Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-01
SOLDIERS IN A PANIC
Scream to Be Released From
Their Cells.
MILITARY PRISON ON FIRE
Four Buildings Burned at Fort
Leavenworth.
FLAMES KEPT FROM SPREADING
Double Line of Guards Established to
Prevent Escape of Those
in Confinement
MILITARY PRISON ON FIRE
FLAMES KEPT FROM SPREADING

LEAN EN- WORIH, Nam. April lit
took 100 United States soldiers to main
tain order and to prevent prisoners from
escaping during a fire which destroyed
four buildings of the federal military pri-
son here early today.
When the fire was started there was
glee among the prisoners. LET it burn.'
they yelled. The water pressure was
poor and as the water sputtered uselessly
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 cellhouses. The tone of
the prisoners changed then. For Gods
sake take us OUT they screamed. batter
ing against the steel bars in great terror.
They thought they would be burned to
death.
Col Loughborough saw the danger of
the situation when the leaping flames got
near the cellhouses and ordered the
prison provost guard to unlock the doors.
The 800 prisoners fells in, each convict
with his hands on the shoulders of the
man in front of him. At double quick
they marched to the farthest corner of
the prison enclosure. They huddled there
while 100 prison guards guarded them
with leveled rifles. Two of the terror
stricken crowd of convicts tainted.
After some of the cellhouses had cooled
sufficiently the prisoners were marched
back again.
Fire Gains Rapidly.
The fire was discovered before midnight
by sentry. who fired his pistol; the fire
call was sounded and the entire garrison
Fort p =, <,,rn
Infantry. armed with rifles, was thrown
around the entire prison.
The fire, which prabably started in the
prison tailor shop. gained rapid headway
against the prison guard working with
buckets and small hose. The fire depart
ment Of Leavenworth answered an emer-
gency 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 shop. the tailor shop, the carpenter
shop and laundry. The buildings con-
tanned many combustibles, and the flames
threatened the buildings. The cellhouses
rapidly became filled with smoke and got
suffocatingly hot.
After bugle calls were sounded the first
guard line was placed about $50 feet from
the prison wall. and the men in 1t were
was 200 feet farther back. The companies
were extended In open order Through
this line no one except an officer or
soldier on duty was allowed to pass.
Unable to Save Buildings.
Half an hour after the fire broke out
the Leavenworth city fire department
reached the fort. Nothing could be done
to save the burning buildings. however,
and the firemen devoted their attention
to saving the main structure and keep
ing the fire from the military prisoners.
There was a scene of great confusion
until the infantry was called out. All
the men at the garrison ran to the prison.
but they were kept back from the cells
by a double guard line.
The sick prisoners were removed from
the prison hospital when the fire was first
seen. The records were taken from the
administration building also, and prepa-
rations made to blow 1t up II necessary.
A new military prison is under construc-
tion. and it is not probable the burned
buildings will be rebuilt.
few men were overcome by the heat
during the fire. Lieut. w. c. Jones, 18th
Infantry. was painfully scalded by a gust
of steam and hot water from a burning
roof. He was taken to his quarters.
where IL was said his injuries would not
prove serious.
Defective Wiring Responsible.
Mai. Thomas Ii. Slavens. commandant
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 1851 and 1858, and were first
used for an army commissary storehouse.
Many years later they became a part of
the United States penitentiary and later
were converted into a military prison, fol-
lowing the erection of a new federal
prison here. The prisoners now con-
fined there. about 500 men, are practi-
cally all short-term army offenders con-
victed in courts-martial.
Prisoners Taken to Leavenworth.
MOCNDSvILL.E. W. Va, April LIN
charge Of United States Marshal Eliot
and ten deputies. seventy-eight federal
convicts were taken from the penitentiary
here today en- route to the government
prison at Leavenworth. Kan. Before
leaving here Marshal Eliot received a
telegram from Leavenworth assuring him
that the fire at the military prison last
night would not interfere with his bring
Ing the Moundsville prisoners to that
place.
The men. handcuffed in twos and threes.
entrained at $50 o'clock, going by way
CT Cleveland.