Raleigh, April 10—Fie of undetermined origin wrecked the west wing of the main building of the state hospital for the insane here this afternoon and entailed a loss of a half million dollars, but according to the best check officials were in a position to make tonight, no lives were lost. The building is 70 years old.
Four hundred male patients were safely removed from their wards in the burning wing through the heroic work of physicians, nurses and attendants; and from a wired enclosure a hundred yards away chatted idly, harangued the crowds or looked on with uncertain amazement while the flames gutted their quarters. Six hundred female patients occupying the east wing, which was threatened for a time, were removed to an open field of pines and kept under guard of nurses while the furniture and bed clothing was hastily dumped from windows.
The fire, which was discovered about 12:15 o’clock, was under control at 6.
In State Prison
Tonight the male patients, except for the sick, were quartered at state prison. Attendants were able to refurnish the east wing sufficiently to accommodate the women. Some 75 of the men, ill, were taken to local hospitals.
Dr. Albert Anderson, superintendent, and other officials, were engaged late tonight in a recheck of female patients to make certain that no lives had been lost. A nurse told newspapermen while the fire was at its height that two men were believed to have burned to death in the fourth ward, where the fire originated, but officials thought that every inmate had been accounted for. Dr. Adams, chief medical officer, said he went through the wards after the patients had been taken out to make certain that no one had been left. He was satisfied all were out. The two men reported to have burned were described as violently insane.
Weak water pressure, caused by a restricted six-inch main connecting with the city pipes, handicapped the firemen and it was not until a 450,000 gallon reservoir in the rear of the hospital was tapped that they were able to check the flames. At that time, the central or administration, section of the huge building was ablaze. Firemen turned three lines of hose on it and while it was saved from destruction, the interior was greatly damaged by water.
From the front page of the Roxboro Courier, Wednesday, April 14, 1926
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073208/1926-04-14/ed-1/seq-1/
No comments:
Post a Comment