Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1917-01-23
HOSPITAL.
SPOKANE, BURNED
PATIENTS TAKEN FROM BURNING
STRUCTURE IN RECORD TIME
FIRE DEPT. PROMPT.
NOT ALIFEL0ST, NONE INJURED
Estimated Loss $12o00o-Trustees
Meet and Decide to Build New
100000 Building - Bishop
Page Takes the Lead.

Spokane.-Lives of los patients, a
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
a total of 100000, broke out on the
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 living was doomed and the
wind was carrying the flames to the
roof of the main building. The entire
plant cost 100000. 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
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
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 avn 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 a time.
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
hundreds 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, 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-
SEES 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 the records of
the institution. The address in paren-
theses after some of the names is
that of the place to which they were
taken. Shelter fas 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.
viii Rebuild.
Trustees of the st. Lukes hospital
held a meeting before the firemen
had left the institution and decided
to erect a 100000 building to re-
place the entire structure.
Bishop Herman Page attended the
meeting when it was decided to start
the campaign for funds for a new
building. The trustees and physicians
on the staff in attendance pledged
$4,000 last night as a starter for the
campaign. The Fidelity National bank
will be headquarters for the collec-
| tion of the funds