River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-01-31
STATE PRISON BURNED.
The Cell Building of the SILVIA
ter Prison Consumed by 2 Fire
Breaking Out just Before
Midnight.

Midnight.
The Building Entirely Destroyed,
with Offices and Papers or the
Northwestern Car Company
and the Warden.
A fire caught In the basement of the
Minnesota state penitentiary at Saltwater,
at las O'Clock, Friday night, the 25th. The
fire caught uSder the main Office, and when
the department arrived it was impossible to
do any effective work on
secount of the dense smoke
The fire spread with remarkable rapidity
and starting at the east end OF the pr son
| fronting on Main street. it soon reached the
| warden's office and the rooms occupied by
the guards. 1t then spread to the Off ces of
the Northwestern Car company, the entire
front part of the building being mass of
flames. From the Office of the Car COM
pany the FIRE spread to the kit hen and eat
| ing room of the prison adjoining v hich was
situated the chapel. All the above named
departments was Quilted. The front part OF
the building where the fire started was
composed of considerable frame wood work,
thus sffording means of transmitting TIE
| flames to the cell department of the prison,
which unfortunately was capped by a
| wooden cornics.
+! At one o'clock it became evident that the
prison in the rear of the offices was doomed,
| and Company K, of the state militia was
called out to assist in removing the con-
| victs; about $50 in all, were shackled togeth-
er by means of a long fine chain and re-
moved to different parts of the prison
grounds.
The deputy warden, Abe Hall, was pros
trated by smoke and almost suffocated. IL
| the walls can be used again; the loss will loot
up 70 about $150.000. The insurance IS
from $4,000 to $50 GOO. The hxtares ard
furniture in the Northwestern Car COM
pany's office belong TO the company, the
balance to the state.
Militia Company K was sent for and with
their assistance the prisoners will be re-
moved out and placed in the store room
west of the cell building. They suffered
| from the cold and were soon moved by de-
tachments into the foundry north of the
cell BUILDING, where there were fires. The
eight female prisoners were taken to the
| warden's house adjoining the south wall.
The prisoners behaved very well, and did
not offer to make any disturbance. The
gates were guarded by the militia. The
shackles were removed ftom the eonvicts
and they remained peaceably Ia the found
ry. Hot coffee and tea was distributed
among them Everything IN the buildin ;,
the deputy warden's stock, the matron and
stewards goods and furniture were all de
stroyed. nothing being saved but few
blankets. The warden telegraphed to Gov.
| Hubbard for company OF the mlllta
from st. Paul to relieve Company K. The
| couvicts sat around the foundry singing
nd ha1e1xyo1 VanhIy The YHnHOnr
brothers and the St. Paul negro murderers
were with the others and perfectly quiet
The smoke had penetrated the cells before
the convicts could be reached. When the
cell doors were opened, some of them We're
pale and trembling, as if fearing the fire
would reach them before they could be
saved. Most Il the men were cool and
careless The Younger brothers when their
cells were opened, took their blankets coolly
and followed the guards, with no sign of
uneasiness. One of the oonvicts came near
being burned to death. He was in his cell,
and when the other prisoners were taken
out he was forgotten. Con Riellen, OF the
convicts, insisted on being left behind, and
the guards went back and found him locked
in crowbar was used to batter the door
and he was taken out in time to save his
life.
The question OF what disposition to make
of the convicts is serious one Some sug-
gest they be transferred to Fort Snelling;
others that they be taken to st. Paul. II is
thought they can be put back in their cells
| inside of two days although there is no
root on the building; but temporarily this
may have to be done. The congiots will
! necessarily suffer somewhat from cold, and
| their bedding is wet or destroyed, but the
citizens win make every provision possible
| to shelter and feed them. The fire was
| marked by an act of great heroism by Mr.
n 6
| K) Immediately after the cony1cts had
been removed, cry was raised that a man
was confined in cell No. 200. The crowd
| stood aghast at the horrible fate
in store for the poor wretch,
and many faces were turned in the direction
OF the cell occupied by the apparently
| doomed man. 1t was a critical moment,
and one which q man is called upon to
face but once in life time. George Dodd,
in this instance, came to the front like q
hero. Pushing the crowd aside he rushed
into the building and was lost to view in
the column of binding smoke which belcha
| ed out as from a furnace. In less time
than it can be recorded, he had reached the
cell of the convict, who proved to be new
man in the PERSON, and in few minutes
returned bearing the rescued convict. 1t Is
considered an act of great heroism, and
praises are to be heard on every side.
The Younger boys were seen in the foundry
by a reporter while the fire was in progress,
said Cole (the OLDEST:
was in my cell on the ground floor on
the south side. had gone to sleep. and
was awakened by the alarm whistle.
looked out of my window, but could not
see any fire; smelled the smoke but thought
it was gas escaping in the CORR Tors. had
no knowledge of the fire until the door was
opened. did not apprehend any danger
The guard told me that the building was on
E~+.r 1rsrrT1 rnc
on the wall. and my books, but couldn't
take them, Wrapped myself up in blanket.
In drawer ] had pair of worsted wrist
lets that Mrs. Cayon, sister of Mrs. o. Brien,
had sent me for Christmas. / put
them on, and could save
nothing else ! regret chiefly the loss of
two books Gen. Sibley had given me Wit
and Humor and Gods Book OF Nature. Ny
| brothers and | were released and taken to
the storeoom. 1t was very cold there.
Then we were taken to where 1t wss very
i comfortable, as we came out there was
| much confusion in the upper galleries. We
are chiefly afraid about our sleeping room
and meals tomorrow, ] wish now that
could go back to the Rice county Jail under
sheriff Barton, until they provide for us here.
NV brothers and | worked in the belt shop.
| I suppose we shall have to lay around for
while. They all have treated us we'll here,
| however, and we have nothing 10 complain
of. When the guard opened the door he
was gong to take us down chained, and
told him / would give my word OF honor
not to try to escape. ] have been here too
long to go out except honorably.
L. M. Sage OF Faribault in for the muir
der of J. w. Shirley, said:
] was in cell 36 on the top floor, over the
| Younger boys; the smoke was sitting and
the BOYS were much warmed. r. b. Con-
roy of Minneapolis met the guard Brown,
| who was exhausted. He bravely volun.
teered to release the prisoners, and crawled
| along the upper gallery in the binding
| smoke and released thirty prisoners. He
says there was great terror on the upper
| floor. Ia one cell / found man on his
| knees praying. There were many praying.
| They got over their fright when We got
! them out and behaved very well. We
| went up three times to release the men.
/
Terrible Calamity in a Colorado Coal
Mine.
Denver Coli Special:-A terrible explo-
sion occurred at O'Clock Thursday the oath
at Crested Butte, Gunnison county, ia
the Crested Butte coal mine. From forty to
fifty miners, it is believed, lost their lives by
the awful affair. The explosion blookaded
the entrance to the mine in which the men
were at work, so that the exact extent ofthe
| disaster is, at present unknown.
The mine was owned and operated by the
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