The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1918-05-30
II PATIENTS DIE
IN HOSPITAL FIRE
One-Story Structure State
Hospital For the Insane
Demolished.

III d IRE Wnlcn destroyed the ward Oc-
cupled by idiots and mental detectives
at ) o'clock this morning. Two other
patients are reported in critical con-
ditlon. Fifteen bodies were removed
from the ruins and two others died
during the day. The dead and seri-
ously injured all are from South Car
olina.
The list of dead follows:
j. w. Brock, Seneca.
Willie Boyter, Moore.
Jake Bell, Aiken.
H. H. Free, Blackwell.
j. E. Greer, Greer.
j. r. Green, Spartanburg.
Rufus Hewitt, Aynor.
l.. M. Lewie, Conway.
H. ID. Newton, Winnsboro.
Albert McSwain. Vaucluse.
John Owensey, Greenville.
E. l.. Stillman, Williamson.
j. c. Todd, Charleston.
Walter White; Plum Branch.
T. H. Wells, Mt. Carmel
Thomas w. Baker, Marion.
The injured follow:
j. B. Zimmerman, Kersy.
Henry Lamb, Ridgeland.
Hector Logan. Brookland.
The casualty list was given out by
j. Blakeley 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.
Baker succumbed in the infirmary this
morning at 8:45 o'clock. ]. B. Tim
mermann and Henry Lamb are not ex-
pected to survive, but Hector Logan
may recover, unless complications set
in. Two other patients received triv-
ial burns.
The dead are so charred, stated DR..
C. Fred Williams, superintendent of
the State Hospital for the Insane. this
morning, that they can not be identi-
fed. However, all those who lost their
lives are known, he stated, but they
can not be differentiated, except, pos
sibly, in two cases.
Pathetic Incident.
One of the pathetic things in con-
nection with the tragedy was the ten
dency of the patients. after they had
been gotten safely from the burning
structure, to rush back into the flames.
1t is believed that the majority of the
inmates were successfully rescued, but
the asylum authorities are certain
that a number of them rushed back
into the building to their deaths. 1t
is known that one of the patients did
this.
The dead and injured are not regu-
lar patients at the State Hospital for
the Insane, but were placed there for
institutional treatment. They are all
from South Carolina The ward where
they were confined was one of the
older structures Of the asylum, easily
accessible to every part of the
grounds. The patients were sleeping
in an open ward, and, it was thought,
in case Of fire they easily could be
gotten out. These patients need the
greatest care, as they had the mental
growth of children of very tender
years, and their minutest want had to
be looked after by attendants. They
were to have been placed in the School
for the Feeble-Minded when it had
been constructed. The dead and in
iured are between Is and 60 years of
age.
The fire was discovered at 2:50
o'clock this morning by ]. H. Altman,
the nurse in charge of the ward. Mr..
Altman smelled something like the
odor of burning cloth. He thought
that one of the patients might have
set fire to his bedclothes in some man.
ner, and he made the round of the
building without being able to ascer-
tain the cause Of the smell. He looked
into the clothes room Of the ward, and
everything there appeared to be al
right, he declared. Just then. how
ever, he said that the heavens lit up
lust as if there was an explosion, and
the whole roof Of the building was
enveloped in flames. He gave the
alarm and the fire department was
Immediately summoned.