The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-01-19
THE NEWS.
ABILENE ABLAZE.
Seyenty-five Thousand Dollars Worth of
Property Destroyed by Fire in
the Heart of the City
The Court House and Many of the cOun-
ty Records Consumed by the
Flames.

ty Records Consumed by the
Flames.
The Fire FIend at AbIlene-The Court
House and Many Business Blocks
Burned.
ABILENE, Jan. 1S.-The Chronicles
extra says, About 2 O'Clock Tuesday
morning our citizens were startled with
the cry of fire, and il was discovered
that terrible conflagration was raging
in the heart of the city. The fire must
have burned some time before it was
discovered, for the entire second story
of the court house block and Metropol;-
tan block were in flames, and those
sleeping in the neighborhood were
aroused from their slumbers by the
crash occasioned by the falling Of the
billiard tables into the store room below.
The first to give the alarm were the
clerks sleeping in the rooms of Hazlett
s. Co, across the street.
THE FIRE BELL
was rung and in q short time a large
concourse of people assembled. All
was confusion and disorder, and be
fore there was any systematic effort, the
court house block was wrapped in
flames; the postoffice building was burn
isg rapidly, Masonic block and the west
of the court house was burning, HaZlett
s. Co.'s block across the street was burn
ing and Kirby's bank was blazing furious
ly. It looked as if nothing could save
the entire business part of the town.
The court house block and Metropolitan
block were the first good buildings
built, and served as the nucleus for all
the business part Of the city. But for
tunately
THERE WAS NO WIND,
and led by the firemen, the earnest men
made q desperate fight with the devour-
ing element and although the water sup
ply was scant succeeded beyond the
most sanguine expectations of the most
hopeful. Masonic bloek-a fine brick
structures separated from the court
house by q fifteen foot alley, and has
numerous windows and doors on that
the east-side. The window castings and
cornice were often in flames, but by he
roic effort and good fortune were extin-
guished before much damage was in
f1icted. In the meantime -
THE FINE BLOCK
across the street, owned by the Abiline
bank and Hazlett s. Co., was on fire in
several places, but fortunately was ex-
| tinguished. The cold was intense, but
the crowd worked with hearty good
wooden buildings north of the Metro
politan block, and the four wooden
buildings north of Hazlett s. Co.'s, and
south of Third street.
The wooden buildings west of the
pOstofflce and fronting on Cedar street
werc in great danger but the outbuild-
| ings were pulled away and that row of
frame buildings saved. In the rear of
the building burned north of Hazle;t s.
Co.'s is row of four buildings fronting
on Spruce street, and from twenty to
forty feet distant from
THE BURNED BUILDINGS.
This space was filled with sheds and
other out.buildings, but although often
on fire were saved. Gaddis' livery sta
BILE, on the east side of Spruce street,
was also set a fire number of times by
burning boards and shingles that filed
the air. An alarm was given that the
| Henry House was in flames but this
proved 10 be false.
| THE LOSSES.
The court house block is total loss
This was owned by the county and e.
II. Lebold, Jointly. In the low er story
| were the offices of the treasurer
probate judge and county clerk. The
treasurer had a large safe which con.
tanned about $20,O 900 in money and the
most valuable books, but many books
and papers of value for which the treas
urer had no room in the safe were
burned. The safe fell into a pile Of
burning hard coal that was stored in the
cellar, and the contents may be injured
The probate judge also had arsafe which
contained the-most valuable records
and papers of his Office, but many were
destroyed. The fine law library of Cul
bertson s. Mead was almost a total loss
few books, however, being saved. Tht
county clerk also had safe which con
tanned the most valuable of the record!
and papers of that Office.
INTHE SECOND STORY
were the offices of the district clerk
sheriff and county attorney. None O
these offices were provided with safe
and not thing was saved; all the rec
ords of the district court are destroyed
and-the records and papers in the off1c'
of the county attorney and sheriff, burn
ed. The papers and the law library o
Hoffmire & Pierce were burned and no
thing saved. Not thing was saved
; in the Office of l.. ii. Prather.
, The loss to the county connot be esti
mated. The building was worth abou
$4,000, and there was an insurance o
5000 upon the building and $4,000 Oh
the books and papers.
Mr.. Lebold's loss was about So, 600
and his insurance was 81 600.
In one of the rooms of this block wa
the dry goods store of Sterl 81 Zahner
This was fine stock of goods, the stool
having been put in few months ago
: The loss is from $1,000 to $4,000, AM
the insurance 5000.
North of the court house block wa
, Metropolitan block, fine brick struci
. ure; there were two stores on the frs
floor and billiard hall on the second
: It belonged to Mr.. Lebold and wa
; worth about $1,000. Total loss, InsuI
ance, $1,000.
Mr.. F. II. Burris occupied one room
with fine stock of goods, that invoices
few days ago over $11, 600. Not thin!
was saved. All his books and paper
are gone. Insurance, $1,000.
Messrs. Barton q SchoOnover occu
/; pied the other room with fine stock o.
drugs Everything was destroyed AMI
there was not dollar Of insurance. Thi
is firm of No. good men and all viii
deeply regret their total loss 1t mus
amount to at least $4,000, including
stock, accounts, etc.
A. K. Vanderbilt had a large billiard
hall in the second story. Nothin:
saved.
NORTH OF THIS BLOCK
were two frame buildings that were to
tally destroyed. The first was occupieG
by the pOstofice and news stand, ownet
by T.. Z. Sewell. Our postOffice wa
the finest In the state, anC
the furniture cost about $1,50O'
Mr.. Sewell saved but q portion of hi
stock. The building was owned b.
: Jake ROthchild and was worth abou
$4,000. 1t was insured, but we coulC
not learn the amount. In the SECOND
I story was the Office of B. F. Wilson anC
the county superintendent, and all TIT
: books aud papers of these two offices
were destroyed. DR.. Keiser's Office ant
Circuits photograph gallery were alsG
in the second story of this building
and nothing was saved. The othel
frame building was owned by c. 7
Coombs, and was worth 81, 500. There
was no insurance, and Mr.. G.. can IL
afford the great loss Simon RothchilG
occupied the building with a fine stocE
!, Of clothing, which was saved in dam
aged condition. On the east side of thu
Broadway four buildings were totally
destroyed-all frame. Thos. Kirby'i
bank building was worth about 81, 600
insurance, $500 The damage to safe
and books cannot be estimated. In tbs
second story we're the law offices of S
A. Burroughs and Fl. Southworth
Some Of the books and papers were
saved from these offices, but the loes
will be considerable. s. J. Cooper's
meat market was worth about $500; In
surance, 500. Cooks restaurant
owned by Robt. Knox was worth
| 81 200; insured for $500. The largs
building occupied by Shaeffer & Lash
was owned by T. j. Laney.
SeoSiIle's Spleen--HOW He Went For tn
| Prosecution.
| WASHINGTON, D. e, Jan. 17.-Sco
vile began by attacking the conduct OF
Corkhin in obtaining by false pretenses
the statement from the prisoner, and de
scribed il as scandalous The medical
experts examined Guiteau's mental con
dition several months after the shooting