The Burning of the New England Sanitarium
From press dispatches we learn of the burning of the New England Sanitarium, located at Melrose, Mass., which occurred on the night of January 1. We take the following report from the Boston Journal of January 2:— “While the New England Sanitarium was enveloped in flames at half-past nine o’clock to-night, the women nurses fought the fire with buckets, hand grenades, and a small hose, as the male attendants carried to safety the forty inmates. “All but the stone wing of the institution was destroyed, but throughout the excitement not a life was lost, no one was injured, and no sign of a panic appeared. “There were many thrilling rescues of the helpless patients, the women acting with equal bravery and heroism with the men, and it was due to the splendid fire drill maintained at the sanitarium, and to the coolness and heroism of the seventy-five employees, that the patients were rescued. “The fire started soon after nine o’clock in the room of Miss Etta Albee, a nurse, who overturned a lighted kerosene lamp. With splendid presence of mind, she ran into the corridor, and instead of growing hysterical she sounded the fire gong, then went to the office of Dr. C. C. Nicola, head of the corporation and head physician, where telephone messages were sent to the Stoneham and Melrose Fire Departments for assistance. “Then the employees of the institution carried out their drill, the women, with few exceptions, fighting the fire, while the men, because of their superior strength, carried out the helpless patients and assisted the others. “Long before the firemen arrived, all the inmates had been taken to the numerous cottages connected with the sanitarium and occupied by the physicians, and with the exception of a score of the nurses detailed to care for the patients, the employees returned to fight the fire. “It was due solely to the fact that the women were able to keep the flames from spreading rapidly that the inmates were given time to escape. “After all were out, men and women employees in the sanitarium made trip after trip through the halls and rooms to see if any by chance had been overlooked, until it became impossible to live for a moment in any part of the building except the stone wing where the offices are located. “All the inmates were made comfortable in the cottages, and there is ample accommodation for the employees also in the many new cottages that have been erected in connection with the sanitarium. “‘The loss to furnishings, instruments, and other equipment will be heavy, how heavy, I can not estimate now,’ Dr. Nicola told a Journal reporter, ‘but the loss on the buildings will not be much more than twenty-five thousand dollars, I believe.’” “‘It is too early to talk of plans, but I believe we shall go about rebuilding. We can care for a good many patients in our large cottages, and the site is too healthful to give up. I believe we shall rebuild at once, although, being a corporation, this can not be an authoritative statement.’” “The sanitarium was on the site of the old Langwood Hotel, burned about three years ago. Wings had been added until it was a very large building. “Half the firemen, from both Stoneham and Melrose, were ordered to remain on duty all night as they had by no means finished fighting the flames at midnight.”