Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-08-07

i This is supplied with pipes exten-
ding To the river, through which the
water is forced by means of steam
engine. Pipes extend from this res
ervoir to the various parts of the
building, each shop beii1g provided
with plug and q number vi feet OF
hose. The plugs nearest the fire
were put into active operation and
did excellent service In staying the
I progress OF the flames and preventing
/ them from spreading othe huge pile
OF material in the yard. Owing to
the combustible nature Of the con-
tents Of the carpenter shop the fire
spread rapidly enyeloping that and
the trip hammer shop directly be-
i low it on the first floor, communicat-
ing with the boiler room on the
north, and from thence to the dry
kiln, all Of which were destroyed.
The widest excitement prevailed
in TT. Madison, and the citizens of
that place focked to tho scene and
worked like heroes in extinguishing
the fire. Never did company OF
men work more faithfully or more
untiringiy. About ten O'Clock num-
Der of the Burlington Fire Depart
ment arrived with steamer, which
they located at one Of the cisterns In
the yard and proceeded to play upon
the flames. BY that time the FIRE
was pretty well under control. The
steamer did valuable service, howev-
err, in extinguishing the fire in the
exterior OF the dry kiln.
The Keokuk Fire Department, on
learning of the fire, placed itself in
readiness to respond to call for aid,
and waited until nearly midnight for
y summons, but 1t was not found
necessary to call upon us. Our boys
were ready and willing to 60 At a
moments warning, and would
have been glad of an opportunity Of
rendering our neighbors all the scr.
vice within their power.
The loss is estimated at $3OSOO, OF
which the State will lose $40, 200, and
the contractors $4,000. The latter
is partly covered by insurance, while
that of the State is complete loss.
The carpenter shop, trip hammer
shop, boiler room and dry kiln, to-
gether with all their contents, were
completely destroyed.
The trip hammer chop contained
ono hoe machine, four riphammers,
hoe rolls, heavy shears for cutting
iron, two shear presses, fork shears,
drop hammer, five grind-stones, one
friction wheel and one blower fan,
together with considerable other
machinery. The engine was also To-
Gated in this shop. 1t was OF 100
horse power and was recently put in,
At an expense to the contractors Of
o., 900. A new smoke stack, forty
six feet high, was also destroyed.
About two thousand dozen Of steel
goods, in process OF manufacture,
were rendered worthless by the in
tense heat. The heaviest and most
expensive part OF the machinery
connected with the institution was
located In this shop.
The carpenter shop contained two
planers, three circular saws, one
sharper, one sticker, two turning
iathes, one morticing machine, one
boring machine, one wheel chuck,
two grindstones, one tenanting ma
chine and one tool boring machine.
The Are il thought by tho most
competent to judge, to have been tho
work Of incendiarism on the part OF
one or more Of the convicts. It was
subsequently ascertained that the
fire OF 1869 which destroyed the hos
pital, dining rooms, kitchen and
chapel, was caused In that way.
Some OF the convicts applied a slow
torch in secluded portion OF the
building just before quitting work,
aud the theory 10 that Tuesday
nights fire originated in the same
way. The convicts were all locked
In their cells ut tho time, 90 that mono
Of them escaped.