Blackfoot, ID Territorial Asylum Fire, Nov 1889

AN IDAHO HORROR.

THE TERRITORIAL ASYLUM BURNED -- TWO INMATES PERISH AND FIVE OTHERS ARE MISSING.

Blackfoot, I. T., Nov. 26. -- The main building of the Territorial Insane Asylum burned early Sunday morning. Two men named KEEN and SMITH are known to have perished, and five other inmates -- DORA NANTIC, CORA ALLEN, and three men named HANSON, KENNEDY and GLEN -- are missing. It is possible that they escaped from town in the confusion, but it is feared that they were caught in the fire. The flames originated in the kitchen, presumably from a defective flue, and within an hour the main building was in ruins. Great excitement prevailed among the inmates when the fire was discovered, and Superintendent GIVEN and his assistants had great trouble in controlling them. They succeeded, however, in mustering sixty of the sixty-seven inmates. The women are quartered in the Methodist church and the men in the court house. The new addition to the asylum was saved, but all records were destroyed in the main building. The loss will not exceed $30,000.

Logansport Reporter Indiana 1889-11-26
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!