The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-02-13
HoRRlFYING FIRE }I

IN the Yankton, South Dakota, In.
sane Asylum-Scvcntecn OF the In
mates Perish In tho Flames.
YASKToN, $. D., Feb. 12.-one OF
the most horrlfylng fires in the history
OF Yanktown occurred this morning at 2
o'clock at the state insane asylum, when
one OF the cottages took fire In the
basement, completely cutting The build
Ing and causing the loss. of lives Of
seventeen inmates confined there. The
names of those missing and the counties
from where they came. are:
Augusta .Bocrse. lake county; Julia
Erickson, OF Meade; Ella Lolken, OF
Colington; Maria Lynch, OF Union; Josl-
ana Olson, of Hamlin; Martenia Tenny-
son. of Pennington; Elizabeth Stolpe,
OF Dawson; Mrs. Rampant. of Brown;
Maggie Flynn, of Hamlin: Luclna Cos
sage, Of Hamlia; Adclnl Hurley, OF
Potter; Christina Johnston, OF Codding-
ton; Jennie Kronig, of Pennington: Luz
sia Keenc, OF Coddngton; Caroline
LlndberS. OF Brown; Katie Plavltz, OF
Bon Homme; Gaini Swanson, of Kings
bury. ~
The cottage was erected OF stone and
granite walls with wooden interior and
intended for laundry purposes, but ow-
Ing to the crowded conditions of the
main building forty Of the female pa
tents were placed here with the laur-
dry in the basement. The exact cause
OF the fire Is nor known except that Il
originated In, the dry room OF the Iaun-
dry. Here there is coil OF steam pipes
and the theory is that either fine par
ticles similar 20 lint settled on the pipes
which ignitcd,or that clothes which were
thiclly hung there. dropped on the
pipes and were fired.
The lack of water greatly hindered the
work OF the flremen. The burned cot
tage stands some three hundred feet In
the rear OF the main building, the water
tank for fire protection standing one
hundred feet In the rear OF the cottage.
The steam pipes used for pumping ran
from the boiler room of the main build
Ing through the cottage for heating and
then the artes!an well O" tank. Tile In
tense heat In the burning building caus-
ed the pipes TO burstishortly after the
fire began, leaving the fire hose with
out power except direct pressure from
the tank, which was In 10 way sufficient
to quench the flames. Two streams OF
water were thrown on the building, but
did little good.
With the thermometer standing at %
degrees below zero. the inmates who
could escape, came down the narrow
flight Of stairs IN their night clothing and
bare feet into the bitter cold. and had L
not been for the nearness of shelter. the
suffering and probable loss Of life from
freezing would have been terrible. The
building was three stories high, with an
attic and two entrances, one east and
one west. There was one stairway from
the second and third floors which led in
to the main halls to these entrances.
thus giving pGt one egress FOR those
on the second and third floors and attic.
FHty-two, persons were in the Burning
building, forty patients and twelve fe-
male attendants. The attendants cs-
capped. as did the others who were saw
ed, With none os their persona. effects.
many 7losing-a thatthey possessed. .----
An inquest Is now In progress at tie
asylum, which may develop the exact
| cause OF the fire. II Is not thought
blame vii! he attached to aaS' of the at
teIdants. Portions of cha:red remains
car be seen in the debris ut the bottom
Of the basement. The work OF remov
| Ing the remains and debris will begin In
the morning.
The four walls OF huge stone still
stand and Will make the work OF remov-
al dangerous. as Il collapse Is liable 10
occur without 4 moments warming. In
| 1882 the asylum. then a frame building
was destroyed by fire and six lives were
lost.
Loss on the building and machinery in
to-day'S fire Is estimated 10 be $4,000;
| uninsured.