The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-05-05
Great Fare at SVanRDgsn.
Damage $i50,0G0 or more.
From Fond du Lac Commonwealth, Extra.

From Fond du Lac Commonwealth, Extra.
Al 10 o'clock this a. m Nav I'd, the fire
alarm was sounded at the State Prison in
WaupuD. The fire was discovered in the
roof of the shop building, about 70 feet
from the north end The wind blew
fieroely,and everything being so very dry
it was but moment ere 5he flames gained
the mastery, got inside the immense
structure and swept like hurricane from
one end to the other. The moment the
fire was discovered, prison officers, en-
ployees and prisoners rushed 10 the roof
and did all it was possible for men to do
to quench the flames, but the odds were
100 great The roof was like finder box
and was swept over and through very
much as fire sweeps over a prairie
Just as soon as it was found impossible
to save the costly structure, prisoners and
all hands went to work to save the ma
chinery, tools and fnrniture,an we learn
from those on the ground, that men never
worked more industriously and with
greater determination. Among the valu-
able pieces of machinery were the Whit
aey and the Bailey Lathes, three scroll
saws, and all the saw arbors and saws.
Considerable of the betting was taken
out. Perhaps one quarter of the compile
ted furniture was saved. 1t is thought
that nearly half of the machinery was
saved. About 1000 finished chairs, on
The second story floor were burned, togeth-
er with an immense amount of material
About 10000 feet of lumber was destroy
cd, but by the hardest of work, large
quantities near that in flames, were saved
BY the same means about $4,000 worth
of wood was saved Had the wood caught
lire, the chances are that the entire prison
would have gone. The large blacksmith
shop was saved by the roof being covered
with wet blankets. Though the heat was
almost insuferable, men stood on the roo
and threw pals of water when the mad
flames were within few feet of them.
Fifteen minutes from the time the fire
broke out it had progressed so far that
great sparks were flying distance of 80
rods and setting fire to buildings IN the
village, and it was only by the greatest
precaution and activity that the larger
portion OF Waupun was saved from DIES
truction. Men, women and children turn.
ed out en- masse and carried water from
creeks, wells and cisterns and thus pre-
vented what might have been terrible
calamity Eight or ten buildings caught
fire, including one or two churches
As soon as Commissioner Wheeler saw
that there was danger of the whole Prison
and the town sharing the fate of tn,
shops, he telegraphed to Fond du Lac
and Watertown for Fire Engines to com,
at once. This step was taken fifteen
minutes, or less, from the time the fire
was discovered, but as the citizens and
prisoners worked manfully to stay th
progress of the licking, lashing flames.
the danger of further destruction had
passed by the time the Fond du Lac boys
had reached Chester and the WATERFOWL
boys, Juneau, from which places they
were ordered back.
Now let us look at the damage done
~nd sec what precaution had been taken |
to prevent this disaster The shop build |
ing was stone and 40 by 375 feet two full
stories high A large engine house was
Every department of the shops |
was supplied with good machinery, tools, |
ETC., besides large amount of paint, var
nish and other articles used in manufac-
turing the goods turned out by the |
prison. |
1t was hoped at first that the walls
were not harmed, but it is likely that all |
OF them will have to be taken down. Be- |
fore leaving to-day we could see that some
of them were bent over We are of |
the impression that only the foundation
can be saved
The loss, at the lowest calculation, will
not fail below $150,00O and we are in.
pl fn l. hot 49,
figures.
the building has caught fire great many
times, probably not less than twenty,
but never when so dry or when the wind
was so high as on this occasion, and was
always put out with but slight difficulty
1t has caught half dozen times since
Mr.. Wheeler has beenin charge Seeing
the danger and knowing that too much /
precaution could not DE taken, Commis
sioner Wheeler caused walk to be made
on the ridge of the building from one end
to the other
He then placed barrels of salt water
along on the roof a short distance apart.
On the center of the roof he had twelve
barrels placed, and directly over the
boiler was 9 reservoir in which he placed
fifty barrels of water, and had recently
put in one of the Carver pumps and
added so feet of hose. The pump was
so arranged that a man could stand on
the roof and work until driven off by the
flames. He had also placed guard on
The roof and directed that the steam be ,
turned into the smoke-stack, so as to
render thr sparks less dangerous. All
these precautions had been added since !
Mr.. Wheeler took charge, yet the deyour- !,
ing element got the advantage
If there Is any blame to be attached,
we think the authorities who allowed ,
such structure to be covered with