Delaware gazette and state journal., 1902-12-04

probably reach the fire as quickly by
driving to it which they did, as some
time would probably have been re-
quired in loading the apparatus on
cars and then unloading. Later the
Washington Co. was summoned and
responded promptly, arriving about
o. clock.
As soon as the message reached the
police station Chief Black. Capt. Evans,
who was in charge of the day men, and
20 sergeants and patrolmen boarded the
first west bound car on Sixth street, |
and, although it happened to be |
Cleveland avenue car, which would |
have stopped at the city limits under |
ordinary circumstances, it was run out |
to the workhouse to facilitate the work
of getting the policemen there. More
officers followed, about 80 being there. |
all told. Upon arriving at the tre
Chief Black and his mon lost no time
in getting to work. They were OF
great assistance in taking care of the
prisoners and preventing them from
escaping. They also aided the fire
fighters and assisted with the work of
removing from the building such
articles as could be reached and carried
out. Most of the officers remained all
night; four were there all day Sun
day and two all Sunday night. CHIEF
Black was there the greater part of
Sunday.
The firemen got to WORK as quickly
as possible. The engines drew water
from the lake, which is across the road
from the powerhouse. Unfortunately,
there we're no ladders at hand and the
work of fighting the flames was more
difficult than it might otherwise have
haap WnndQr aynrpzsaH that one
| of the trucks had not been sent out
| with the steamers and finally }. Frank
| Ball, one of the trustees, telephoned
| for the Phoenix truck, which responded
| as quickly as possible. Some of the
| people who saw the fire expressed the
| opinion that more effective work could
| have been done il truck had been
sent out in tine first place. and the
Delaware truck, with its water tower
| might have been of double service.
The steamers played on the ruins the
greater part of the night
GUARDS FOUGHT THE FLAMES.
At the time the fire started there
was lull in the daily routine at the
workhouse The prisoners, with the
exception of those doing kitchen work,
were in their cells, having just finished
their suppers, which they ate in the
diningroom, which is on the ground
floor, under the workroom, in the wing
which was destroyed. Half an hour
later everybody would have been shut
In for the night.
When the islarm was given the prison
hose was attached, the fire pump in the
powerbouse was started ana two strong
two-inch streams were put on the fire
without delay by the guards. While
this work was being started the
, prisoners in the east wing we're moved
! to the west wing. The guards con
! tinued to play on the fire until assist
ance arrived from the city, although
, they had not been at the work long
when it was apparent that they had a
hopeless task. They endeavured te
prevent the flames from spreading in
the building in which they originated
and in carrying out such articles al
l, could be moved from those sections o.
the institution which appeared to be
in danger.
The building is equipped with foul
large water tanks, which are kept tillee
: from the lake for the general needs o.
the institution and also for the fight
1 | ing OF incipient fires. There is plenty
! of hose and it is SO distributed as tx
be accessible from any part OF th'
buiIdinglt The water in the tanks was
soon exhausted, but the pumps gave {
good direct head of water through th'
hose.
3 The lake from which the water wa
! drawn is only stones throw from th'
j workhouse, and, in fact, is part of thi
workhouse property. 1t is supplied b,
a small stream~and has pretty goot
capacity. Five hundred feet away i
Mill Creek, which has plenty of waite
. at all times, and, had the lake rul
+ dry. the creek could have been reliet
upon to keep up the supply.
In a short time after the fire started
$ in the workroom 1T was evident tina
: the north and south wings were il
y danger. Every effort was made to saw
them, but both we're badly damaged
a The roof was burned off each and ais
9 off the Gentry, which divides the nortl
u wing from the south and the east fron
the west.
NOT CAUSED BY ELECTRICITY.
"The fire. was not caused by cleo
: tricity,'' said Warden Meserve t
The Gazette's reporter Sunday
s "That is ons thing of which we ar
\ positive. 4 worked my way throug
y the wreokage today and examined tn
y switchboard and found that both cri
= rents had been turned off the worh
u , room. - He said there was no clue {
the origin of the Fire. A report ha
. been current that incendiarism is su:
pected, but Mr.. Meserve says he ha
n no suspicious.
~ No fire is allowed in the workrooi
- at any time. The blaze on Saturda
?. started in the pressing department
10 which is near the door leading to tt
centre, but this does not offer an g,
~ PLANTATION, as the irons which are use
~ for pressing the clothing are heated |
10 electricity and the electric current ha
10 been turned off the building since
Z. O'Clock.
y The men do not work on Saturda
X afternoons, except to clean up, an
- that work is always finished by
- O'Clock, consequently all of the prisone
u were out of the room nearly two hou
OF before the fire started. Guard Cam
as bell, who had had charge of the cleal
..e ing, made close inspection after ti
ir prisoners left the room and detected I
fire there at that time. Therefore, the
~ appears to be no solution of the my
ilAs terry at this time.
os Warden Meserve says the guards al
oi - most of the prisoners did commendab
.. service while the fire was burnin
10 When it was deemed expedient to ser
ne the prisoners to the stockade two
a them did not want to leave their cell
oe One was making pin cushion and r
as marked, Oh, it will soon blow over,
on and the other one said: Il wou
!. rather take nap"
,hs Nearly all of the guards lost most
~ ne their clothing and other articles. Jot
~ w. Smith, the chief carpenter, lost 9
On On of his tools, which were valuable.