Staten Island Quarantine Hospital Fire

Staten Island Quarantine Hospital Fire

On September 1, 1858, the Staten Island Quarantine Hospital was swarmed by a group of people who set fire to the hospital facilities. The goal of the fires was to remove the hospital and keep the sick immigrants from entering the country. Many of the people who lived on the island believed that the hospital was the reason for much of the sickness and disease floating through their towns. The image shows an angry mob outside of the gates which eventually made their way inside to burn down the entire hospital. In the end, although all buildings were burned, there were only 2 deaths. Although one patient died of Yellow Fever and another was killed by a worker, there were no other deaths as a result of the fires. The organizers were tried for arson but were ultimately acquitted of the charges. With the hospital completely destroyed, the mob had achieved their goal of removing it.

"How A 19th Century Mob Of Arsonists Burned Down Staten Island’s Quarantine Hospital." Untapped Cities RSS. N.p., 03 Dec. 2013. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.

Scott Nye