The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-04-01
TWELVE HUNDRED SOLDIERS
REQUIRED TO PREVENT
ESCAPE OF PRISONERS
In Fire Destroying Fort Leavenwoh Prison. Eight Hundred Army or
tenders Are Marched Out Under Heavy GudGee of inmates
Evidence When Blaze began Changed to Cries Of Terror
When They Realize Their Perd-Fou Buildings in Ruins

Geavenworth. Kas., April lit took
1,200 soldiers 10 maintain order and
10 prevent prisoners from escaping
during a fire. which destroyed four
buildings OF the federal military pris.
on here early today All the eight
hundred prisoners were marched out
Of their cells, when it seemed that
the whole prison certainly would be
destroyed. and were held under heavy
military guard until the fire was un-
der Then after some OF the cell
houses had cooled sufficiently, they
were marched back again.
The fire was discovered by a SEN
try at midnight, who fired his pistol.
and the fire call was sounded and the
entire garrison at Fort Leavenworth
turned out The Thirteenth infantry,
armed with rifles, was thrown around
the entire prison.
The fire. which probably started In
the prison tailor shop. gained rapid
headway against the prison guard
working with buckets and small hose.
The fire department oil Leayenwor1h
answered an emergency call and Join
ed forces with the soldiers in 4 bat
llG dGdluSl lIlS bC lIc W
confined to the central row or build
ings and consumed the Industrial de-
partments Of the prison, including the
paint shop, the tailor shop. carpenter
shop and laundry. The cell houses
rapidly became filed with smoke and
got suifocalngly hot.
When the fire first started, there
was glee among the prisoners. Let
II burn they yelled. The water pres
sure was very poor. and as the water
sputtcred uselessly from the hose, tho
prisoners laughed and cheered. The
flames leaped higher, and 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. out,
they screamed, battering against the
steel bars In great terror. CoIonel
I.aughborough saw the danger OF the
situation when the leaping flames got
very near the cell houses, and order
ed the prisoners provost guard TO
unlock the doors The 800 prisoners
fell In, each convict with his hands
on the shoulder OF the man IN front
OF him At double quick time. they
marched TO the farthest corner OF the
enclosure. where they huddled while
100 prison guards guarded them WITH
leveled rifles Two OF the terror.
stricken crowd q convicts tainted
Half an hour after the fire broke
out the Leavenworth city tire de-
partment reached the fort Nothing
could be done to save the burning
a
devoted their attention to saving the
main structure.
A new military prison Is under pro-
cess OF construction. and IL is not
probable that the burned buildings
will be rebuilt
A few mon were overcome by the
heat during the fire Major Thomas
H. Slavens, commandant OF the prls-
on, said the fire probably was caused
by defective wires. 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 supervision OF General l.. e. Eas-
ton. and were used as an army store
house. Years later. they became part
OF the United States penitentiary, and
later were converted into military
prison. following the erection OF q
new federal prison here. 4
The prisoners now confined there,
about SOC men. are practically all
short-term army offenders convicted
In court martials
Continued on Page Eight