The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-02-10
Only Four Inmates of a County Insane
Asylum Escape Death by Fire.
Horrible Result of the Burning of an Institu.
tiOn at Dover, N H., Last Night Dur
ing Binding SnowstOrm.
Fire Department Unable to Reach the
Place in Time, Owing to Icy Roads.
Mass of Charred Bodies in the Ruins-Four
Persons Burned at Cincinnati and
Two at Centreville, la.

DOVER N. H.. Feb. 9.-The county In
sane asylum. four miles from here, was
burned tonight, and forty.four lives were
lost. When watchman William Chevy
made his 10-o'clock trip into the
insane asylum. he found the fire COM
ing out of the cell occupied by
q woman and gave the alarm. William
Driscoll, the keeper, with his family. lived
in the building, and he at once broke the
looks off the fifty-four cells and
tried to get the inmates out. then
he got out his wife and two chill
dren. neither of whom were dressed.
OF the forty-eight inmates only four
escaped. They were William Twombly
Rose Sanderson. William Davy and Frank
Donsh0n. The latter walked two miles in
o binding snow-storm with only his shirt
on to William Horner's house. where he
was taken care of. Those who were
burned were:
Robert Dione, Mary Fountain. Frank Nutter.
William Chesley, Mrs. Roberts and a year.
old child, Lester Jones. William TwoInbly.
Libby. Frank Page, VIM. Files, Frank spriggins.
Harry Kimball, Julia Keil. Mrs. Mary
fevin La wns mr' Ann Mary car MssH snaS Mag
Mary Maioney, Lcnia Ellis, Mary vii
son. Mary Twindall. Caroline Bait
easSarne Haley azsSsn picEenns NM. Nary
Cogley, Sarah Sweet, Sarah Hutchin-
SON, Kate Dufiee; Sarah McCnntoek. s,I
and six others, whose names cannot be remem.
bered by the keeper. and his books were burned
in the building. Most of those who perished
were from Great Falls, Rochester, Dover and
Darlington. n. II.
The building was of wood, 1896 feet
two stories high, with big yard on each
side. 1t was built twenty years ago and
had fifty cells One woman escaped to the
yard, but was burned to death there. The
building cost $4,000. The main building
in which was over one hundred of the
county poor. caught fire, but was saved by
the heroic efforts of the inmates. who car
ried pals of water ana ext,nguished the
flames, although many were burned
in so dong. The Dover fire depart
ment was summoned. but owing to
the distance, a binding snow-storm and
the icy roads. 1t took ninety y-five minutes
for the department. to get there. too late to
be of any service. The smoking ruins show
the oharred bodies still lying on their beds.
How the building caught fire is mystery.
Four Burned to Death.
CINCINNATI. Feb. 9.-Four persons were
burned to death in Huder's hotel. at No.
265 West Fifth street, this morning.
Flames were discovered issuing from
the building at o'clock, and at G
the place was in ruins. The struct-
ure had been condemned and ordered
torn down within a month. The number
of persons sleeping in the hotel was very
large. Several families of Polish Jews had
rooms there. Albert Grass awoke the in
mates with the ory of fire. and then ensued
q frightful scramble. All escaped en-
capped four the man who gave the
alarm being among the number lost. The
dead are Fred Detzell, waiter; Albert Gran.
Joseph Maines and - Gottlieb, waiter.
The loss on the building will not exceed
SI5O0C