The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-02-17

Continued from Page l) through the St. Lawrence rive ice mile away, and hose lines stretch cd from there.
 By 8 Q. m. the fire had nearly burned itself out. Only Q few walls remained standing. Firemen how ever, continued to pour streams oi water on the ruins. Police remained on duty to handle the crowds. Daln- age was estimated at $i,600,000.
 The casualties so for reported were. One patient dead of heart attack; two firemen injured.
 Authorities praised the nuns fol having prevented a catastrophe by their orderly handling of the situa- ton in its first stages.
 Housed Many Persons
 The asylum had housed o50 wom- en and 847 men patients; 2e2 nuns and 2b0 employees. Sister Marie L. Ange Gardienne, head nurse. be- lieved that Q patient had get the fire during breakfast yesterday morning. It started on the third ncor of the five-story east wing. Throughout yesterday when il seemed that the fire would be con- fined to the one wing, patients were left in the central building and the west blocks. They watched the blaze iiervously, threatening many times to riot. The nuns worked desperate ly trying to keep them calm. Then, soon after dark, tho wind shifted. The water pressure ran low and the hose streams would moi reach beyond the second floor. Fire- men, weary and frost-bitten. grad- ually had to retreat.
 By the time the central building burst into flames, the situation was hopeless. The hurried evacuation was scarcely completed before the tanks began to explode. A battalion of the 22nd regiment arrived to find policemen. firemen, volunteers and nuns struggling to control the pa- tients. Many were lying in the deep snow, screaming and writhing in terror.
 Every Transport In Use
 Taxicabs, private cars, ambulances trucks and police patrol wagons were used to transport them away. The more violent were taken to jail. There was little that could be done for the 65-year-old institution Firemen hoped only to keep the flames from spreading through the neighborhood.
 It was the third fire in Catholic institutions in e 20-hour period in this vicinity.
 Dr. J. 1T. Pacquette, minister of health for Quebec province, sent 20 physicians to the scene. They feared that the exposure might cause an epidemic Of pneumonia among the patients.
 Sister Marie Gardienne gave this version of the fire:
 Tt was shortly after the break fast bell had sounded that the fire was discovered. Fortunately, all the patients who were well enough were already out of bed. The good Lord OILY kUOWb WI1hb WVuiu bhVS hl"H pened had the fire broken out dur- ing the night.
 All Terribly Frightened
 We managed to get everyone out of the wing and into the ad- ministration building and then the fire spread. We hadn't expected thai the fire would get beyond control and none of the patients were dressed for out-of-doors. They were all terribly frightened. The women were hystericai but we seemed to be able to handle most Of the men very easily. But we probably had lot less trouble with all of them than if they were normal patients.
 "The sisters were very brave. Time and again they went back into the building just to make sure that every one had been accounted for
 "One of the patients must have set the building on fire. We have had several small fires in that wing recently. None, however, was very serious. It was only Q miracle that they were not all burned to death.' epain after the war would be an iirl-