The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-14
As CAGED BEASTS
Inmates OF Asylum Not Pro-
tected From Fire.
Superintendent BiddIe Calls At.
tentiOn to Alarming Situation.
BUT LITTLE PRESSURE
Water Can Not BE Raised to
Third Floor.
Recommends Erection of a New
Pumping Station.

In the annual report of T. G. Biddle,
superintendent of the Topeka state
hospital, or insane asylum, which re-
port is just Off the press, it Is revealed
that the institution is in condition
/ Of terrible Jeopardy from fire. and that
the pumping plant. which is supposed
J 10 supply the Institution with water
! for domestic and fire purposes. Is ut-
terly useless as Dire protection.
There is barely enough water pres
sure to use for sprinkling flower beds.
Water can not be raised to the third
hoer Of the building The construc-
ton of the buildings is such that fire
once started would almost inevitably
cut off certain portions. and the IN
fortunate inmates would perish like
Gagged animals, behind the iron barred
windows.
It is probable that the state board Of
control will demand of the legislature
some sort of relief from the conditions
which exist at this hospital, where
LOO demented men and women are
fncarcerated.
H c. Bowman, one of the mem
bers of the board of control said: I'VE
are hoping and praying that nothing
will happen at this institution until
the legislature gets a chance to rem
edy the existing conditions"
The hospital is well provided with
hand grenades and fire extfnguishers,
which would be all right If the fire
could be discovered In time But the
fire hose provided in the various build
ings, il is believed, would be entirely
useless.
The plain facts of the. case are that
there is danger OF a ghastly tragedy at
the Topeka asylum. after which peo-
pie would be trying to find out who is
to blame for the lack of any means
whatever for effectively fighting fire,
or saving patients In case of fire.
There is now st the Topeka hospital
a small pumping plant. which gets its
water from two open wells. Both. OF
Il ase wells fail to furnish enough fFat-
er. superintendent Biddle says IN his
report:
have sufficient water to properly bathe
and care for the patients. The sewers
are not thoroughly flushed. We haze
installed throughout the hospital an
efficient system of fire protection. y~t.
on account of the water supply. am e
the opinion that in the event Of fl {.
it would prove quite useless, thus ex-
posing the institution to the great dan
ger of fire. which is ever 9hreatenfn1
me ouiy practicable way of gu =
anteefng a sufficient water supply for
the hospital is 20 abandon the present
plant, and rebuild a pumping station
near the river. : regard this change as
absolutely imperative To erect a pump
house, construct well, install watei =
mains ana pumps ana DOlierS VIII Ie-
quire an appropriation of $40, 000."
DR. Biddle also recommends the con-
struction of suitable fire escapes in all
the buildings None. CT the buildings
except the administra tion building
wnere the officers Of the hospitals live.
is provided with any kind of fire es-
cspes- In some Of the buildings, whe' .
there is no easy method Of esress. IT
viii doubtless be necessary to put in
spiral FIRE escapes. OF "chutes into
which patients can be placed. and got
ten out Of the building with great rap
idity.
There is no great need of additional
fire protection at the Osawatomie asy-
lum. nor at the Parsons asylum. Con-
cerning the conditions at OsdWa tonne
Superfnt endent Uhls says:
This Institution is fortunate in hav-
ing abundant water supply We have a
fire company. a hose cart. ladders. etc
Ne have a good standpipe. "A feet Sn
diameter, and 40 feet high, also good
direct pressure. We ought to have
good hose cart and hook and ladder
wagon, and IA house suitable fer shell
teTing them"
Or Uhls also recommends the con
straction of spiral nre escapes il seve"a4
Of the buildings.
Al the Parsons hos snital for epileptics.
there is rc serious danger from fire be-
cauze the patients are kept in small
cr1 ia ges only one story in height