The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-01-28
CRIPPLES In A FIRE.
COMPLICATION IN A SUR
ClCAL INSTITUTE.
Fifteen People Believed to Hsvo Met
CDeath and q Score or More Injured In .
Midnight Blaze at 1ndianapOlts-List
Of the victimS-Origin of the Eirc.
A H0Osier Horror.

One Of the most appalling fires in tho
history of indianapolis occurred shortly
after midnight tho other night. Tho
National Surgical Institute, one OF the
NEST famous Institutions of its character
in the United States, burned to tho
ground. The fire started in the Office
building, ard above the Offices were tho
wards for babes and mothers and known
as the A b c departments. Smoke was
discovered few minutes before mid
night issuing from the advertising-room
of the building, which is Immediately
over the office. The origin is claimed to
have been from the spontaneous COM
bustion of some chemicals which had
been placed in the room. Circulars and
papers in the room soon were ablaze and
in fifteen minutes the whole lower floor
was enveloped i'm flames.
The attendants barely awakened oil
of the patients, and in the halls and
supper-rooms pandemonium reigned.
Shrek after shrek went up as the in
mates realized their terrible situation.
In a few moments thoroughly frightened
faces appeared at each window of the
large building, and lips could be Seen
besecching succor from those below, yet
their voices could not be heard. Prayer
after prayer went up from the unfortun-
ate creatures, already the victims OK
cruel circumstances, that they might
not perish in flames after suffering the
most terrible pains from their afliic-
tons. The police and firemen and attend
ants all worked diligently and in per-
feet accord and many were the patients
taken from the upper floors by means OF
ladders and carried to places OF safe
ty by them. No attempt was made 10
save anything but life. The patients,
both male ard female, themselves under
ordinary circumstances unable to barely
get about, assisted most nobly in the
work of rescue. A view in the halls and
on the stairways before the fire had COM
municated to the main building furnished
a weird sight. Inmates wrapped in bed
clothing crawled and helped themselves
along from one floor and one landing to
the other. Without waiting for ladders
to be run up, the desperate inmates
jumped from the windows or huddled to-
cether upon the fire escape, but the
flames cut off this descent at the second
story and here they threw themselves to
the ground. At least thirty persons
were injured, some terribly. Some OF
the worst hurt are:
Mr.. Gales, of Madison, Ind. fell from,
q ladder, with a child in her arms; in
ternally injured.
Kate Elstrang, indianapolis, fatally
burned.
Mrs. Thomas, Indianapolis, fatally
burned.
Fannie Breeder. Memphis, Tenn,
badly burned: recovery doubtful.
Mary Stearns, Warren, Iowa, burned
about feet.
Clara Morris, address unknown; back
injured.
| Grant Van Hoesen, Athena, n. Y,
hand and ear burned.
| Clarence Mead, Athens, n. Y, leg
! hurt
| William H. Albach, Dunkirk, n. T.,
burned.
Leora Knowles. Independence, Ind,
back hurt in jumping.
W. ". Snyder, Troy. Ohio, internally
injured falling from window.
! Will Mansfield. Otscgo, n. Y, foot hurt
in jumping.
i Mrs. John S. Stokes. Danville, ILL.,,
ankle sprained.
Nellie Mason, Walworth County, Wis,
! jumped from third story and is fatally
| hurt.
Mrs. Lazarus, Of Texas. jumped from
thirtl-story window and will die.
| Mrs. G. J. Simpson and child, seri-
| ously burned.
II. Conner, fell through hole in floor;
fatally hurt.
May Ballinger, Indianapolis, terribly
burne1.
The scenes about the burning build
ing were heartrending in the extreme.
Many of the children were attended by
their mothers, VINO were boarding at the
institute. and these were nearly frantic
with fear when they were discovered.
One lady refused to leave the ward till
her child had been carried off, and a
policeman had to drag her from the
room. Her child had been taken out,
! and when she found it in an adjoining
block the transition from grief to joy
was SO sudden that she seemed like one
dcran.ed.
The building was owned by Drs. Allen
and Wilson, and it and the furnishings
are estimated hy DR.. Wilson to have
been worth S250,0OO. The furnishings.
including valuable appliances for all
kinds Of cripples, are total loss, but
the front building was partially saved.
The loss will aggregate 100000, with
insurance OF Sl50,000. 1t is feared that
possibly as many as fifteen were suffO-
Gated by the smoke and pcrished in the