The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1912-09-05
BIG FIRE AT STATE
HOSPITAL NUMBER 4.
The Administration Building Destroy
ed-only Walls standing-Loss
Between $40, 900 and $50, 900.

The administration building at
State Hospital No. 4 was destroyed
by fire at noon last Saturday. st.
Louis workmen were putting on a
new copper roof, and when they
went to dinner 1t is supposed they
left their heating apparatus burning
on the roof, and that the fire from
1t was communicated to the old tar
roofing. The fire spread rapidly and
soon the whole roof was II blaze.
The hospital force soon had line
Of hose on the roof, but in some way
the nozzle, which was placed be-
tween the ceiling aud roof, became
fastened and could not be extricated.
The men handling il were so nearly
overcome with heat and smoke that
they had to abandon their efforts and
the hose was burned in two.
The city fire department respond
ed to the alarm, and as soon as pos
sible WAS on the ground, the hospit-
al being nearly mile from town,
but here another difficulty faced the
fire fighters-the hose would not fit
the hospital fire plugs, and they
could do nothing. BY this time the
flames were beyond control and the
splendid building was doomed.
Several daring young men risked
their lives on the roof in vain at
tempt to fight the flames. MIR. HUI
ber, the contractor, and Karl Robin
son, carpenter, were overcome
with heat and their condition for u
time was very critical.
The administration was one OF the
best and most substantial OF any OF
the group of hospital buildings, and
was a handsome pile of Bedford
stone and brick. 1t was completely
gutted aud only the walls are stand
Ing. II was built In 1902 at a cost OF
$40, 900 or over, and was occupied as
Offices, apartments for subordinate
officers ahd theIr families, while the
basement was used as n chemical
laboratory, storage, etc,
DR.. Hutton, assistant physician
lost handsome piano, but most of
the furniture and belonging Of the
families occupying the building were
carried out by willing workers and
saved. The loss of the contractors,
| Huber K Richardson, who were put
ting on the new roof, is estimated at
about 81 900. The loss on the build
ing will approximate its original
cost, as 1t is doubtful that much use
can be made of the walls.
There was no insurance on the ad-
ministration building nor is there
insurance on any of the other build
ings, it having long been policy of
the State to carry its own risks on
its public buildings. Whether this
Is n wise policy is a disputed ques.
! tiOn. The loss by fire OF State build
/ lngs Tor the past twenty-five or
thirty years would probably aggre-
gate million or million and IA
! half dollars, two Of the greater
losses being the State University
and the State Capitol buildings.
What the insurance premiums on
all the state buildings and institu-
| tiOns in that time would have
amounted to is problematical. The
State University building was re.
placed by better and more modern
one; the state Capitol, which was
old and inadequate, IL to he replaced
by structure to cost in the neigh.
borhood of S3,000,OO0 IT was only a
question of short time when new
capitol would have had to be built
II the old one had not been destroyed
by fire. So whether 1t IL better for
the state to carry its own risks will
continue to he question upon which
the Legislature is likely to be di-
vided