New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-20
RIG FIRE ON WARDS ISLAND
Many LIVES SAVED IN THE ASYLUM BY
THE NURSES GOODNESS.
oxr HUNDRED OF THE WORST MANlACs
MARCHED THROUGH A BLAZING CORRIDOR
TO sAFETy-DR. MACDONALD SAYS 1T
WAS MAGNIf'ICENT-THE ISLANDS
ELECTRIC PLANT DESTROYED
DAMAGE ABOUT SIS. Ok

ELECTRIC PLANT DESTROYED
DAMAGE ABOUT SIS 900.
The electric plant which furnishes light for
the Manhattan State Asylum for the Insane
an Wards Island. together with the other in
.,itutions there, was totally destroyed by FIRE
las, night soon after o'clock. The damage
.,lI exceed $2JO The electric plant is in
,ho basement Of the female branch Of the asy-
lam and Immediately over the flames one hun
ared Of the most violent maniacs were con-
ered In the other end of the building 2JO
others were in danger. Fortunately all were
rsmoved to a place Of safety and the loss IS
altogether TO property. human life being spared
The female branch Is a building Of brick and
wood 40 feet high. and IS feet by 100 feet in
area The lower fourteen feet Of the building
,s made Of brick. and the balance of wood.
Chief Engineer Carroll was alone in the south
end OF the basement last night, where were the
,,ro dynamos and boilers. when the fire broke
ont Poorly insulated and crossed wires are
supposed to have started the blaze. Carroll
,rnmediately ga C the alarm, and Dr. Macdonald,
uho is responsible for the safety Of the patients.
called the twenty female nurses and quietly
told them what was the matter
Eve must transfer the patients from WARDS
and . in the south end Of the building to the
other wards" said DR.. Macdonald. 1.-THE most
violent patients are over there, so be very care
full
There was no need for this caution, as 1t hap
pened for the nurses were equal to the emer-
gency. The wards where the one hundred or
more violent patients were confined are con-
nected with the Other wards by a hallway ff-
teen feet wide and running the entire length OF
the building The patients had heard the shouts
Of the men at work on the fire below, and were
shrieking much when the nurses began TO
move them that 1t was feared panic was inevi-
table BY rare tact, aided by their familiarity
with the hallucinatons Of the worst cases, the
did their work successfully.
You are going tc a nicer place. they told
tn patients. and childlikc they filed out in row.
prepared to march. The signal to go ahead was
given and the unatics started peaceably enough.
But halfway down the hall flames shot out from
the wainscoting and the nurses trembled as the
new danger appeared.
"Will they realize what the trouble is?" one OF
them asked. AS she did so the danger was
averted by two OF the worst cases grabbing
hold Of eacn other and pointing to the flames
crying out "Oh, isn't it lovely? They have
prepared it for u.s. The others took this view
OF 1t and with many compliments TO the nurses
for giving them such nice fireworks" all
marched through the hall and were lodged in
the other wards secure from the fire.
While the transfer Of the maniacs was in prog
ress the male nurses were battling with the
flames Policeman Mccarthy. Of the East One
hundred and -fourth-st. station. who Is perma-
pently stationed un the island. to the male
-sspsrtment an eighth OF mile away when
the alarm SCUM led. and rounded up the
twenty male nurses, who make up the fire de;
partrnent Of the notwithstanding got out old
Engine No. ~ discarded by the city Fire De-
partment. and In short time had streams play
Ing on the fire.
At the outset the gravity of the situation
enhanced by one OF the dynamos burning out
and half the electric lights in the island 60
ing out Five minutes later the other was de-
stroyed and the institutions were in total dark
ness In preparation for such an emergency
a lot Of kerosene lamps are kept attached to
the walls and these the nurses lighted
Engine Company No. 30 and Police Captain
Creedon, with. ffty-two policemen from the East
One Observation-Disclosures. station, arrived at
the island in a short time on the ferryboat wan
derer from the One-hundred- and -sixteenth-st.
ferry, and the Fidelity from the same ferry soon
afterward brought Engine No. 10. Within the
hour the city ferryboat Brennan, from East
one -hundred~and-twenty-s -sixth-st. also brought
Engine Company No, 18 and Hook and Ladder
Company No. I. but the services of the city
companies aid the police were not needed as
the island fremeD already had the flames under
control The police and fremen remained long
enough to make sure that all was sare, ana theh
they returned to the city
Dr. Mcdonald is enthusiastic in his praise OF
the conduct Of his assistants. male and female.
"The men fought the fire like trained hremen,
he said last night "and no amount Of praise Is
adequate for the heroism of the brave female
nurses They were as cool and collected as II
In ballroom. The strain. while II lasted. was
something awful. We all realized the tremen-
dous consequences that would follow any false
move Once started, panic among the patients
would have had frightful consequences. Thank
God. 1t was 1t was
CrApNu COR NEGRO ARDICTGRS