The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-04-25
A PENITENIIARY FIRE.
Columbia Register.

The hosiery mill within the walls of
the State Penitentiary was destroyed by
FIRE yesterday afternoon between 8 and
I o'clock.
Nothing was saved but lot of hose.
The fire was too fierce and spread too
quickly to permit anything 10 be done
and very little to be saved. 1t was the
hottest and most stubborn fire which
Columbia fremen have been called on
to battle with in years.
The mill is worked by conyicts with
the exception of probably twenty free
labOrers, mostly women. All work is
stopped each afternoon at & o'clock. The
convicts are given their supper in tin
pals and are then put into their cells.
When the machinery was shut down
yesterday afternoon at the usual hour
there was no fire in any department.
The only person who remained in the
building longer than 6 o'clock were Fore
man Baldwin, Mr.. Roe and white life
term convict named Short. 1t was the
business of the convict to lock the doors
and see that everything was all right.
Twenty minutes after O'clock, while
Bookkeeper Burris was in the prison
yard, he saw smoke Issuing from the
upper windows of the building. which
was q three-story brick structure, form
ing a portion of the Western wall Of the
prison. The building is well known to
every person who has visited the Peni-
tentiaT.
Mr.. Burris quickly gave the alarm,
notifying Captain Allen, who was in the
convict barber shop. Captain Allen
rushed to the building and was followed
by several of the convicts who are al
owed the privileges of the yard. The
door leading to the second and third sto-
ries was knocked down and Captain AL
len and the convicts rushed up the
steps They were forced to return at
once as the building was full of smoke.
II was ascertained. however, that the fire
had been started in the toilet room in
the second story Of the mill. There was
nothing inhammable in the room, but it
could have been saturated with oil. At
ter it started and began to spread there
was plenty to feed the flames.
The fact that the building was burn
ing was telephoned to the city, but the
alarm was late in being given. The
firemen answered promptly, however, the
Columbia Company being the first on
the ground, followed by the lndepend,
ents Long lines of hose were quickly
stretched, being attached to hydrants IN
the prison yard. 1t was nearly I O'Clock
before streams were gotten on the flames.
1t was then too late and the water had no
effect. The fire was SO hot that streams
had to be turned on the hospital building,
over hundred yards away, to keep 1t
from catching fire. The fremen worked
hard and faithfully. but there was no
possible chance of saving the building.
The walls fell in with crash, max
ing the work dangerous for the tireucn.
Some of the convicts worked shoulder TO
shoulder with the tiremen. lending assist
:,nce in holding the noZZlcS and pulling
the hose from point To point. Only &
few convicts We're at liberty, however,
the majority having been locked UP in
the big prison building at the Eastern
side of the yard. This building was never
in danger.
A convict is suspected of having set
fire to the mill There is not much
ground for the suspicion except that he
was the last person in the building. 1t
is not known how the fire could have
originated in an accidental manner.
The building was owned by the State
and was worth not less than $4,000
Nearly $1,000 had recently been eXpend-
ed on it in repairs A new roof was put
on and much money spent in improve
ments on the insi,le. There was not 4
cent of insurance on the building. In
addition to this the State loses at least
81. 900 in machinery. A ten-horSe power
and a twenty-horse power engine be-
longing to- the State were destroyed, be-
sides two electric dynamoS and lot of
shafting, betting. ETC. The State merely
furnished the motive power for the mill.
The State, therefore, Sustains clear loss
of fully $12,500. About ten days ago
an electric dynamo, valued at $500, was
put in the mill. A year ago third story
was added to the structure.
1He hosiery lDlll WAY eStaDliSiltu years
ago. 1t was run with varied success
until Captain J. NJ. Graham bought the
and began to operate it. He
leased the convicts to run it from the
State and did a large business through
out the South. All the machinery be-
Ionged to him. He had a heavy stock of
goods on hand and the loss on the stock
was great. The total loss sustained by
Mr.. Graham is estimated at $4,000,
$4,000 being on machinery and $4,000 on
the stock. Mr.. Graham had total Of
$4,000 insurance, in the following COM
panieS and agencies:
J. s. Campbell & Sons, agents. Phoe
nix of Hartford, $500; Hartford of
Connecticut. $500; Georgia Home of
Georgia, $1,000; total, $4,000.
W. G.. Swaffield, agent, Southern In
surance Company, $1,000; Sun Mutual,
81 600; total, $1,000.
Allen Jones. agent, American Of Phil
ldelphia, $1,000; total. $1,000.
The total loss 10 the State and TO Mr..
Graham is about $24, 800; total insurance,
$4,000.
WEEVIV WE EiTIEp pEpHPT