The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-01
MANIACS IN FIRE.
Main Building of Hamilton, Ont.
Asylum Burns.
The Institution Sheltered sO'
Patients When Blaze Started.
EIGHT TO 10 PERISH
Flames Are First Discovered in
the Violent Ward.
Inmates Fight Off Rescuers
With Desperate Fury.

Hamilton. Aug. At least eight
and perhaps ten lives were lost in a
fire which partly destroyed one of the
main buildings of the insane asylum
on the side of the mountain south
west of the city early today There
were 500 patients in the building when
the fire was discovered and it was
only a well trained fire fighting corps
and splendid GOODNESS anG bravery
among the nurses and attendants I'M
der DIR. English that aVerted more
frightful loss of life.
There are four buildings in the
group within the asylum GROUNDS.
The main building, where the tire oc-
CURED, is a four-story brick struc-
ture with basement, zoe feet in length
and about 20 feet wide, with wings at
either end. The women patients, num-
bering about $50. occupied quarters in
the west wing. The remainder or the
building was taken up with men
wards and contained some of the
most desperate cases in the asylum.
The women We're moved without serl-
Gus difficulty to the adjoining bulid-
ings The situation among the men
was more serious.
The fire started on the fourth floor
in what is known as section D, where
the violent insane are kept. The most
of the men, guarded by attendants.
moved down three flights of stairs out
but about score, driven into
frenzy by the sitting smoke and the
excitement of a midnight fire. fought
off their rescuers with desperate fury.
Three of them. after being carried
down to the second floor. broke away
and fled back to the blazing corri-
doris
The flames in tire meantime had
spread down the Railways and were eat
ing their way through the floor to the
81 T1fr
though fighting hravely, was handi-
csDped by the maniacs and was losing
control.
The city brigade which had been sum
moned. was then toiling up the almost
precipitous roadway leading TO tce
asylum grounds. 1T was nearly o'eiock
before the first of their apparatus was
brought into play The hremen ran
scaling ladders up to the tara anu
fourth floor windows, where 1t was be
1icved some Of the unfortunates had
fed They found Il difficult work 10
break down the iron gratlngs on the
windows. and the fire in the mean
time was growing herCer every minute
crawling into the sitting smoke, the
dremcn CROPPED their way ABOUT unai
thew found a maniac He was SUN
able to offer resistance and 1t was nee
essa1-v to knock him senseless, when
me was dropped into the life nets be
low Eight of the insane and one at
teudant who had lost consciousness IN
the work Of res ne were saved ana II
was believed lt o'clock that every
patient had been taken out ol In2 purh
ing section of the building The COM
bined fire forces had the situation Wei
in hand by $50 a. M
The two upper floors and the roof OF
the east wing were burned and me low
or floors were flooded with water. As
4ha dreuen worked their way into the
burned section. bodies were found
Three we're in the hallway on the top
0o,1- and one helpless paralytic was
burned to death in his cell -Four more
corpses were found hudIlsd togS' ieI IL
small room.
At dawn a systematic checking up OF
tho inmates was begun ana 1t was
found that between 10 and u men We're
missing. It was thought probable that
some of these hid escaped and We're
sin If large in she surrounding helGs
Five bodies have been ide4-itied.
The blazing roof of the asylum,
perched on the mountalnslde attracIeH
the attention of the entire city The
crv. ''yThe asylum is on fire. rang
through the streets and hundreds flock
cd up the hill. 1t was weird slgnt
that presented itself. The screams OF
the 500 inmates of the four buildings.
drowned every other sound. The fire
men. fighting both flames and the
rnaniscs. We're in constant peril and
frequently We're seen perched on Win
dow sills through which the smoke was
pouring. trying to drag forth a strug-
Cling man. Tom Fitzgerald OF the cleo
trfc truck is given credit for the rescue
cf five men. His sixth broke from his
grasp at a window and fled back into
the Flames where he perished.
Provincial Detective Rogers and staff,
who arrived from Toronto this morn
ing. have been detailed by the provin-
cial secretary's department to make =
searching investigation The fire is be-
lieveI 10 have been caused by short
circuit of an electric wire in the store
room on the top floor.