Evening star., 1950-01-07
81 Feared Dead as Fire Sweeps
Mental Hospita1in Davenport |a.;
% Bodies Taken Out> 9 Hunted
Flames Trop 68
Persons Behind
Barred Windows
ey the Associated Press

DAVENPORT, Iowa, Jan. T.
Twenty-eight women are known to
have died and nine others are pre-
sumed dead in a fire which swept
. mental hospital early today.
Nine hours after the blaze start
ed Coroner C. H. Wildman saio
the bodies of % women had been
recovered and nine other patients
are missing and almost certain to
be dead in the ruins.
= The sister superior of the hos
pital said 81 other patients had
been treated for burns or injuries
accounting for the IS women and
3 men known to have been in
the building.
The path to safety for many of
the patients was blocked by barred
windows.
Except for nurses aide. all
the dead and missing were
patients.
They were asleep in the three
story st. Elizabeth's Ward build
ing of Mercy Hospital when the
flames broke cut at 2 am. (CST) .
The fire was brought under con-
troll in a four-hour battle. :.
Building 60 Years Old.
The flames spread rapidly
through the 60-year-old brick
structure, one of four buildings
comprising this Eastern Iowa
city's largest hospital.
Screams of the trapped women
spread the alarm.
Aid was sent at once from the
nearby five-story main Mercy
Hospital building and IA fire COM
panies came Immediately.
AS the flames swept upward the
scene became one of horror.
The woman patients, many of
them infirm of both body and
mind, beat against the barred
windows and screamed their ter
ror. Some tainted away into the
smoke and flame.
Heroic Rescues Reeounted.
A white-robed Sister of Mercy
stood outside the blazing building,
weeping bitterly. Her arms held
blankets which firemen. took to
cover bodies as they were removed.
Catholic chaplains moved about
their solemn duties as the flames
outlined their figures.
Some of the rescued fought to
return to the burning ward. In
the tragic illogic of catastrophe
they wanted to go back for little
things picture. their shoes, a
coat.
There were heroic rescues. Fire
men hacked away window bars
while flames licked at their lad
der. A policeman called for hose
lines to drench him with water.
Then he disappeared through a
window into the smoke and fame.
He returned with woman in his
arms. .e.
The three man patients escaped,
two by leaping from an unbarred
window. The survivors were being
treated in the main Mercy Hos
pital building.
Fire Chief Lester Schick said
the fire apparently started in a
second floor room on the east side
Of the building.
Cigarette Possible Cause.
Sister Mary Annunziata, the
hospital superior, told a reporter
1t was possible some one had been
smoking a cigarette and dropped
it on some inflammable material.
Hours after the fire was extin-
guished firemen worked at carry
ing out melted iron beds, still
flaming mattresses, and other
smoldering debris.
Bodies were removed in white
rubber -sheeted bags.
The hospital is administered by
the Sisters Of Mercy, a Catholic
order. It was established in 1868
by persons Of all creeds.
A temporary morgue was set up
IN a room at Mercy Hospital. A
force Of nurses set about the task
Of establishing identifications
Many of the bodies were burned
beyond recognition.
The fire was fought in 19-above-