Fire destroyed one wing of the State Hospital for the Insane at Raleigh Saturday afternoon, but fortunately all the unfortunates occupying the building were saved from a fiery death.
The hundreds of insane were quickly marshaled and marched to the penitentiary, where they will have to be housed till the burned quarters are restored.
It develops that the building was without automatic sprinkling devices, which contributed greatly to the danger to the lives of the patients. The Legislature has been asked time and again, it is stated, for an appropriation for a sprinkling system, but false economy denied it. It also developed that the water pressure was insufficient to make fire-fighting as effectual as it should have been, and Governor McLean announces that an investigation will be made to discover if there was any defect in the piping put in only a few years ago.
Steps are being taken to rebuild immediately. The insurance money will be augmented by a loan negotiated by the council of state.
The Durham fire department arrived in the nick of time to prevent further spread of the fire.
From the front page of the Chatham Record, Pittsboro, N.C., Thursday, April 15, 1926
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn85042115/1926-04-15/ed-1/seq-1/
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