FIRE AT THE STATE LUNATIC ASYLUM AT UTICA, N.Y.

Utica, N.Y., Tuesday, July 14.
At 8 o'clock this morning flames were seen bursting from the cupola of the New York State Lunatic Asylum in this City. Soon they ascended in a grand column and then burned downward, spreading towards the wings on the West. By barricading the passages with lumber covered with blankets the fire was checked. The same effort was not so successful on the East, and that wing was badly damaged. The water provided upon the premises was easily turned upon the fire, but the fire raged with such violence at the summit of the building that the water had but little effect, and the supply was soon exhausted.
The fire department were quickly on the ground, but the lack of water in the vicinity delayed their efforts. Lines were formed to the canal to obtasin water, but the great distance and the elevation of the Asylum above the canal made the supply insufficient to check the flames. They raged for 4 hours, and completely burned out the main building to the very cellar, damaging much the east wing and somewhat injuring the west wing. The rear wings are uninjured.
Fire companies from Rome, New York Mills, Little Falls and Herkimer, came and rendered efficient aid. Five hundred patients were in the Asylum at the time. They were removed to the rear wings, and a considerable number of them were taken, as the fire progressed, into a grove in the rear of the buildings. The Citizens Corps were stationed as guards around them, and the Seymour Artillery, the Union Guards, the Emmet Guards, the Johnson Guards, the Palmer Artillery and the German Rifles were called out to guard the property removed, and to prevent the escape of patients in the excitement. The origin of the fire is not explained, but it is said that one of the chimneys had been on fire, and that a spark from that may have caught the woodwork.
DR. GRAY and his assistants were cool and energetic in the emergency. They hope to provide for the patients, but as the Asylum was crowded any provision must be inconvenient.
The damage to the building can hardly amount to less than $200,000, DR. L. F. ROSE was seriously if not fatally burned.

Utica, Tuesday, July 14 -- 3 P.M.
The fire at the Lunatic Asylum has been subdued. That part of the building occupied by the patients was little damaged, and none of the patients were injured. No additional accommodations will be required for them immediately, and one of the attending physicians says they will be all as comfortable by tomorrow night as they were before the fire. That part of the front of the Asylum which was immediately behind the colonuade, and contained the chapel, dining room, &c., was destroyed by the fire.

The New York Times New York 1857-08-15
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!