Evening star., 1942-03-15
Washington 1nrmary Hospital destroyed by fire In 1861

in this addition-over the furnace-and
the three medical cadets had room on
the floor above The rooms Of the sisters
were filled with smoke about half an
hour after midnight, and the sister su-
perior first gave the alarm. They had
barely time to hurry on their clothing
and escape, leaving everything but the
clothing they had on in the burning
building. Their cries brought in the
eral.
Drs. Rodman, Hutchins and Allen, the
cadets above alluded to, lost all their
personal effects with the exception Of
the clothing which they hurriedly put
on to leave the burning building. The
Metropolitan Police were soon upon the
ground and ran through the house arous-
ing all the inmates, and about this time
the scene was awful in the extreme.
"All of the sick and wounded able to
rise wrapped the bed clothing around
them and escaped from the building, and
the shrieks Of those unable to do so were
terribly piercing and thrilled the hearts
present, the officers of the institution and
the Metropolitan Police were all active
in rescuing the weaker patients, who had
to be taken up bodily and brought
through the smoke and flames to place
Of safety. Some were carried to the City
Hall, some to the school house on Ju-
dietary Square IA hospital for some time
CT tn va ~
Grifdns Battery, some to old Trinity
Church, on Fifth street, and many to
private residences in the neighborhood.
1t is believed by the officers of the in
stitution that all the patients were res
cued with the exception of one, an aged
woman named Mrs. Hussey, who was
sent to the inflrmary some time since
by the commissioner of public buildings.
She cannot be found, and it is supposed
she has perished in the flames.
THE alarm at no time became gen.
eral through the city and many per-
sons living within two or three squares
knew nothing of the fire until this morn
ing. One hour and more after the fire
was discovered single-alarm bell was
II
that before any fire engines arrived. BY
that time the addition and the eastern
portion of the main building were en-
veloped in flames. The fire now made
considerable headway; and at o'clock
this morning nothing remained of the
Washington Infirmary but a mass of
blackened walls and smoking timberS,
with the exception only of the west
wing, which is coparatively uninjured.
The walls of the addition have nearly all
fallen and the front wall of the east
wing is cracked so badly that it will have
to be taken down.
DR.. White, the principal, lost all his
personal effects and it is stated that the
books and papers of the institution have
been destroyed. The assistant surgeons
Ors. Cooley and Pooley) also lost nearly
all their clothing, as did the steward
(Mr Hid, wardmaster (Mr. Davis and
other officers.
"The first fire must have burned some
time before it was discovered. Soon after
the sister superior gave the alarm
soldier was sent into the room where
the flames had burst out with two buck
cts of water, but, the door being closed
on him and the smoke suffocating, he
lost his presence Of mind and did not
apply the water judiciously, whereby the
progress of the fire might have been
temporarily checked. For some reason
the water which is conveyed through
the building in pipes was not used.
"The citizens were active in affording
relief to the inmates of the institution,
and hot coffee and other restoratives
were at once on hand. The ladies have
been unremitting in their efforts to Sc
cure the welfare and comfort of the
patients and no lack of bed clothing and
other necessaries has been suffered to
exist.
1.-The council chamber of the City
Hall contains some 20 or 80 Of the pa
tients, and many more are in the rooms
on the ground floor OF the west wing OF
the City Hall. A host Of kind-hearted
ladies were present rendering their serv-
ices this morning and the officers Of the
building have shown great kindness. The