The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1918-05-31
SIXTEEN PERISH IN ~
STATE ASYLUM FIRE
Bodies of Victims Chalred Beyond
Recognition-Tkree Others
Are Injured

or fire which consumed one ward at
the state hospital for the insane
early Wednesday morning. There
were 40 patients confined in this
building, one-story wooden struc-
ture, which stood just inside the
wall of the asylum, on the northwes-
tern side of the enclosure.
The Dead az" injured.
The list of tn" dead follows:
j. w. Brook. Seneca: Willie Bow
ter, Moore; Jake Bell, Aiken: II. NJ
Free, Blackwell; ]. B. Greer. Greer:
}. X. Green, Spartanburg; Rufus
Hewitt, Ayner; l.. NJ. Lewie. Con-
way; NJ. ID. Newton, Winnsboro: AL
bert McSwain, Vauelase John Ow-
ensey, Greenville; L. l.. Stiilman.
Williamson; ]. c. Todd, Charleston
Walter White, Plum. Branch; T. NJ.
Wells. Mt. CARMEL; Thomas, .W:
Baker, Marion. .<1S
The injured fo1l9w: 49,.
j. B. Zimmerman, ;Kersy; Henry
Lamb, 'Bidgeland3 Hector Logan.
] Brooklapd.
The casualty list was given out by
j. Blakely Scott coroner for Rich
land county, who is conducting the
official Investigation.
! Fifteen of those who are dead died
in the burned building. and Thomas
w. Parker died in the infirmary this
morning at S:45 O'Clock. ]. B.
| Zimmerman and Henry Lamb are
not expected to survive their burns.
but Hector Logan may recover. un-
less complications set in. Two
other patients received trivial burns
Charred Beyond Recognition.
The dead are so charred. stated
Dr. G.. Fred Williams. superintend-
ent Of the state hospital, that they
cannot be identified. However. all
those Ono lost their lives are known
he stated, but they cannot be differ.
entiated, except possibly. in two
cases.
nection with the tragedy, was the
tendency of the patients. after the,
had been gotten safely from tn,
burning structure, to rush back int,
! the flames. 1t is believed that the
majority of the inmates were sue
cessfully rescued, but the asvlun
authorities are certain that a number
4 or them rushed back into the build
ing 10 their deaths. II is known tha'
at least one Of the patients did this
The dead and injured are rot req
ular patients at the hospital hu
were placed there for institutions
treat tment. They are al from SOutl
Carolina. The ward where they wer.
confired was one OF the older struc
lures of the asylum, easily accessibl,
to every part of the grounds. TIL,
patients were sleeping in an one,
ward. and. it was thought. in cas-,
lcf fire they easily could be removed
These patients required the creates
care. as they had mental growth o
children of very tender wears, anC
their minutest want had to be look
ed after by attsndenas, Just as those
OF infants They were to be placed
in the school for the feeble minded
when II had been constructed. The
dead and injured range from Is Il
90 years in age.
The fire was discovered at 2:3C
O'Clock by ]. II. Altman. the nurse
In charge OF the ward. Mr.. Altman
smelled something like the odor O,
burning cloth. He thought that one
OF the patients might have set fire
TO his bedclOthes in some manner
and he made the round of the build
ing without being able to ascertain
the cause OF the smell. He looked
into the clothes room of the ward
and everything there appeared to ht
all right. he declared. Just then
however, he said that the heaven!
lighted up just as if there was ar
explosion, and the whole roof OF the
| building was enveloped in flames.
Effort to Snve Patients.
| Mr., Altman then took CHARGE OF
his patients and marshallod them tc
take them from the rapidly burnine
building About this time the night
force of the hospital for tho insane
arrived, and they think the majority
Of patients were rescued Many OF
them had TO be bodily lifted in the
building. They were guided away