The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-08-15
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- sHe tfiAlnal cole oi virginia, Is reduced
T. ashes. The question t. u,trd. what i r.
lie deus with the convictss We would .ng.
fesi,tha Il there le no legal ohiee,ion. II
would he well 70 initiate the example nf Nef
York, BY putting Them to work On the Jan,e4
River eanal Something of This Mind must be
lone. The heavy loss Sustained Ly the state
n the Destruction Of the building and mate.
Nh. and ihe expense of erecting another
! Al ialeee the Legislature to make epc,g cir,
| "A 50 tha fbe bartIlen may tall ua lightv as
poA be en The should Of the people Tho
toiloAias are thu circumstances Of this dis.
IfessiA occurrence
hBfiC MlsEoRTUNEl
kioaNNo. Aug. a,--Wc stop The
/ Press 10 Nnnamoe the complete dcslrue
| ion Of om'Snte pcuiteutipry by Ere
itw MINUTES before l2, the alarm Of
| Gre WIS solNded ~ and broad glare af
light Ia The WY Indicated the fire 10 be in
that direction. NOW propbcic fears were
reaiaed--and ,aAextonsl,e range of build.
ings constituting Ahc State Penitentiary
rapidly exhibited \ tremendous sheet Of
iinnes. The eilertNo save The buildings
vas idle.
Tie fire engines NcrcNhnrtied to the
spot, and u crowd Of ciNscns were collect
ed-but the eNcrtions We're confined 10
saving the conyicts, senk of the public
property ia the front ccntN building, and
a few Wagons, ploughs &cA under sheds
without. few OF the goods y, the centre
building, comparatively, were Aayed
tonpito
august live gave in ouN hurried
| Postscript of Saturday morning, M must
| important items ol the destructlotAof our
| Penitentiary. A few additional ciNuu-
stances of 81 affecting dispensaiion Spay
prove Interesting 10 oar readers at q Ms.
! lance.
The fire took place, as we have stated, N
| the eastern wing ollhe central building --as
| is believed by most oithose who werein The
interior, in a shornakcrs shop. The celiuel
who had rfpained outside Of the eastern
SIDE 81 the building, from 10 O'Clock, most
probably gave the first alarm. 1he alarm
rapidly spread through the intellor--one
nf The tnrnkeys saya, wien he was AVA
kened, the ffe had shroken ont Ca the rouf
OF the Genital building, aud was no larger
| than hie hat. The FIRST object of the oil
GERS WAS Ia sr2e the keys, aud open the
sleeping rooms Of the couWcts, who rush
ID into tie iaeer yard. The smoke how
ever was suAocatng and the danger
| imminent and theio were two or three
of the solitary cells not unlocked Tie
Public Guard rushed lo the spot, aud hen
the gate was opened, received The couslets,
who made not the slightest effort 10 elect
lbeit escape. When the great body Of ei-
iiaens, aal the fire engines, bad reached
tie sp6f. il was 700 late 10 save the house.
Tor the ire had rapidly spread TO both lis
wings by means Of the unfortunate central
building. 1he FIRST enquiry IT every one
was, "whete are The con,ieis are they
sale - rey were usl outside of the gate
hui as lhey bad not been counted no
no one could ascertain how many we're
missing. The fate Of the abScnlses gave
rise 10 the most painful auyety.lt was
SION bu2zed about that great many wele
yet in the bnilding-ilh shricks aud
groaus and cries Tor assistance had been
l1eafd--and that this WAS u horrible doom
Ia await even the most abandoned 0fmeD.
Ply, was the predominant feeling aud
means were taken by coQuiring Of those
who knew Of their location, aud by sIo,h-
ing N In. windows of the cells, Ia
ascertain where they were. -Four only
we're found. Generous aud energetic e.
items promptly strpt forward 10 relieve
them. Tie greatest effort was necessary
n a window ia the I'd story, which could
only be approached by a shed--seteral
mounted the shed, and after encoumieuag
great fatigue aud come danger ilom the
flaming pieces 81 NoGdun cOrnice which
dropt around them, they finally succeeded
IN leosenng the non grating Of the Win
dow, aud dragged ont Il man al colour
whose prayers had bren pathcucaliy adj
dressed To Heaven for his sairly, Aoolh
or party mounted ladder, and sa,cd onl
OF room IN the East angle another fellow
creature The bricks being cat out Of The
upper part of the window. A third was
drawn oui Of y whole, IN the wall, which
now seems scarce big enough 10 have let
a weazle pass through. The last WAS Ia
KIN oHf OF IA room on the western side of
the bnilding when the upper part Of the
whole edlfre was on Gre. Indeed, If the |
rooms had not been archod with brick, the
litts Of these men could scarcely have
been saved. Not life was lost Not an
accident occurred during the awful scene.
The heat must have been oppressive, IL
moral causes had not been too strong to
pefnit the by-siaaders to feel all lis effects.
Mystery still hangs over the cause Of the
fire whether ii was produced by accident
ar dceiqn--and ifhy design, whose Was the
hand which laid the mischief
The loss al the commonwealth is severe.
Tie honse cost at least $3.50, The
Goods and raw materials, were probably
worth ID or $4,000 lis estimate, howe
Aer. can be made, which can be positively
depended upon.
Besides tbs loss, is the great inconvc-
nience which arises from i,ie upreccdcnt-
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