Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-02-16
LUNATICS CREMATED.
Fire Destroys an Insane Asylum
in New Hampshire.
Forty-Four OF the Inmates Perish-They
Became PAnic-Stricken and Were
Unmanageable - Scenes of
Wild Excitement.
THE CRUEL FLAMES.

DOVER, n. H., Feb. 1.-THE county
farm insane asylum miles from this
city was burned Thursday night, forty
four of the inmates pcrishing in the
flames. The building was of wood, two
stories high, the main building being
about so feet long with an ell of 25
feet. In this were confined forty-eight
insane persons. The building was sur
rounded by high board fence topped
with barbed wire. The building caught
fire about $3.50 p m The inmates and
keeper with his wife aud two children
were all asleep.
PANIC.
When Watchman William Cheevey
made his rounds he found the fire COM
ing out of the cell occupied by A.
Lafamitane, a woman, and gave the
alarm. William Driscoll, the keeper,
with his family, lived in the build
ing, and he at once broke the
locks of the ffty-four cells and
tried to get the inmates out. Then he
saved his wife and two children, they
escaping through the window in their
night gowns. Scenes of the widest ex-
element prevailed. The inmates were
utterly panic-stricken by the sight of
the fire, and in spite of the efforts of
the physicians nurses and attend
ants many of them became totally
manageable and danced, bowling
and shrik skiing, about the flames. Des-
perate Efforts were made to save the
unfortunates who were confined in the
burning building, but so far as many
of them were concerned the efforts were
unayailing.
COULD NOT ESCAPE.
BY this time the fire was under such
Roadway that it was impossible to res
cue any of the inmates. Some got into
the yard only to find themselves i'm
prisoned and there to be slowly roast
ed to death. The blackened remains
could be seen laying about in the yard
after the fire, sickening sight.
Of the inmates only four escaped.
They were William Twombly. Rose
Sanderson, William Daily and Frank
Donshon. The latter walked miles
in q binding snowstorm, protected
only by his shirt, to William Horne's
house where he was taken care of.
The din building, In which were
over 100 of the county poor, caught
fire, but was saved by the heroic
efforts of the inmates, who carried
pals of water and extinguished the
flames, although many were burned ia
so doing. The Dover fire department
was summoned, but owing 10 the dis
tance, the binding snowstorm and the
icy roads, it took ninety-6ve minutes
for the department to get there, too
late to be of service.
TERRIBLE SCENES.
Those who arrived on the scene will
never forget the horrible spectacle.
The fire brightly illuminated the
country for many miles. The inmates
could be plainly seen as they tossed
about in the Ere So confused were
the unfortunatss that they were
getting into each others way and
then in despair going back into their
cells Some laughed as the flames
lighted up the corridors and all refused
to obey the keeper, who labored man
fully to save them. The scene was
heartrending. Keeper Driscoll used
every possible effort to liberate the in
mates and remained In the building
until he was obliged TO jump for his
life. He sprang from a second story
window in order ~ save himself
When the rescuers from the town
reached the place the fire had almost
burned itself out and soon there was
only mass of charred embers.
Through the smoking ruins could be
seen the bodies of many who had re-
turned to their beds and then burned
to death.
The building is supposed TO have
caught fire in the boiler-room.