Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-08
FIRE IN AN ASYLUM
Twenty-Six of the Inmates Burn to
Death.
MANY OTHERS FATALLY INJURED
Disaster Occurred at an Early Hour
This Morning.
AWFUL SCENES WITNESSED

ROCHESTER, N. Y, January S.-By the
burning of the Rochester Orphan Asylum
early today twenty-six lives were lost and
many of the inmates will die from burns
or other injuries. The asylum was a three
story structure at the corner of Hubbell
Park and Exchange street and its occu-
ps nts numbered between 165 and 1875.
Dead and missing-Mrs. Martha Gillis,
nurse; Charlotte Bryant, Charles Benham,
Bushnell Carey, Evelyn Carey, Evangeline
Carey, Rhea Connell, Mary Alexander,
Norton Howard, Helen Hamilton, Bertha
Hall, Gladys Hill, Mary Kane, Gertrude
Mccall, Mary Mccall, Carl Malstedt Hazel
Murray. Myrtle Patterson, Harry Pove-
losky, Earl Richards. Allan Richards, Geo.
Stuck. Violet Stuck. Lillian Stone, Minnie
Skinner, Herman Saperstone, Mildred Slo-
cum, Gertrude Toner. Minnie Tiffany. Mil
dred Wright, Otto Welchey, Arthur Kelly.
Cora Potter, Bertha Potter. Fred. Potter.
Susan Marriage, Ethel Wright, Alfred
DemoreSt.
Mary Alexander, Charlie Benham. Charles
Bryant, Beachnell Carey, Evangeline Carey,
- Conwell, Mrs. Martha Gillis, nurse;
Mrs. Marie Gordon, cook, jumped from
third-story window, and was instantly
killed; Bertha Hall. Ellen Hamilton Mary
Kane, Isabel Marthage. Gertrude McCaw,
Myrtle Patterson, Gertrude Poner, Bertha
Potter. Cora Potter, Minnie Skinner Mil
dred Slocum. Lillian Stone. Viola Stuck,
Minnie Tiffany, Mildred Wright (colored),
two little girls, not identified.
Injurcd-Lorena owen, suffocated condi-
tion serious; Allen Belmore, badly burned;
Miss +. NJ. Hibbard, face, arms and chest
badly burned, condition serious: Mrs. Cline,
foot broken; Miss Kate Catteriil, leg
broken, badly bruised: Morris Keating, fire.
man, hose No. I, hand injured; Blanch Ad-
Olson, badly burned, condition serious;
Paul Dunn. colored, badly burned; Miss
Brad Miss Lawson, Mary Brown.
1t was but few minutes after I o'clock
this morning when nurse in the hospital.
Miss Cline. smelled smoke. She immed-
ately called to another nurse, Miss VAL
lient. and the latter reported the matter to
the matron. Miss l.. Dinehart. The smoke
was speedily located In the boiler room and
word was sent to police headquarters. All
the fire apparatus was rushed to the burn
Ing building, but before the first engines
arrived the neighbors for blocks around
We're on the scene and were doing their best
to rescue the inmates.
Shortly after the fire broke out boiler
exploded with terrific force, completely
blowing out the lower part Of the west end
Of the connecting wing, thereby cutting off
the escape of the children from the east
end of the building. The children who were
nearest to the connecting wing were appar
emily dazed by the force of the explosion,
and with difficulty were able to take in
their surroundings when finally aroused.
Miss Isabelle Lawson, nurse, badly burned
about arms and body, condition serious;
Ellen Delmore, nurse, badly burned on face
and back, recovery doubtful; Fred Potter.
badly burned may die; Kate Cotterill, aged
sixteen, leg broken: Blanche Anderson, aged
seven, colored, severely burned; Maurice
keating fireman, hand injured; Mrs Amelia
Cline, nurse, burned and leg broken; Mary
Bradd, nurse, badly burned, recovery doubt
full; Frances NJ. Hibbard, nurse, severely
will Minnie CoplxliD
burned; Frances Edwards, an attendant,
severely burned; John Carr, aged three, suf
focated, recovery doubtful; Capt. VIM.
Creegan of hose No. 3, Frustrated by in
haling smoke, will probably recover.
In the East Wing.
In the east wing were the sleeping apart
ments Of the asylum. They were located
mainly on the second and third floors The
lower floor was known as the first nursery
and the upper as the second. Herein were
forty children or more. Miss Sarah Ash
down was in charge for the night, and with
her was Miss Brad Of the hospital ward,
who was taking care Of two sick children.
The explosion though Of great force, was
not loud enough to awaken the sleeping
nurses. When the smoke began to pour
into the east wing 1t was but a matter OF a
few seconds before the whole sleeping pop
ulation was brought into realization OF
the situation with suddenneSs which at
once seemed to rob nearly every one of
their judgment and mental faculties. A ter
rible chorus Of cries and grOans filled the
air. 1t was impossible to see anything. and
as the thick smoke poured in the scene be-
came one of indeScribable confusion. The
chief nurse, Miss Ashdown, did all within
her power to save the children and nurses.
When the firemen arrived on the scene
their attention was first turned to the in
mates of the hospital ward, in the west
wing of which is the older section Of the
institution. On the floor next to the top
aav
all around her. it seemed impossible to
escape. She did, however, but was so Sc
riously injured by falling that she will not
live. 1t was stated by the matrOn, Miss
Dnehart, that there were seventy-five girls
in the west wing. Besides these there were
two children and two nurses in the hospital
department, which was also in that wing
1t was estimated at o'clock that all of the
inmates of the west wing had been gotten
out, either dead alive. Many children
were taken away early, and the number
saved and those dead and injured could
with great difficulty be counted.
Many Aid in Rescue Work.
The work of rescue and attempted rescue
was taken up by many hands. volunteers
as we'll as fremen, and in many cases was
carried on in a manner that was nothing
less than heroic, but the flames gained such
rapid headway and spread with such in
credible speed that it was beyond human
effort to prevent the loss Of life.
Ambulances from all of the hospitals were
on the ground almost as soon as the fire
companies, and houses in the neighborhood
were thrown open to receive the little waits
who were carried from the asylum. The
ambulances were started to the hospitals
with the more seriously burned Of the
children. In several cases the little victims
were dead when taken from the vehicle at
the hospital doors. The scenes at and near
the asylum were beyond description.
large portion Of the asylum building was
totally destroyed and the portion that
mains standing is probably in such condi-
ton that its demolition will be necessary.
Two young men, w. Clark and F. Young.
were coming down Plymouth avenue at 1
o'clock this morning when they saw the
smoke issuing from the asylum. Clark i'm
mediately ran to fire alarm box and sent
in an alarm. Then he and his companion
ran up the fire escape to the roof of the
building farthest away from the fire.
Just as they reached the top terrific
explosion was heard, and the flames burst
forth with renewed vig0r. In a few mo-
ments the entire half Of the building in
which the hospital was situated was
mass Of flames. The smoke poured out
from every window, and screams and fran
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