Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1918-06-05
SIXTEEN MEN LOSE LIVES
In Fire that Destroyed Building at
State Hospital.


male patients at the South Carolina
Hospital for the Insane perished in a
fire which destroyed a one-story
frame structure on the hospital
grounds early to-day. trifteen were
burned to death in the building, hav-.
ing run back into the burning struc-
ture after they had been rescued.
The other dead man was rescued
from the building second time, but
not until after he had received injn-
ries from which he died few hours
lateT:7Four other patients were more
or less seriously injured
(There were As patients sleeping in
the ward and the greatest dificulty
was experienced in saving them. The
building was very old one and
proved an easy prey to the flames,
which spread so rapidly that by the
time the fire department reached the
scene the building was doomedO
Hospital authorities said that every
patient in the ward was removed, but
that most Of them ran back despite
efforts of attendants and nurses.
SThe origin Of the fire was unknown
to-day. The explanation advanced is
that it originated from defective wir-
ing. Chief w. ]. May, Of the Colum-
bia fire department, issued a state
ment in which he declared that the
building was veritable "fire trap.2
1t adjoined one of the main buildings
of the asylum, in which there were
several hundred patients. These
were all removed. as this building
was at one time endangered.
Hospital authorities refused to
give out the casualty list, acting on
advice of Governor Manning.
An Investigation OF the fire was
begun Immediately by Coroner Scott.
The fire was discovered by the
nurse in charge of the ward. and al
most momentarily the entire building
was enveloped in flames.
The State Hospital had a popula-
tion Of zoos patients. AL of the
dead and injured are from South Car
olina.
The Casualty List.
lThe casualty list was given out by
the coroner of Richland county, who
is conducting the official investiga-
tom
The list of dead follows:
J. w. Brock, Seneca.
Willie Boyter, Moore.
Jake Bell, Aiken.
Fl. H. Free, Blackwell.
J. f. Greer, Greer.
j. r. Green; Spartanburg.
Rufus Hewitt, Aynor.
l.. M. Lewie, Conway.
Fl. d. Newton, Winnsboro.
Albert N1cSwain, Vaucluse.
John Owensey, Greenville.
e. l.. Stillman, Williamson,
j. G. Todd, Charleston.
Walter White, Plum Branch.
T. Fl. Wells, Mount Carmel.
Thos. w. Baker, Marion.
The injured follow:
j. B. Zimmerman, Kersy.
Henry Lamb, Richland.
Hector Logan, Brookland.
Fifteen of those who are dead died
in the burned building and Thos. w.
Baker succumbed in the infirmary
this morning at 8.45 O'Clock. ]. B.
Zimmerman and Henry Lamb are not
expected to survive, but. Hector Lo-
gan may recover, unless complica-
tions set In. Two other patients re-
ceived trivial burns.
NThe dead are so charred, stated
DR.. c. Fred Williams, superintendent
of the State Hospital for the Insane,
this morning, that they cannot be
identified. However, all those who
lost their lives are known, he stated,
but they cannot be differentiated, ex-
cept, possibly, in two cases.
The dead and injured were not reg
ular patients at the state Hospital for
the Insane, but we're placed there for
institutional treatment.)
/. c. As O ri a