The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-03-29

JEFFERsoNvILLE, March 23-ISpecial. +
Fire broke out in the saddle-tree shop
in the indiana state prison South at JEFF
fersonyille shortly after IL o'clock this
morning and for time the entire prison
was threatened with destruction.
The origin Of the fire was from an over
heated furnace used in driving material
for the manufacture Of saddle trees. The
building is an old structure built OF brick
and wood about thirty feet in width and
nearly 200 feet long. The two stores were
filled with inflammable material, such as
dry wood shayings and paints, and the
flames spread rapidly.
The fire was not discovered for some
time. and owing to the delay the flames
gained much headway. The fire service
in the prison is not very extensive, and
owing to the late start was inadequate to
cope with the flames. The fire service of
the Ohio Fails car company, which is situ-
ated Immediately opposite the prison, was
brought into reouisition, and the fire de-
partment in Jeffersonville was called. but
by the time this assistance arrived the fire
had the entire saddle-treesshop in its en-
brace.
The firemen directed their efforts toward
saving the new dining-room building.
which is en- equally large structure. but
this too was soon in flames.
The saddle-tree shop is operated by M.
Claggett OF Louisville. who employees 80
convicts. The convicts gave ready as
sistance TO the iremen.
The flames spread TO the new cell house
| in the southern end OF the building. This
structure is built of brick. stone and iron,
but the heat was so intense that the
interior caught fire within a half hour,
and the prison officials at once arranged
to move all of the furniture. books and
papers from the principal Office OF the
prison, which is located at the west end of
the structure. The cell house is practi-
cally unOccupied in day time, being used
only az q sleeping room.
At ii 40 the fire had macd such bead
way that the Louisville fire department
was called upon for assistance, and Chief
Hughes sent over two fire engines. The
No. 8 was the first to arrive. The No. Z
soon followed,
There are over 600 convicts in the prison
and the excitement among the officers and
cOnvicts was intense. Work in al OF the
other shops was suspended and the war
den and his assistants took every precau-
ton to prevent panic and provide against
an outbreak. Extra guards were placed
on duty to prevent escapes. Thousands
of people from Jacksonville and the town
of Ohio Falls, where the prison is located,
gathered around the closed doors, but
were refused admission.
BY u o'clock the fire had completely
destroyed the two diningrooms used by
the cOnvicts. and also the kitchen where
| dinner WAS being nrepared
Big flames issued from the interior of
the new cell house, all of the woodwork
having caught fire where exposed to the
heat from the saddIe-tree shop. Other
small shops in the vicinity of the dining
room caught fire. and for time the entire
prison seemed doomed to destruction.
The Louisville fire companies materially
aided the local fire department in keeping
the flames checked.
Warden Patten was in Louisville when
he heard of the fire and fastened over to
! direct his assistants.
A stih breeze was blowing at the time,
and il seemed for a time that the entire
plant was doomed
One Of the small buildings DESTROYED
was the tailor shop, where all OF the con-
vict apparel and bed clothing are made.
The loss on this is considerable, but the
warden could not estimate the loss at
once.
At 1910 the fire was under control, and
the excitement which prevailed during
the progress OF the flames had abated.
The convicts as rule assisted the
guards ia maintaining order and helped
the firemen, but some of them looked on
with indifference. There were no attempts
to escape, however.
The JeffersonYille prison has suffered
from fire frequently before. The old
prison was entirely destroyed
about forty years ago. During
Warden Schuler's administration in 1870
another big fire occurred, and during
Warden HOward's administration, ten
years ago, two large fires occurred. The
former outbreak occurred at night.
Had today's fire started in the night
time it is likely the entire prison would
have been destroyed.
After the fire had been fully subdued at
o'clock, Warden Patten mads hasty
estimate of the loss. He said the total
loss to the Claggett saddls-tree company
and to the state OF Indiana would not be
more than $4,000 both by fire and water.
The loss TO the Claggett company is
$4,000 on their stock and machinery, and
the loss to the state on the building oc-
cupied by them is $4,000. The state
carried no insurance, but the policies OF
the contractors amount to S25, 900. Only
the walls remain standing and they are in
such bad condition that they will have
to be torn down.
The new cell house. erected emily a few
years ago at q cost of sos, 900, was scorched
and the walls so badly damaged il will
| cost at least $4,000 to repair it, Upon the
tailor shop, which was fine new build
ing sixty feet long, thirty-fve in width
and two stories in hight, the loss will be
$4,000.
Then the dining-room and the carpenter
shop over il were damaged to the extent
OF $1,000 more, making total of SIS, 900.
In fact the entire northeast section Of the
prison vas swept away. and the loss would
certainly have been much greater had not
Maj. Hughes been there to direct the
move ments of the convict firemen. As il
was the latter worked calamity and no
place was too dangerous for them to enter.
They were working for pardons, and seiz-
|