Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1917-01-25
PATIENTS TAKEN FROM BURNING
STRUCTURE IN RECORD TIME
FIRE DEPT. PROMPT.
N0TALIFEL0ST, NONE INJURED
Estimated Loss ooo-Trustees
Meet and Decide to Build New
100000 Building ~ Bishop
Page Takes the Lead.

score Of nurses and hospital attend
ants were jeopardized at 5:45 p. m.
Sunday, when a fire that caused a
loss estimated. by the trustees to be
roof Of the west wing of the ST.
Luke's hospital.
Every patient was removed with
all possible care and haste to neigh
boring homes when it was seen that
the west wing was doomed and the
wind was carrying the flames to the
roof of the main building. The entire
plant cost $4,000. Insurance carried
on the whole structure was $4,000
The trustees expect to recover about
Is per cent of the total.
The trustees have decided to build
a new 100000 hospital.
Every Bed Was Occupied.
Practically every bed in every room
in the new west wing, completed
about three years ago at a cost of
$4,000, was occupied. The patients
were eating their evening meal when
the alarm sounded. Both shifts of
nurses, those ready to leave and
those going on duty, worked heroic
ally getting their charges into the
halls of the lower floors of the main
building. The patients were first car
ried out on the, lawn in the bitter
cold, while flames shot hundreds of
feet above the building.
Firemen attacked the blaze from
every conceivable angle, and four
men worked a lead of hose on the
roof of the main building amid sheets
of flame and clouds of smoke that
enveloped them, it seemed, for min
utes at time +'s
The fire was under control within
30 minutes of the time the alarm was
sounded, after water from six streams
four of them from an engine, poured
thousands of gallons of water.
Despite the guard of several pa
trolmen the friends and relatives
fought to gain an entrance.
So far as recorded there were nc
accidents and the patients all stood
their unceremonious leave taking
with fortitude All surgeons present
reported their charges in excellent
condition.
Supt. Praises Help.
Miss Johanna Burns, 1.-the superin-
tendent of the hospital, not only gave
orders which saved the life of every
patient in the burning building, but
actually seized one patient and car
ried her a considerable distance as
the flames began to crowd the nur-
ses in the rescue work.
The fire broke out in the roof or
attic OF the west wing, around the
chimney from the heating plant in
the basement, according to H. G..
Yearick, secretary Of the hospital
Patients From Nearby Towns.
The patients in the hospital at the
time the fire broke out were mostly
from Spokane, but many from other
towns, according to records Of the in
stitution. Shelter was found for all of
them, in nearby homes and the other
hospitals of the city. Many of the
hotels offered to place all their
available rooms at the disposal of the
hospital authorities, but it was not
found necessary to accept the tender.
Will Rebuild.
Trustees of the st. Luke's hospital
held meeting before the firemen
had left the institution and decided
to erect 100000 building to re-
place the entire structure.
Bishop Herman Page of the Episco-
pal churches of the district was pres
ent when it was decided to start the
campaign for funds for a new build
ing, The trustees and physicians on
the staff in attendance pledged over