Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-08-12


as sweeper, barber, runncy, sc. The latter
was allowed by orders, 10 so into the work
shops, sc. whilst the other was restricted To
his own apartments, where alone his duty
called him. IL IS said that these individuals
were exempted from being locked up at night,
in consequence of their dulies requiring their
attention in the morning before the hour of
turning ont the body of the prisoners arrived.
They had been selected for their exemplary
conduct, and several of the officers expressed
the most unlimited confidence in them. II
appears that it was not the custom To lock up
the work shops in the night and that there
was nothing tn prevent these men from hav.
ing access Ia them. Whatever suspicion may
he entertained, nothing has yet been ELECTED
like proof against either of them.-The sen
lence of the one expires next month, and of
] the other in about IL months
| From the statements Of the officers who
slept in the interior, we learn, that SImson was
the first Of them who discovered the fire. He
slep, in room by himself, adjacent to those
occupied BY the Others. and was by rotation
the general police osicer OF the week. No
patrol or centinel had beeo kept On duty in
The interior for some years, ami he WAS IA
| walked by cry of fire, whether proceeding
from within or without he does not know
On going on, of his room, he thinks about
half past - O'Clock, he saw no one in the
yard or gallery, except Levin, lone of the
mpn who was not locked up) who was run
ming from the direction of the room he slept
in towards the officers apartments. To this
man he called ont for wafer, and then sound
I'd the alarm to the other officers, who were
soon in motion. They all concur in represent
Ing the fire To he in the eastern end of the shoe
makers shop. The flames were bursting out
of the first window of that room next to the
L.,,tl
the second Window, but not in Il volume sui
lirient 10 fill it. Simpson ran to the door Of
the shoemakers' shop, and found it shut-;he
lire raging within. and the partition between
| that room and the passage in front oft he
! says, was III light blaze on the inner side
! Tins he perceived through the cracks between
the p'anks. He did not attempt Ia enter the
room, as he thought; impossible to extingaish
the flames without assistance, and he went to
aid In turning out the prisoners for that pur
pose. The progress ut the flames is said to
have been SO rapid that the passage, staircases,
! sc. Just before the sIueshop, were developed
in flames before all the prisoners in the upper
range of lodging rooms could descend and
many of them in the extreme end Of that
range were rescued by cutting through tho
ceiling and .lOists from below, and bursiins!the
doors open with axes, SC.
| Itappears that the shOemakcrs room was
| long apartment i'm the eastern end of the ecu
ire building in which from 20 In 50 men work
cd every day lis door opened into IA passage
which communicates with the ropewalk, di-
rrctly over If il the same range OF buildings,
by Il staircase aud also, with swinging or
hacking room directly opposite the shoeshop
the hospital on the south, and the gallery on
the north west, as well as with the lower gal
riy in the circular building. The carpenters ;
shop was also in the centre building directly
under the shueshop, and Immediately over d
ihlAeksinth's shop "n the ground floor. The
| use of fire III The carpenters shop had been
prohibited The use OF it, however, was al
lowed in small quantity IN the shoeshop in
which stood two stoves, squi distant from the
centre, and towards the ends ri the roum.---
IL is said there was nothing combusiible in
that room except the stools on which the men
sat 80 york. The hemp was slowed in the
lower cells, and was saved, by means of an
opening made from the exterior, after the
prisoners had been secured and marched OF.
The keeper of the outer or front gate,
.fbnCr Griffin, says ne slept on a cot Just on
The nHtside OF the gate and under the arch-way.
That he was awakened by the corporal of the
guard, who told him the house was ON fire
On opening the outer gate he saw the fire
cntering, ont of one of the windows in the
shoemakers' room, not far from the eastern
tuu bt III anu siNUl lIt IHNt WINDOWS pro-
cceded spiral column of thick smoke His
duly not admitting him To leave the gate for a
moment, be observed the progress of the
flames, which were in Il very few minutes
communicated 10 the roof by means of The
cnrnice, and with AN amazing rapidly spread
along the roof both of the centre aud circular
buildings. The interior gate having been
thrown open, the prisoners collected in body
in the outer yard, and crOwdiDg towards his
gate, waited with great patience aud appaieni
anxiety for IL 10 he thrown open. The order
for them Ia pass out was delayed Ivy the
keepers, until the Public Guard from the
Armory, and sufficient number of citizens
had collected 20 take charge ofthem. In this
interval he observed the greatest order and
decsrnm am"ng them, and met with no diff
Guilty in keeping them from approaching Too
near the gate.
The officers seem 10 have been under the
impression, that on the first discovery of the
fire, ~ cry ef'rt, without the aid orthe prison
ers, 10 cxiingush the flames, would not only
be fruiliess, but would endanger the lives OF
many oi The convicts, as well as their own fur,
the only avenue of escape was thro the arch
of The centre building, and very near to the
cnopcrs', carpenters and wheelwrghts shops
The fire having broken out in so cOmbustible
part Of the building, and having spread so
rapidly, Whatever idea might. at any time
have been entertained of attempting to eXin-
gnish it, was soon abandoned. To release the
prisoners from the cells and their lodging
rooms, and cOndact them in security beyond
the reach of the devOuring clement seems tO
have been the great object of attention and ex-
ertion among the officers. Several were acct
dentalIy left in The cells, who were rescued 10y
the manly and humane cxertions Of Mr.. Sum
ud Freeman, mechanic of Richmond
aided Lv the merit urints efi,rfs of vario,is