Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-11-04
FIRE AT THE PENITENTIARY.
Wagon Wood Work and File
Shops in Ruins.
Undoubtedly the Work Of an
1ncendiary.
LOSS ESTIMATED AT 100000

ABOUT half past seven clock on Satur
day night an alarm of fire was sounde,
from the bell on Hayden's mill, and in
few seconds afterwards the word was pass
ed that the Penitentiary was on fire.
The streets were thronged with an ex
cited multitude hurrying to the scene o
the conf1agration, and thousand stories
were told of the origin and extent of the
fire. One knep that the prisoners had re-
volted and were determined to burn the
city, commencing with the Penitentiary
Another had just been told that the shops
had all been fired simultaneously and the
prisoners were escaping over the walls.
Arriving at the Penitentiary we found,
thanks to the admirable order kept by the
Warden, everything inside as placid as a
May morning; the prisoners. each locked
up for the night, and great mass of citi-
zens outside OF the gates unable to obtain
admission.
The fire was in the building in the north
west corner of the yard occupied by Ayres,
McCune and Mithoff, for the manufacture
of bent work, spokes, hubs and felloes,
and by 1de, Sage, Damn & Co., as saw and
file shop, and for manufacturing carriage
wood work, and, because of the inflama-
BILE nature of the material inside, was ra-
ging with great fury.
The efforts of the firemen were concen-
trated on confining the confagration to
the building where it originated, and no.
bly, they succeeded. AL the long night
they fought the fire fiend, and ceased their
labors only at O'Clock yesterday morning,
when the northern portion of the building
was in ruins.
The fire originated in the boiler room
at the northeast corner of the build
ing, and was undoubtedly the work
of an incendiary. There are two or
three theories as to who set the building
on fire, whether it was done by a convict
or by some one climbing over the walls.
Our opinion is that it was done by some
enc of the prisoners assisted by some
one outside. Our reasons are these for the
outside assistance: Gen. Walcutt has had
large reservoirs built in the penitentiary
grounds for the purpose of supplying
water in Just such an event. This water is
brought in through sewer, from spring
on DR.. Goodale's property outside the
walls. Near the spring is waste gate,
which, if opened, permits the water to pass
off on its natural course to the river, if
closed. the water rushes into the reservoir,
giving sufficiency to supply half dozen
steam fire engines all night. The engine
stationed. at this reservoir on Saturday
night pumped it dry in an hour. An eX-
into the cause of this disclosed
the fact that the gate outside the walls had
been raised for the purpose OF cutting off
the supply of water.
Notwithstanding the watchmen report
that there was no fire or signs OF fire in
the building when they made their rounds
after the convicts were locked up; and not
we believe their reports to
be true, yet we believe the fire to have been
the work of prisoner. 1t is not SO long
ago as to be forgotten, when a prisoner
piled up lot of shavings under barrel
in one of the shops, and placed short
piece of lighted candle in the middle of the
pile, SO that when the candle burned down
20 the shavings, they were fired; though
that trick, we believe, was discovered in
lime to prevent mischief.
The total loss in building, machinery and
stock is estimated at 100000. On this, as
lear as we can get at it now, Ayres, Nc
Cune & Mithotf have an insurance ofabout
$1,000, and 1de, Sage, Damn & Co., have
i've policies of insurance of $1,9S3 each,
Ill in Eastern companies. The State will
lot lose over $4,000.