north wing of the
female department was on fire. 1t
had caught between the slate roof and
the concrete below it, and in the
three-fourths of an hour since
the lightning flash had slowly but
surely eaten on its way. No alarm
could be sent to town, as the same
flash of lightning had rendered use
less the telephones at the asylum. A
horse and rider were at length Sc
cured and sent over to the electric Car
stables with the news; and it was at
9:55 that The STATESMAN, in asking
the car stables about another matter,
found out about the fire, just learned
of there, and sent in the alarm.
The run of the fire boys was q long
and hard one, and when the COM
panies reached the asylum and found
no water to work with they were in
hard lines, but went bravely to work
with buckets and the artesian we'll,
and in short while had done their
best to save the surrounding
buildings. The absence of water
was caused by the bursting of big
main this side of the asylum when the
fire pressure was put on. However,
the stream from the artesian well was
sent through the engine at the asylum
and it was made to do some good SER
vice. The firemen worked like heroes
with their buckets and very soon all
danger to the neighboring buildings
was past.
In the meantime, Immediately after
the discovery of the fire, all the pa
tients in tbs north wing were quietly,
without the least confusion or excite
'1nent, taken out and put in the cor
rNlors of the main building.
Here also were put the pa
tients of the other female buildings
adjoining until there were huddled
together there over 200 poor creatures
bereft of reason and knowing not
what was going on. 1t was
PITIFUL SIGHT INDEED
to look in on them at the dead hour of
midnight, all unconscious that their
houses were being burned up, ana all
punched together like sheep. =,
After the fire was discovered II
quickly spread to all parts of the roof
of the building. The danger was 1t
would catch the gallery leading to the
two main wings, but this the firemen
protected calamity with buckets
while using the stream from the ar
tesian we'll to the best advantage.
The fire burned with great fierceness,
and the flames, shooting far up into
the heavens, illuminated the scene far
around.
A MERCIFUL PROVIDENCE
had sent generous downpour of rain
that had saturated the long grass ana
the walls and the roofs of the build
ings, and so the fire was kept to the
one building in which it originated.
IT. however, destroyed all of the roof
and third floors, and at l O'Clock,
while under control, yet it was trying
to eat it's way down to the second
story. The fire boys were still on duty
at l O'Clock, and from the slow way in
which they were compelled to light
the fire because of lack of water, IN
dictated they would be on duty for
some hours longer. The burned
building is about 125 feet long by As
feet in width. 1t is three stories in
height and built of brick. The loss
could not be estimated last night.
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE
went out there in the slush and rain
when they heard of the location OF the
fire and stood in excited groups watch
ing every minute for that which they
feared and yet prayed would not hap
pen, that the fire would spread to the
other buildings.
The telephones were kept busy con-
veying messages to and from tne
scene via the car stables. one minute
the news would come that the entlre
asylum was in flames and next would
come a contradiction of it. The whole
city, at least that part of it that was
close to the center were agog with ex-
element, and inquiry after inquiry,
rumor after rumor added excitement
to the interest of the hour: 1t was IN
deed most fortunate that no loss OF
life happened, and that despite the
unfortunate lack of water the brave
fire laddies succeeded in confining
fire to the narrow limits they did.