The chronicle=news., 1913-04-12
100000 Loss
IN PRISON
BLAZE

I.uuhius. ran. SpTil i-s-Flf'
that started in III. stat. pcnitcn-
iiary here ut li:5V o'clock today
from an explosion under II dynamo
in the extensiv. binding twinc
plant destroyed that building with
three other structures and was not
under control until l:i5 O'Clock
this afternoon. The estimated loss
is 410O.OOo. For tim. tn. entire
Institution was thretcncd.
Although much excitement pre-
vailed among the one thousands
prisoners. good order prevailed.
None Of the prisoners escaped and
none was injured. The main cell
houses were untouched.
\ separate building containing
the women's department caught fire
The women were removed ia safety.
however. and that structure was
not badly lamagcd.
The twinc plant and warehouses.
containing costly machinery and u
bIH stock OF twinc. WAS the ! arIcst
Of It's kind In the country.
Hemp soaked In linsccd oil aud
the fact that the prison water plant
WAS defective. gave the flames u
good start before the fire fighting
apparatus from i.cavcnwor,h nrriy-
ed. Trusty prisoners aided mater
tally In fighting the fire.
Lansing. Kan. April i2,-t'irc
broke out In the iwInc plant OF tho
Kansas state pcnitchtiary shortly
tsforc noon nnd burned hcrccly.
tn. plant II the largest prison ,winc
mAnufuctOry In the country. There
are more than 1000 prisoners in
the lcnitrntiary.
News OF the fire soon spread TO
Lcaycnworth. three miles distant
end hundreds Of persons began
streaming to the prison. anticipat-
Ing an outbreak.
IN fear OF mutiny. prisoners
working In the mincs wcr. kept be-
low ground and others who were at
outside tasks were rushed to cell
houscs.
Al ] o'clock the swine plant.
tailor shop and cnEincrtom had been
dcalePlsd aud the fire was within
:UW fcci Ui The ,iH ho,hes. but wns
believed to be nearly i,.id.r control.
The three buiidinvt dcstroycd
were 100 feet long aud two aud
three stories In height.
The fire broke out At 1880
o'clock In thci wine plant. Famed
,y u high wind. II swept that sirmc-
turc away ana attacked til. tailor
shop.
A hurry call for aid was sent to
Lcavcnworth and the L.avenworth
fire department responded with all
it's apparatus Aided by prison
guards and every available citizen
Of tn. town OF Lansing. the depart
mcnt u, 1905 seemed to be making
hcadway against the Flames.
Most OF the prisons buildings ar"
brick and sandstone. The prison
was built in 1864. Numerous addi-
tons sine. have brought the total
cost up to $2.OO0.0Oo: there arc
three large cell houses containing
In all l.Sio cells.
The fire though still burning
ficrcely. was under control at 1:Io
o'clock. five buildings then had been
destroyed. The warden then esti-
mated the total loss at 100000.
The prisoners made no attempt to
escape. although 800 were in the
prison yard at the time. The fire
was due to an explosion under Il
motor.
Scores of women aud children. rel
atives OF guards and prison employees
vino live in cottages in Lansing.
rglockcd about the gates from the
time the first alarm was sounded.
eager to learn news. Many women
in tears were begged to be admitted
but were turned back by the guards.
THE prison is burning" was the
first cry that rang through the quiet
Lansing streets. Business in the
small town was practically neglected,
as everybody. clerks and customers.
rushed up the hill to the stone walled
fortress which ordinarily is to the
townspeoplc considered harmless
enough, but which In times OF pros
pCctive mutiny becomes shuddorinE
monaco.