The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-03-06
FIRE CUTS MEMS HOSPITAL
OF EASTERN INDIANA ASYLUM

Titus B. Scorah, patient, who es-
capped from the Eastern Indiana Hos
pltal for the Insane, during the fire
which virtually destroyed the mems
hospital cottage Wednesday night, was
found walking on the tracks of the
Terre Haute and Eastern Indiana IN
terurban company, near Dunreith, 30
miles from Richmond, Thursday morn
ing.
Scorah had apparently suffered no
ill effects from exposure, although
very lightly dressed. He could not
explain how he had gotten so far, but
it is presumed he caught a ride from
trolley or freight train. He was re-
turned to Easthaven about II o'clock
Thursday.
Legislative action may be asked to
replace the burned building, said DR..
Smith, Thursday morning, but he
would make no further statement.
John B. Lehman Of 210 Jackson
street, Muncie, Ind, was burned to
death and William Kinney, fireman
Of Hose House No. 5, had his head cut
by falling wall. He is not seriously
injured.
Lehman was 4S years old and had
been in the hospital about five weeks.
He was paralytic. He is supposed to
have been rescued during the earlier
part of the fire and to have wandered
back during the confusion.
Loss on the building, which was
three-story brick structure, built in
1899, is estimated at $25,000. Loss by
fire is confined to the two upper floors.
The flames were under control before
they reached the first floor. There
xrvt11 h0 Gxy
however.
Cause of the fire was still unknown
Thursday, but 1t is supposed to have
started from defective wiring in the
elevator shaft and to have spread to
the upper floors from the shaft with
out burning through to the first floor.
The blaze was a spectacular one, be-
ing easily seen from all parts of Rich
mond. Hundreds of people rushed to
the scene.
Patients Watch Fire
Most of the attendants and many
patients were at dance in the recrea-
tion hall, when the fire broke out The
patients were kept there or in their
rooms, and watched the scene quietly
from their windows. There are about
900 persons in the institution.
The hospital has a capacity of 27
beds and % people were in the build
ing when the fire broke out.
The fire was discovered about 7:35
o'clock by Joseph Whobrey, an attend
ant, who Immediately turned in an
alarm. Patients in the main dance
hall were kept there and all available
attendants, as well as the institution
fire department, were called out. 1t
was soon seen that the fire was beyond
control of the small department, and
an alarm was turned in for the Rich
mond city firemen, to which hose CON-
panies numbers two and five re.
spOnded.
Taken Down Ladders
Patients were removed to other
wards as rapidly as possible. Ten Of
the twenty-five were bedridden, and
three of the more serious cases had to
be taken down ladders from the second
story, the stairways being blocked by
flames and smoke. Glen Cadler, en-
ployed on the Pennsylvania railroad,
went inside the building and helped
get the patients to safety.
The attic was in flames when the
city .firemen arrived. They carried
lines of hose into the lower hallway
and up the north and west sides Of
the building. For time water ap-
parently did not have much effect on
the flames, the attic and second story
| burning freely, but gradually the fire
was brought under control with the
| first floor still intact.
Lehman's Body Found
Part of the furniture on the lower
/, floor was saved, but that in the Sit
ting room and the cots in the big re-
ception room, while undamaged by fire
was drenched with water. 4