The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-05
An INSANE ASYLUM AFIRE.
A Female Attendant Missing, But the
Patients Rescued.

The Fire Discovered Soon After Mid
nieht-Great Difficulty Experienced in
Getting Some OF the Patients Out of
the Building Owing to Their Refusal
to Leave Several Attempts to Rush
Back After Being Resoued-The Loss
Estimated at S275. 900.
Anna, H.. Jan. 4-The center section and
south wing Of the Illinois Southern hospital
for the insane, comprising over half of
the entire building, We're destroyed by
fire early this morning The north wing,
machinery, laundry and kitchen depart
ments We're saved. The south wing con-
tained the quarters of the female patients.
the male patients being quartered ia
the north wing. All the patients TO the
number of 500. We're, it is thought, safely
removed TO other buildings. Some diff
Guilty was experienced in making the
transfer, but there was no great panic.
1t H. reported that a female attendant
named Manda Anderson was burned as
no trace of her can be found. The loss
will amount to $275,C00 The physicians.
officers and employees IN the burned build
MS lo9t near lI all tHtlI personal chtctS-
The fire was discovered at 1:40 p. IN.
on the roof Of the center section of the
main hospital building and the danger
bell was rUng to alarm the guards and
arouse the inmates. The fire spread so
rapidly that the hospital employees in
stantly realized that it could not be con-
trolled by the meager fire apparatus with
which the institution was supplied, and
while some of the guards rushed through
! the halls and corridors unlocking the
! doors and opening the windows, others
ran to the village and summoned the
local fire department.
The hospital contained nearly 900 in
mates and the section which was de-
strOyed was occupied BY over 200 women.
In the south wing of the building were
located about 800 women and children,
and the north wing OF the building was
/ set apart fer men, and at no time was
this section in danger.
As soon as the guards gave the alarm
insane women began screaming, and
rushing to the farther corners Of their
/ cells threw themselves in a heap on the
/ floor or cot and in many cases it required
4 the united efforts of several employees to
/ convey them to places of safety. They
were gotten out safely, however and We're
/ grouped in the snow-coVered grounds.
! For few minutes they shivered in the
/ bitter cold air until they could be marched
or carried TO the other buildings.
The villagers rushed to the assistance
Of the asylum people and rendered valu-
able aid in rescuing the sick and refrac-
| tory inmates
Several times some of the patients
broke away from their guards and at
tempted to rush back into the burning
/ building. They We're quickly caught,
| however, and in cases where they were
/ violent they We're bound to other patients
| by straps and ropes
An engine was sent to Cairo, H., asking
for help Of the fire department of that
/ place A special train quickly made up
/ and the department reached here at 3
O'Clock this morning Lines of hose were
/ soon laid and four big streams of water
/ were poured on the burning building. The
! flames were quickly gotten under control
! and the fro was confined to the center
/ section of the south wing of the building.
| In this department were located the
| quarters of the physicians and other EN-
| ployes In many cases the officials left
| all their instruments and personal effects.