Albuquerque morning journal., 1913-12-30
TWENTY THOUSAND
DOLLAR FIRE At
PENITENTIARY
North Cell House Destroyed
and Main Building Damaged
by Flames; No Signs Of
Pan,c or MutjOy

ANnNl NNNN NNWAM NANAAAAfNHN.f MNi'f 'NfNNNN
aged by the flames Before tht i
flames were brought under conuo.
the militia had boen called out and
Gov. W. G. Mcdonald hod Joined th
fire fighters Tho damage is est
mated at $4,000 and ls IN greater
pnrt covered by Insurance. There
was no sign of ID panic or Of mutin'
among the convicts ANA the TRUSTEES
rendered valuable assistance in sub
DUNG the flames valuable assist
nee also was given by the pupils
of the United States Indian school
who practically were the first from
the outside 20 arrive, The damag'
was so great because Of the difficulty
IN getting enough water pressure and
because of frozen pipes Not untl
the pcnltentary coupled it's own
pumps 10 the mains was the blaze
brought under control. Work Will
be started az once to rebuild /
the cellhousc, OF which the outside .
stone walls remain In the mean
while. the greatest problem IS how 4
10 take care OF the 200 convets who .
were FORMERLY housed in the dc
stroyei ceIlhouac the south eellhouso
which was only recently completed by l.
superintendent McNlanus being al .
ready filled almost to IT'S capacity. .
Such les in short the story of fir"
that drew half of the population of 7
Santa Fe to the penitentiary grounds I
this forenoon and set afioat all sorts "
Of Wild rumors
Who discovered the fire is not
known. Mrs. McManus was one 0t I
the first TO see the smoke pouring .
from tho cellhousc. which les "a stone .
structure with three tiers of cells
built around steel framework, but
having wooden floors A convict IN
the yards about the same time saw T.
flames shooting up through the ven +.
.Ulators and yelled Fire Fortu- /
natcly, this was after o'clock, when /
all hut "a dozen prisoners had already
left the cellhouso for their daily du- +
ties. The remaining dozen were taken
cut without trouble and Superintend-
ent McManus SET himself 20 fighting
the fnmes with The moager means
at his command Tine pupils OF tho
Indian school WIRE the first to ar-
rive from the outside. The TRUSTEES
among the conWcta were set 10 work
and when IL was seen that the cell
house could not be saved, began ear
rying the Furniture ont Of the main
building which ~ used MS an office
building and q regldenco for superiu-
tendent McMants ana his immediate
staff
The militia companies stationed ln
Santa Fe responded promptly to a.
( cali and Adjutant General Herring
took charge Of the safekeepng Of
the institution, with COL r. G. Ab.
bott and other officers rendering aid.
one Of the busiest and most efficient
fire fighters proved TO be Governor
Mcdonald. who seemed to be in han
dozen places at once, Superintend-
ent McManus, too, kept cool head
/ in the crisis. The discipline he had
/ inculcated was manifest among the
conyicts, most Of whom were placed
within the compound. both the guards
and the militia keeping watch so
that amy attempt at an escape might
be nipped.
Mrs McManus and the other women
and children who used the main build
| ing as their residence maintained adj
mlrablc courage and GOODNESS. How
ever It was almost two hours before
sufficient water was poured on tine
blazing timbers to bring the fire un-
Ger control
II is not definitely established how
the fire started. There is an intima-
ton that it was due to incendiar-
ism. Superintendent McManus is in
clined to the theory that a crossed
wire started the flames
The cellhouse was built many years
ago and the electric wires were not
in conduits and had been placed long
after the structure had been occupied.
However rigid inquiry will be made
As soon as out-of-town members
OF the penitentiary commission can
reach here, a special session viii be
held. II is proposed to rebuild the
cellhnuse along the most modern ana
fireproof lines. one problem will be
how 10 make sufficient funds availa-
ble for the purpose Immediately with
cut authority from the legislature.
BY this evening" the main building
was again made habitable the worst
damage having been done TO the
chapel on the third story Of the build
ing, While the living and office rooms
We're merely water-soaked \ militia
patrol was PLACED on duty inside the
walls all night
Governor Mcdonald during the
fire, prevented what might have been
serious break for liberty by 4 bis
bunch OF convicts. In going TO the
rear Of the main building in which
the fire was raging ne found that
during the confusion, right after the
discovery Of the fire, a large number
Of convicts had crowded into Il mar
row alcyway between the building
aud the new dining hall and kitchen
from which a dash for liberty could
have been made under the protection
OF the walls of the burning cell
house and between the brick ovens
While such dash probably would /
have resulted In a terrible slaughter,
yet 1t was obvious from the turtvc (
looks Of the cQnyicts and their Whis- T
percd consultation. that this means
Of escape had suggested itself TO them .
The governor ordered them TO clear
the alleywaN and they obeyed and +
were soon under proper guard.
The militia responded promptly ana /