The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-13
II BURNED ALIVE
Fire Breaks Out in a Women's
Ward
Of the State Insane Asylum at
YanktOn.
HOLDING so INMATES
All But II Escape in Night
Clothes in the Snow
With the Mercury at 23 De-
grees Below Zero.

Yankton, S. D., Feb. 13.-One OF the
most horrifying fires in the history of
Yankton occurred yesterday morning
at o'clock, at the state insane asylum,
when one Of the cottages took fire in the
basement. completely destroying the
building and causing the loss of lives
of seventeen inmates confined there.
The names of those missing and the
counties from where the came are;
Augusta Beers, Lake county.
Julia Erickson, Meade.
Ella Lokken, Codington.
Margaret Lynch, Union.
Josina Olsen, Hamlin.
Martenia Tennyson, Pennington
Elizabeth Stolpe, Dawson.
Mrs. Rampant, Brown.
Maggie Flynn, Hamlin.
Lucina Gossage, Hamlin.
Adelina Hurley, Potter
Christina Johnston, Codingtons
Jennie Kronig, Pennington
Lusia Keene, Codington.
Caroline Lyndburg, Brown.
Katie PlavitZ, Bonhomme.
Gaini Swanson, Kingsbury.
The cottage was erected of stone and
granite walls, with wooden interior, and
intended for laundry purposes, but ow-
ing to the crowded condition of the main
building forty of the female patients
were placed here, with the laundry in
the basement.
The exact cause of the fire is not
known except that it originated in the
dry room of the laundry. Here there is
a coil OF steam pipes and the theory is
that either fine particles similar to lint
settled on the pipes which ignited, or
that clothes which were thickly hung
here dropped on the pipes and were
fired. The fighting of fire was greatly
hindered by loss of power. The burned
cottage stood some 300 feet in the rear
of the main building, the water tank
which is for fire protection standing 100
feet in the rear of the cottage. The
steam pipes used for pumping run from
the boiler room of the main building
through the cottage for heating and
then to the artesian we'll or tank.
The intense heat in the burning build
ing caused the pipes to burst shortly
after the fighting of the fire began,
thus leaving them without power and
depending entirely upon direct pressure
from the tank, which was in no way
sufficient to quench the fierce flames.
Two streams of water were thrown
on the building, but did little good With
the thermometer standing at % degrees
below zero it was a heart-rending sight
to witness those escaping coming down
the narrow flight of stairs in their night
clothing and bare feet into the bitter
cold, and had it not been for the near
ness of shelter the suffering and prob
able loss of life from freezing would
have been much worse. 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
into the main halls to these entrances,
thus giving but one egress for those
in the second and third floors and attic.
Fffty-two persons were in the burning
building, forty patients and twelve fe-
male attendants. The attendants
escaped, as did the others who were
saved, with none of their personal
effects, many losing all that they pos
seSsed.
Portions of charred remains can be
seen in the debris at the bottom of the
basement which appear to be nearly in
a pile near the northeast wall. The
four walls of huge stone will stand
black and grim, and will make the work
of removal dangerous, as a total
collapse is liable to occur without a
moments warning. Competent labor
will be employed for the removal of the
walls, debris and remains.
The asylum, in 1882, then a frame
building, was destroyed and only six
lives lost except for loss of property.
1t was in no sense an instance to this
mornings fire. Total loss on building
and machinery is estimated to be $1S,-
O00 No insurance whatever