Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1913-04-18
FIRE DESTROYS PORTION OF
PENITENTIARY BUILDINGS.
Damage AMOUNTS To About A Hail
Million Dollars.

FIRE that started in the state prison
at 11:5O O'Clock Saturday morning
when there was an explosion under
a dynamo in the Irvine plant, DESTROY.
ed that building and five minor struc.
lures.
At 2 O'Clock the fire was under
control. For time the whole insti-
tuition was threatened, but the flames
were checked after a damage estimat
ed by Warden Codding to be $75O,OOO
had been done.
Although the convicts aided as best
they could in fighting the fire, there
was a report that some of them were
spreading the flames by scattering
oil soaked sisal about. This material
from which the Irvine is made. is
highly inflammable.
Six cOnvicts and one guard were
slightly burned. The guard, ]. NJ
Brock, was in the tailor shop and was
burned on the head and hands in try
ing to put out the flames.
Frank Riley, % years old, attempt
ed to carry hose into the Irvine
plant and was told to stop. He drop
ped the hose at the door just as the
flames shot ou- and scorched his face.
Riley, whose home is in Kansas City.
Kas., had served Just a week of his
l5-year sentence for burglary COM
mitted in Wichita.
Frederick Appleton, a life prisoner
from Lacrosse, saw the fire start. He
had just shut off the motor in the
Irvine plant when he saw a spark leap
down to the oil-soaked rubbish on
the floor.
Saved Two Fellow conviets.
The flames broke ou' with a rush
and a roar that amounted to an ex-
plosion, burning him ON the face. Will
liam Miller and Frank Mcdowell, con
victs, were burned Slightly.
Warden Codding said there was no
truth in the report that the convicts
tried to spread the flames. None Of
the buildings were insured.
The buildings containing the wo-
mems department caught fire shortly
before 2 O'Clock, but the fire was
soon under control. The women wei
removed in perfect order.
When the fire began two thirds of
the convicts had been locked in their
cells awainting their noon meal. OF
the three hundred that were at work
above ground not one made a break
for liberty, but all lent their efforts
to extinguishing the flames.
Warden and Son on Guard.
The night guards were called out
and a double guard was thrown
around the prison walls.
At the big gates leading to the out
side world ]. X. Codding, the warden,
and his son, Harold, stood with
drawn revovers, ready to fight to the
death should any of the imprisoned
men try to escape.
There were three big buildings de-
stroyed and their walls had fallen
shortly after 1 O'Clock.
The cOnvicts who had been work
ing in the mines had been locked in
their cells at IL O'Clock, as no work
is done Saturday afternoons.
The chief danger was felt to be in
the criminal insane ward, where fifty
insane convicts were locked. The
guard around this building which is
$50 feet from the Irvine plant, was
increased to four times the usual
number. No sign of a panic, howeve
was shown by the insane.
Lansing prison is built like a large
rectangle. The 2Ofoot wall is the line
of the rectangle. Within the wall on
all except the south side, are build
ings adjoining each other end to end.
More buildings are scattered in the
area Of the rectangle. All the build
ings are old and have all the charac-
teristics of cheap buildings that
accompanied state contracting in the
early days. They were all covered
with an inflammable rubberoid roof
ing. The fire started at the north
east corner OF the rectangle. A stiff
north wind carried 81 speedily the en-.
tire length of the building on the
east end. To the west of and adjoin-
ing the twin factory is the laundry,
serving as a link to the cell houses.
This was the stratepis Doint of the