FIRE AT AUCKLAND LUNATIC ASYLUM.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1011, 21 September 1877, Page 2

FIRE AT AUCKLAND LUNATIC ASYLUM.

ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS. [By Telegraph.] Auckland, September 20,

When the alarm was given by tho night watchman, the Superintendent, Dr. Aicken, and Mrs Longdiel, the matron, at once opened all the dormitory doors for the purpose of rescuing the inmates. The fire was first discovered in the refractory cells at the back of the building, and which are built of wood. The cause of the outbreak was soon explained by one of the female patients, named Mrs Morron, confessing that she herself set fire to a inattrass with, the intention of burniug down the place, the reason assigned by her being that she had been locked in a cell with a Maori woman. It was with difficulty that all the dormitory doors could be opened, such was the hold the fire had got at that time, and even some of the cells had to be broken into from the back to rescue the inmates. The poor creatures were terrorstricken, and many refused to quit the building, and had to be dragged out by the warders. 182 patients were safely got out, of whom 63 were females, who were taken out in their night clothes and wrapped in blankets. The scene on the lawn almost defied description. Many of the lunatics became refractory, and required much attention to prevent escape or mischief. The most unruly were tied to the fence, but the majority behaved quietly and rationally, many assiet- ! ing greatly in the efforts to save their fellow inmates and preserve order. Mrs Fortune, who is believed to be burned to doath, was the wife of a baker at Napier, and sistor of Father O'Reilly of Coromandel. It is supposed that she and another patient, who was afterwards got out with great difficulty, had wandered back into the building. The Asylum was insured by the Provincial G-overnment for £IO,OOO in the New Zealand office, but the General Government had allowed the policy to lapse. [FROM A CORRESPONDENT.] The following account of the rescue of Mary Sherry appears in the " Star " : —Ju»t at the time when the eastern wing was almost completely enveloped in fiames, several gentlemen standing in tho grounds were horrified to observe in one of the up-stairs front rooms what seemed to be the form of a woman. She seemed endeavoring to escape from the door, when first observed. The alarm was raised, and a number of firemen and others rushed to the rear of the building and succeeded in obtaining two ladders. These were raised to the windows of the bedroom in which tho female was supposed to be. They were exactly the required length, and two fireman sprang to the rescue of the poor woman, but there they were obstructed by a new and serious difficulty, quite sufficient to make the most sanguine person despair. The windows, which scarcely measured a foot in width, were barred on tho inside by •■> rod of cast iron, winch passed down tho centre of each, covered with wire netting. The firemen, who had ascended the ladder, now commenced %o hack at this vigorously with sheir hatchets, but without any material effect. The excitement of the onlookerG, which had been wrought to a very high pitch, was heightened to a fearful degree of intensity through tho woman, who could now be plainly distinguished standing close to the window. The fiames at tins time were plainly visible inside the room, and were rapidly eyreadiag i» tke direction o$

the poor creature. One of the firemen, for some reason of his own, desisted in his efforts to force the iron bar out of its position, but the spectators, who were watching him with breathless anxiety, encouraged him, by cheering, to continue bis efforts. Despite the efforts of the men, who worked heroically, it was quite evident that in a very short time they would be compelled to beat a retreat. Amidst tremendous cheering and applause from the crowd below, Owen Humphreys swiftly ascended one of the ladders, talcing with him a large crowbar. On reaching the top he set to work without any loss of time. With several blows he smashed the frame to atoms and tore the iron network from the opening, but the bar still maintained its position, and it seemed exceedingly doubtful if the efforts of Humphreys would be sufficient to remove it. Only a brief space of time was now available, and the suspense endured by the witness of the life and death struggle was terrible At this critical moment the cheering from those nearer to the building betokened that something satisfactory had occurred. One of the firemen, named Frys, succeeded in fixing the hook which had been passed to him by the hook and ladder company around the iron bar. A rope was attached to the hook, and by this means the bar was removed amidst great cheers. The other window was also opened immediately after. Now it was thought there was no danger to apprehend so far as the rescue of the woman was concerned, but this hope was dashed to the ground immedtately when it was seen that despite the efforts of the poor creature she could not succeed in squeezing her body through the small aperture. After a severe struggle she succeeded in forcing herself through the aperture, and the fireman caught her as she came through, and conducted her down to the foot of the ladder amidst loud outbursts of applause and continued cheering from the witnesses of the gallant exploit.