, 1901-01-09
ORPHANS IN FIRE
TWENTY-SEVEN BURN TO DEATH
IN ROCHESTER AsY-
CUM,
Many Were Fatally Injured-Nurse
Discovers Fire in Boiler Room
When Too Late to Rern0.e a.! Of
the Inmates-Firemen NoIk he.
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roic.
Rochester. n. Y. Jan. S.-By the
burning OF the Rochester Orphan asy.
lum early today between twenty and
thirty lives were lost. and many OF the
inmates will die from burns or other
injuries. The asylum was a three-stO-
ry structure at the corner of Hubbel
park and Exchange street. and its oc-
cupants numbered between 165 and
1876.
1t was but a few minutes after |
O'Clock this morning when a nurse in
the hospital. Miss Cline. smelled
smoke. She Immediately informed an
other nurse. Miss Valient. and the lat
ter reported the matter to The matron.
Miss L. Dinchart. The smoke was
speedily located in the boiler room and
word was sen to police hra | quarters.
All the fire apparatus was hurried to
the building. but before the first en-.
CINE arrived the structure was in
flames. Scores of people rushed to the
scene and were doing their best to res
Il the inmates.
Shortly after the fire broke out a
boiler exploded with terrific force, com.
pletely 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 build
ing.
In the east wing were the sleeping
apartments 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 Ashdown was in
charge for the night, and with her was
Miss Brad of the hospital ward. who
Explosion Adds to Terror.
The explosion. though of great force.
did not awaken the sleeping nurses.
The smoke that began to pour into the
east wing awakened the inmates to
o realization of the situa:l)1 with .
~suddenness which at once seemed to
rob nearly every one of their judgment
and mental faculties. Cries and groans
filled the air. 1t was impossible to see
anything and as the thick smoke pour
ed in, the scene became one of indie
scribable confusion. The chief nurse,
Miss Ashdown. did all within her pow
er to ave the children and nurses.
When the firemen arrived on the
scene their attention was first turned
TO the inmates Of the hospital ward in
the west wing Of which is the older
section of the institution. On the next
floor to the top was Miss Brad. With
the flames leaping all around her it
seemed impossible to escape. She did,
however, but was so seriously injured
by falling that she will not live. 1t was
stated by the matron, Miss Dinehart,
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 al
o'clock that all Of the inmates of the
west wing had been gotten out. either
dead or alive. Many children were
taken away early and the number saw
ed and those dead and injured could
with great difficulty be counted.
Volunteers Aid in Res ue.
The work of rescue and attempted
was taken up by volunteers as
well as by firemen. but the flames gain
ed with such incredible 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
heighborhood were thrown open to re-
ceive the little waits. who were carried
from the asylum. The ambulances
we're started to the hospitals with the
most seriously burned Of the children.
In several cases the little victims were
dead when taken from the vehicles at
the hospital doors. The scenes at and
near the asylum were heartrending. A
large portion of the asylum building
was totally destroyed, and the portion
remains standing probably is in
such condition that its demolition
will be necessary. Two young men,
". Clark and F. Young. were coming
Town Plymouth avenue at l o'clock
his morning. when they saw the
smoke issuing from the asylum. Clark
Immediately ran to a fire alarm box
SEN in an alarm. Then he and his
ran up the fire escape to
he roof of the building furthest
lway from the fire. Just as they
cached the top, a terrific explosion
occurred, and the flames burst forth
With renewed vigor. In a few minutes
half of the building in which the hos
,ital was situated was a mass of
The smoke poured out from
very window. and and fran
ic cries could be heard coming from
he imprisoned inmates. The long
were run up. and, plunging in