The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-27
PATIENTS DIE WHEN CAUGHT IN DORM|TORY
Inmates Suffering With Tu- bercuIoSiS Burn To Death As Flames Destroy Frame Building Of State Hospital THREE OTHER VICTIMS ALSO BELIEVED CAUGHT Six Hundred Patients Lives Endangered By Fire All Of Whom It Was First Thought Had Been Removed

CHICAGO, Dec. 26.-(By Associated Press. 1-Fifteen persons are known to have perished tonight in a fire. of one of the frame structures of the Chicago state hospital for insane at Cunning, on the outskirts of Chicago.
 At midnight a search of the ruins was in progress and other bodies may be found. Six hundred men pa tients, who were inmates of the part ly destroyed structure, were rushed out into drizzling rain by guards as the fire spread. About fifty of them, confused by the darkness and rain, escaped or wandered away from the hospital grounds. Some of them were found later by the police and motorists, but no check on the num- Der of missing had been made at midnight.
 Woman One Victim.
 One of the victims of the fire was thought to be woman attendant, who had rushed into the building to rescue some of the patients. The pa- tients were seated at supper in the large dormitory comprising one sec- tion of the story and half strue- ture when the fire gong sounded, the alarm being transmitted to about a dozen frame and brick structures, composing the institution. which is enclosed and include about 70 acres of ground.
 Attendants. nurses and doctors hurried to the burning building to assistants in charge of the patients, all of whom were victims of only mild forms of insanity and many OF whom were soon to be discharged.
 The patients were hurried from the burning building and at first 1t was thought that all had been rescued from the structure, known among the patients as the death house." be- cause some sections of it had been utilized to house incurables.
 O O o
 Identity Impossible.
 Later. as the ruins could be pene- trated, bodies were found burned be- yond recognition. Hospital authori- ties said it would probably be inn possible to identify definitely many of the bodies.
 Heroic acts by both attendants and patients were responsible for the fact that there was mvr a larger loss of life. Many patients assisted their more unfortunate companions, who became confused. Some of the pa. tients are believed to have perished when they tried to save Christmas presents.
 Several patients. who were bed- ridden, were carried out by attend ants and three policemen rescued three patients who had become con- fused and taken refuge in a layatory, locking the door.
 Chicago fire apparatus and details of policemen responded to the call for help and assisted in getting the fire under control. Excitement in some of the buildings near the fire, was quieted quickly by attendants. there being about 400 attendants for the $500 patients at the hospital. Origin Unknown.
 The origin of the fire IS undeter- mined. Some of the hospital attend ants said they believed t had started from an overloaded boiler. Other theories were that it had been start ed by a patient who had laid aside a lighted Christmas cigar in his ward as he started for the dining room. Bremen estimated the loss at s100,00o
 Patients marching from the build- ing were guided through the rain to an amusement building, where A Christmas entertainment was to have been given for them tonight. Thers first aid was given 10 the injured, many of whom had geen bruised and hurt in the hurry from the building.
 Attendants said the fire was dis covered and reported promptly by Herman Hader, a patient, who had been kneeling at his cot praying when he looked up to see one of the wards in flames.