A GRIM TRAGEDY

Southland Times, Issue 19771, 20 February 1923, Page 5

A GRIM TRAGEDY

AN ASYLUM BURNED GHASTLY NEW YORK OUTBREAK (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association). NEW YORK, February 18. Thirty insane perished, more than a hundred were severely hurt and twenty-two pai tients are missing in a fire which destroyed one of the State buildings in the State hospital for the insane at Ward’s Island. A short circuit due to nearby blasting caused the blaze in which the inmates, with madmen’s proverbial strength, fought the firemen who were rushing in. They sought to wrest axes from them. The firemen were compelled to fell their assailants with the blunt side of the axes. Other inmates hurled themselves upon the rescuers, clawing, ripping and tearing their clothes while the flames approached and smoke cut into their eyes and lungs. Some witless men refused to be rescued and were removed only by being rendered insensible by the firemen’s blows. It is believed three nurses perished in an endeavour to remove obstinate patients. The building burned was a structure fifty years old and housed the most violent patients, and those classified as homicidal and assaultive types. Heroic efforts were made by the attendants to rescue patients who refused to leave their cells or once outside seized the hose and fought with the firemen and in every way retarded the efforts to extinguish the blaze. The patients in various other buildings set up a terrific din. The burning building was quickly consumed, and fell with a tremendous crash. .As further details of the tragedy come in, there is pieced together an account of one of the most fearful fires in this vicinity. Wards Island is a small piece of land lying a few miles from New York shores but is under the jurisdiction of the State. It housed the State insane. The asylum consists of 7068 patients and 900 employees and has a fire fighting force of only eleven men, with poor equipment. Many State Administrators in the past have been severely criticised for the inadequate fire protection and arrangements were made with the New York City Fire Department, which is one of the best in the world to give aid in the event of emergency. This aid materialised very late and to an inadequate extent.

The fire was caused by a broken electric wire due to tremendous blasting being done in the waters nearby, by the United States War Department in an effort to widen the channel for shipping.