The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1870-05-12
THE STATE PRISON FIRE.

The STATE PRISON E1H1i'
Furniture Shops Destroyed1o7Dzan--
aS5 $4,000 E0r, G1oT,8--5O .Il
Buildings 5 5f. Win D'lll
correspondsncssef the Milwaukee Wisconsin,
Shorty flrer 10 o clock on Monday
morning, May2, a fire was discovered on
the -3of Of he work-shopsat thesirisen,
nes1he engine house, which IS about Al
the middle of the building. The shop was
400 .eet long, 80 vide and two stories high,
the cater and Partition walls of stone, with
= shingle roof aud wood eGrnice. The par
,itioas- we're GO. carried up to the roof, and
just "a soon as the ire worked through into
the loitit swept rapidly -irom one end 10.
the Other, ere the prisoners or oyer~cers
had time 10 remove the valuable furniture,
tools, lumber, &C., with which II was fitted,
the Wilde vas mass OF flames, aud owing
70 the highly iGiamable substances with
which i, was stored, Ia a remarkably short
space OF tine there mas nothing left 0ut the
bare walls.
Iherewas high wind at The time from
I the sousl, which swept the flames directly
towards. the blacksmith shop and other
| buildings liz that end OF the yard. but
through the active exerions OF the prison
ers and Ghers, these buildings We're saved
unharmel. Great credit Is due the CON
victs, wac from the tine the flames first
broke oul until they We're called in at halt
past one. worked unceasingiy to save prop
efty and subdue the flames; and they feel
the loss far more than do those not con
nacted with the work. None tried 10 es~
cape, and their behavior IN every partleu
lar was admirable. Some furniture va 5
saved, and two ct three valuable pieces OF
machinery, including the new pianer, scroll
saws, and SAWS Ii IS thought also that the
engine is not seriously injured, though ow-
ing to its insufficient capacity 1t will prob>
ably be replaced by larger one.
| The walls are yet standing, but in such a
damaged condition that they will have to
be RACED TO the gIound, and the new build
| ing will have 10 be built from the founda-
| ton. As soon as the dry season set in
/ this spriug, Commissioner Wheeler took
every precaution against FIRE, by piacng
barrels Q. water all along the top of the
Eork shop aud placing a guard there to
keep watch of the roof, and lately the eX-
haust steam was conveyed into the smoke
stack, which it was thought would COM
| pie;ely e2tinguiSh the sparks and render it
comparatively SAFE. but these extra precau
tons have, it seems, Teen unavailipg, aud
We trust that the state will learn by this
lesson not to pat a single roof on SI00,-
600 building, which is to be covered with
| sparks and cinders twelve hours out Of the
twenty fou.. The only wonder is, that il
las stood as long as it has, and we learn
that 1t was on fire several times during Mir.
/ Cordjcr's administration. but was discover
ed IN time and eXtinguished.
This throws out of employment about 100
prisoners, and destroys the extensive man
utacturing business which was just begin
nlrg to reach paying basis. The chair
factory alone was in shape to turn out
1000 chairs week, all Of which we're TAX
Ell By IA Leayenworth, Ks, firm as fast as
they could be put up Owing to the high
wind the sparks and masses of fire Were
carried high into the air and distributed
over the village, and at one time it was
! thought that much of the place would be
burned, but owing to the vigilance of the
! citizens, although fifteen houses caught
fire, nona Were burned, and the loss out
side the prison walls viii not exceed SO.
The loss at the prison cannot as yet be &C
! eurateIy estimated. but will range some,
where about $3.50, 600