The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-11-14
THE KANSAS CITY DISASTER.

one OF the most appalling disasters OF
the year is that which took place at Kan
sas City ON Friday last, some of the par
ticulars of which have already been an
nounced in our telegraphic dispatches.
The immense candy, cracker and spice
factory of COrie 81 Sens, occupying ii
block of three four story brick buildings,
fell with terrible crash, and afterwards
caught fire. This is the second business
house in that city which has fallen inthe
past year. We clip from yesterdays
Journal some further particulars of the
accident.
The sad fate of six of the one hundred
and seventy employees, continues to be Il
matter of general interest. As before
stated, up TO Saturday night, three burned
bodies had been taken from the ruins,
and identified as those of Annie Becker,
Emma Kemper and Charles Schulthies.
| The knowledge that the remains of three
more unfortnnates were yet buried in the
| wreck, together with the desire to wit
ness the scene of the fire, attracted many
persons TO the corner of Second and
Main, and beginning at an early hour
Sunday morning, and continuing all day,
the sidewalks up on Maine street and
other thoroughfareS leading to the burned
district were crowded with people going
and returning. 1t is estimated that dur
ing the day over twenty thousand people
gaZed upon the ruins, and notWithStand-
ing this immense congregation it was n
subject of remark by the police on day
duty that there was less disorder upon
the streets than they had ever before wit
messed in n large crowd on Sunday
Thoughts of the sadness of the affair
seemed to be 50 deeply impressed upon
the minds of all that there was solemn
/ air and hushed stiffness as if in the very
presence Of the dead.
| THREE MORE BODIES.
About Q o'clock Sunday morning
number of the male employees OF the
| factory, together with members OF the
police force and number Of leading
citizens, among whom were several al
| dermen, gathered in the midst of the de-
| bris and began vigorous search for the
remains yet buried beneath the mass of
brick, timber, machinery and merchan-
disc. After about half an hours labor,
| their efforts were rewarded by uncovering
the hcadless and armless body of boy
identified as George Kemper. He had
1 been buried in an upright position, and
| from the thighs to the feet had been pro
| tected from the fierce flames by bricks
and timber, but the hot water from the
fire had made sad havoc upon even that
portion of the remains. The upper part
of the body presented horrid spectacle,
having been partially consumed by the
| fire, the arms burned off at the socket,
and the head entirely destroyed, not a
trace of it being found. The remains
were placed in J. +. COrle's carriage and
conveyed to Carlats coffin rooms. The
body was found in the debris of No. 204,
about fifteen feet from the front wall
and six feet south OF the south wall of
No. 202. Deceased vas employed in
the third story of No. 20l
After a search of about an hour moro
a second body was found, this time in
the building numbered 206, about forty
feet from the front wall, and eight or
ten feet north of the north wall of No
POS. The remains were readily identified
as those Of Louise Hummel, who was
about 20 years old, and leaves a widowed
mother and II brother, who livs at 1926
Grand avenue. The body had been
jammed between two beams, the LEGS be-
ing over the beams, and it is evident life
was extinct before the flames reached
her. The remains were not so severely
burned as the others, yet presented sad
spectacle. They We're also removed to
the undertaker's. 1t is supposed Miss
Kemper had 800 in a portmonnie in
her dress pocket, but, if so, it was de-
stToyed by the fire. With renewed eff
forts the search was continued for the
remains of Andrew Mcconnell, aged Is
years, which was found in No. 204, about
forty feet from the front wall, near the |
partition wall of No. 204 and 206 |
The right arm and portion of the left |
leg were consumed, the flesh burned |
from portion of the face, exposing the |
teeth, and the hair burned to a crisp and |
all parts of the body burned to deep
black. The remains were identified by |
pair of boots and spotted handker-
chief, which was pressed between two
beams and not destroyed. From the Po-
sition Of the body it was evident that |
death was almost instantaneous 1t was /
also conveyed to Carlat's. and in the af-
ternoon the coroner's jury assembled to
view the remains, after which they were
prepared for interment.
The cause of the disaster is undergo
ing thorough investigation. 1t seems to
have started from an explosion.
Before the inquest, j ohm WoeEner testI-
lied that he had twenty-five years eNpe-
rience in the manufacturing of candy,
and was employed in the rear of the
third story of No. 204 He had seen a
kettle of sugar placed on the fire 1t
was the duty of Charles Schuelties 10 at
tend to the kettle. Saw the kettle boil
over, take fire, after which there was an
explosion, and the walls began 10 give
way, and he made his escape by rear
stairway. He stated that he had often
Witnessed the explosion of starch, but
never with Such disastrous results. There
were about two barrels of starch on the
third hnor, in various forms,