Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-04-02
When Water Pressure Gave
Out Eight Hundred Prison
ers Shouted in Glee and
Cheered the Flames.
LATER ON THEY CRIED
FOR THE SAKE OF GOD
TAKE US OUT OF HERE!"
IL Required Twelve Hundred United
States Soldiers y Ssintain Order
and Prevent AE> = The Prisoners
from Escapi1S.

+ III.
1t took 100 United States soldiers to
maintain order and to prevent prisoners
from escapinE during a FIRE, which de-
stroyed four buildings OF the federal mil
itary prison here early today.
All the 500 prisoners were marched out
Of their cell houses when it seemed that
the whole prison certainly would be de-
stroyed. and were held under heavy mil
itary guard until the fire was under con-
troll. Then, after some of the cell houses
had cooled sufficiently, they were marched
back again.
The fire was discovered before midnight
by a sentry, who fired his pistol The
fire call was sounded, and the entire gar
rison at Fort Leavenworth turned out.
The Thirteenth infantry was thrown
around the prison.
Fire Hard To Fight
The fire. which probably started in the
prison tailor shop. gained rapid Roadway
against the prison guard working with
buckets and small hose. The fire depart
ment of LeavenwOrth received an emerg-
ency call. and joined forces with the SOL
diers in a battle against the flames. The
fire was confined to the central row Of
buildings and consumed the Industrial de-
partments OF the prison, including the
paint, tailor and carpet shops and the
laundry. The building contained many
combustibles The cell houses rapidly be-
came filed with smoke and got suffocat-
ingly hot.
After bugle calls were sounded, the
first guard line was placed about 80 feei
from the prison wall. the men being sta
toned ten feet apart. The second line
was 200 feet farther back. The companies
were extended in open order. Through
this line no one except an officer or SOL
der on duty was allowed to pass.
LET il Burn" They Yelled
When the fire was started there was
glee among the prisoners. Let it burn!
they yelled. The water pressure was very
poor and as the water sputtered from the
hose the prisoners laughed and cheered
The flames leaped higher and a gust OF
wind whipped smoke into the nearest OF
the three cell houses.
The tone Of the prisoners changed then.
For Gods sake, take US outv' they
screamed battering against the steel barz
in terror. Colonel Loughborough saw the
danger when the flames got very near the
cell houses and ordered theprison provost
guard to unlock the doors. The 800 pris-
oners fell in, each convict with his hands
on the shoulder of the man in front OF
him At double quick they marched TO the
farthest corner of the prison enclosure,
where they huddled while 100 prison
guards awed them with leveled rifles. Two
Of the terror-stricken convicts tainted.
The Leavenworth firemen devoted their
attention to the saving of the main struc-
ture and keeping the fire from the mill
tary prisoners.
Sick Men Safely Removed
All the sick prisoners were removed
when the fire first was seen. The records
were taken from me administration build
ing, and also preparations made to blow it
up, II necessary.
new military prison is under process
OF construction, and it is not probable
the burned buildings will be rebuilt.
A few men were overcome by the heat
during the fire. Lieutenant c. W. Jones,
Thirteenth infantry. was painfully scald-
ed by steam and hot water from a-burl-
ing roof. He was taken to his quar-
tiers.
Major Thomas H. slavens, command
ant Of the prison. said the fire probably
was caused by defective wiring. He placed
the damage at $4,000.
The buildings burned were among the
oldest at Fort Leavenworth. They were
erected in 1857 and 1858 under the super
first used for army commissary store
houSaz