Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-04-27

OREGON ASYLUM flRE DEPARTMENT.
Exciting Scenes In the Violent
WARDS During Fire
Drills.

at the Oregon State Insane Asylum,
the department turns out, the patients
are all marched out and the whole In
stItution goes through all the excite
ment offs real fire. Yet such Ia the
case. And II is q fact that the asylum
now has q complete fire service.
"Wbat are your facilities for fighting
fire7" asked q JOURNAL writer Of Supt.
Rowland at the Insane Asylum today.
This II Orcgon's biggest institution,
and one that has TO deal with far
more cranky population even than all
the departments at the state capitol
together. Here Is vast collection
Of buildings, single floors containing
acres Of space, densely Inhabited by
more or less irrational lot Of people,
some Of them full Of mischief on the
very subject of arson, and large per-
centsge of them meddlesome, mischiev-
Gus and delirious with joy at the very
idea ofa confisgration. In these build
ings are furnaces, boilers, stoves, ranges,
engines, dynamos, electric lights, gas,
lamps, cooking on large scale, baking,
iDflammable material without end.
When 1t 10 frequently stated in the
telegraphic reports that an asylum has
burned here or there, thrill Of horror
creeps all through the reader at the
thought that fire should ever break
out at the state insane asylum at Salem
with nearly thousand people there.
A few months ago we heard of an
asylum burning in Massachusetts
where 90 per cent Of all the inmates
were burned to death. They could not
escape as the doors were locked and
barred and had to be broken In. Such
fire with such loss Is impossible here
but any kind Of fire would be horror
II not holocaust, That 10 why re-
porter was sent to ask the superlntend.
ent the question. He answered it by
handing the inquirer over to DR.. Will
hanson and j. A. McCarl, chief engi-
neer Of the asylum, both of whom have
been in service there for six years. In
daytime the Inside of the building is In
charge Of the physicians, Drs. William
son and Griffith. and the supervisor,
Mr.. Rowley. The attendants are res
ponsible for their ward, turn In the
alarm, manage the hose, and form the
patients. Four fire companies are or
ganized from among the employees and
two hose carts are always ready for use.
Engineer McCarl is chief Of the asylum
fre department and has outside COM
mand In case Of n Are.
THE FACILITIES
for putting out fire on each ward are
first three fire plugs in each ward with
76 feet of II inch hose, or 225 feet Of hose
on ward, There are also l2 fire pals
filed with water--the pals pointed 80
they canuot be used for any other pur-
pose. There are two escapes on each
ward, stairs leading out from each end.
There are over 5000 feet Of hose In the
building.
TIE HOSE CARTS
contain 900 feet each of et inch hose.
There are six regular fire hydrants
around the building aud nine more on
the grounds, In all making the best
system ln use In any asylum In the
United States.
THE WATER SUPPLY
consists of big reservoir 100000 gall
Ions brought from Mil creek by the
large pump at the penitentlary, be-
longing to the asylum. The pumping
works In the asylum consists Of a
large duplex fire pump lsl steam
cylinder, lot water cylinder. IL inch
stroke capable at full speed Of 1000 gal
Ions minute. This hre pump will
also be used for fire service ON the new
state house water works. These
pumping works altogether supply
i77t gallons per patient, which Is very
large supply bssides the supply
for fire purposes. The boiler
capacity for ,hese pumps and other
purposes Is is5 horse power.
THE FIRE DRILL
While the writer was sauntering
around In the pumping works an alarm
was turned in. IL seemed as though
the whole building was alive with peo.
pie In an instant Every man and