Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-02
PRISON ON FIRE;
NO ONE INJURED
FOUR BUILDINGS AT LEAVEN-
WORTH CONSUMED
DEFECTIVE WIRING BELIEVED TO
BE ORIGIN
EIGHT Hundred Prisoners Are Marched
Out and Kept Safely Under Guard
Until Flames Are Ex-
tinguished
tBy Associated Press.I


LEAVENWURTH, Kan, April lit
took 1900 United States soldiers to
maintain order and prevent prisoners
from escaping during fire which de-
molished four buildings of the federal
military prison here early today.
All the 500 prisoners were marched
out of their cell houses, when 1t seemed
the whole prison certainly would De
consumed, and were held under heavy
under control. Then, after some of the
cell houses had cooled sufficiently, they
were marched back again.
The fire was detected by sentry,
who hastily gave the alarm, and the
fire department of Fort Leavenworth
turned out.
The Thirteenth infantry. armed with
rifles, surrounded the prison. The tlre
gained rapid Roadway, against the
prison guard working with buckets and
small hose. The fire department OF
Leavenworth answered an emergency
call and joined forces with the soldiers
in a battle against the flames.
The fire was confined to the central
row of buildings and consumed the IN
dustrial departments of the prison, in
Guiding the paint shop, the tailor shop,
carpenter shop and laundry. The cell
houses rapidly became filled with
smoke, and became suffocatingly hot.
When the fire started there was glee
among the prisoners.
LET 1t burn" they yelled.
The water pressure was very poor
and as the water sputtered uselessly
from the hose, the 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.
Prisoners Terrified
For Gods sake, take us out!' they
screamed, battering against the steel
bars in great terror. Colonel Laugh
borough saw the danger of the situa-
ton, when the leaping flames got near
the cell houses, and ordered the prison
provost guard to unlock the doors. The
prisoners fell in line, 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 huddle1
while 100 prison guards guarded them
with leveled rifles. Two of the terror
stricken crowd of convicts tainted. 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.
A new military prison is under pro-
cess of construction and it is not prob
able the burned buildings will be re-
built.
A few men were overcome by the
heat during the fire.
Major Thomas H. Slavons, command
ant of the prison, said the fire prob
ably was caused by defective wiring.
He placed the damage at $65000.
The buildings burned were among
the oldest at Fort Leavenworth. They
were erected in 1857 and 1858, under
the supervision of General L. C. Eas-
ton, and We're first used for an army
commissarys house. 1t was many
years later that they became a part of
the United States penitentiary and la
ter converted into a military prison,
following the erection of a new federal
prison here.
The prisoners now confined there
number about 800 men and all are
practically short term army offenders
convicted in court-martials.