The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-12-05


for assistance. The flames were soon
pouring from all the windows and the
roof of the Brown-Durrell building.
at 8:45 they had spread to the Shoe
and Leather Exchange building,
another large granite structure adjOin-
ing Brown, Durrell & Co., on Bedford
street. From both buildings the tlames
swept in great masses across Bedford
street to the opposite corner, thence
across Kingston street, along Bedford
to Chauncey street, where it was
stopped in the store of Farley. Harvey
& Co.. the upper stories of which were
burned.
Three stores along Chauncey street
toward Sumner were burned.
On the south side of Bedford street
the flames jumped across Kingston
street from the hot blaze from Brown,
Durrell & Co. to big sandstone build
ing owned by F. T. Ames and occupied
by Taylor Bros, and this was con-
sumed.
The great granite building known as
Nevins block, at the corner of Chaun-
cey street, was the next thing for the
flames, and the entire block, clear
aronud Rowe place to Kingston street,
was consumed.
Crossing Chauncey street, the fire
had good head of all the stores which
are inclosed in Exeter place, small
street running from Harrison avenue
to Chauncey street. Here the firemen
got control.
At Rowe place the fire was partly
checked from going toward Essex
street, but quickly moved toward the
opposite side to the immense Allen &
Larrabee buildings, occupying the
square between Bedford street, Har-
rison avenue extension and Exeter
place, at which point its further pro-
gresS was checked.
The scenes about the fire were re-
plete with excitement and activity.
The police were prompt in roping off
the streets and keeping back the
crowds, leaving ample room for the
firemen. On every corner engines
pulled, rumbled and emitted torrents
of black smoke, while hose lines by
the score lay in twisted, tangled web
up and down the streets for blocks on
all sides. The territory bounded by
Kingston, Bedford and Chauncey streets
was the principal theater of destruc-
ton. Here the confiagration leveled
every thing. Within an hour after the
first alarm sounded the whole structure
of Brown, Durell s. Co. s. building col
lapsed with tremendous crash. The
flames were darting from doors and
windows and the interior of the block
was aglowing furnace. Dry goods and
other combustible matter, with
which the houses were packed,
burned to y white heat. Granite
crumbled and iron girders melted
away like ice. The streams from the
engines were dissipated into vapor be-
fore they touched the fire. Suddenly
the cry arose ''the walls are falling.
back, back" The crowd surged back
for their lives, startled by the shout.
Firemen dropped their nozzles and ran
to save the apparatus. Great gaps
opened in the walls and bricks from
cOrnices dropped into the street with
ominous clatter.
The engines which had been stationed
at Chauncey and Bedford streets were
ruined beyond repair. The boiler of
Nc. % had burst as monstrous stone
fell directly upon it, flattening it out
like mass of tin. The wheels and
machinery were broken and burned.
1t was a melancholy spectacle. The
ladder truck was charred and splintered
into a thousand fragments and the
water tower smashed into an indistin-
guishable mass.
Viewed from this point of vantage,
the scene was one of thrilling grandeur.
A succession of sharp explosions in
dictated the force of the compressed and
heated air in the various rooms and of
fees, and from the exceedingly brilliant
flames that continued to dart through
the wall of smoke which overhung the
doomed structure it seemed that broken
gas pipes were playing their part in the
confiagration.
The immense stone and iron block
occupied by Samuel Williams and Brig
ham & Co., on the corner of Chauncey
street and Rowe common, marked the
furthest progress of the fire in that di-
rection. Although apparently fire.
proof as the Alps, it was completely gut
ted.
A thrilling rescue from immediate
death was made by Officer Charles
Maynes, of division 2; Officer Benja-
min, of division Is, and Sleepy" the
colored attache of the city hall, about
9:45 O'Clock in the building No. 80
Chauncey street. Edward E. Whiting,
veteran fireman, helped with the hose
on the building. 1t grew terribly hot,
the walls threatened to fall and the
cry was raised to get back, as the
roof was caving in A desperate
rush was made by all hands TO get
out OF reach of the tumbling bricks, and
all escaped save Whiting. He was
struck. knocked down and covered by
the heated debris. Officers Maynes and
benjamin braved the furnace-like heat
and the risk of falling walls and tried
to find the buried man. my God, can
any one help me?" was the CRY they
heard. This directed them to pile of
truck and timber, under which they
found Whiting imprisoned. Franticallv
they pulled and hauled at the hot
debris. Every moment they expected
10 De killed with falling stones. but
bravely kept at work. They got hold
OF Writings arms and tried TO pull him
out, but the burned skin and flesh came
on IN their hands Once more thew dug
away at the debris to free the burned
and injured man. They succeeded in
this and got Whiting out. TWAS found
that his right leg was broken. that
he was frightfully burned about the
head, arms and body, and otherwise
injured. lie was driven with all speed
to the city hospital. 1t is believed that
his injuries viii prove fatal.
Police Sergeant KImball, PatroIman
Haynes and ex-CounciIman David
Berry rescued seven people tom tie
building at ths ee1nsE e ,isztrIl aD6