The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-06-09
MIDNIGHT BLAZE THAT CAUSED
GREAT EXCITEMENT.
Warehouse OF Baled Hay Burned on
Ohio Avenue-Seyeral Blocks of
Residence Property Threatened.
Two Buildings Total Loss.
Two Others Damaged to
Some EXtent-LoSs is
Estimated at S3,-
O00-Somc In
surance.

For the sixth time in nearly that many
years the fire fiend visited E. Cox at ex-
actiy i2 o'clock, last night reducing his
warehouse at 125 North Ohio avenue to
ashes, including about 100 tons Of baled
hay.
1t was one of the most threatening fires
which have occurred in this city for many
a long day. and were it not for the prompt
ness and efficiency of the fire department
nothing could have saved that entire por-
tion of the city from utter destruction.
The fire started up like fash and be-
fore the alarm was turned in the eastern
sky was illumin ated with a glarish light
that caused a shudder.
Fully 1000 persons fiocked to the scene.
and the excitement ran very
high, for the fire was in
the very midst of a thickly
populated section of the city and threat
ened the annihilation of several blocks OF
frame residences. so thickly located that
escape from general confagratiOn
seemed i'm possible.
To add to the general excitement the
alarm box near the scene OF the fire was
not in working order, and a run OF sew
eral blocks to telephone had to be made.
Departments / and 2, with hooks and
ladders and chemical engine responded
PloinPtiy duo ulaue very Taplu run 10
the hfe. Chief Walden was present and
directed affairs. When the department
arrived three houses in the neighborhood.
one on the west side of the street, were on
fire, and seeing that it was impossible to
save the warehouse, he directed three.good
streams OF water on the other buildings
and not only prevented the blaze from
spreading but saved two out of the three
houses on fire. A frame hotel building,
which nnnrcnnIe6 N tho
house was also completely destroyed. The
next building to that, occupied by Mr.,
Hallowell, had a very narrow escape and
SO did the inhabitants as the dense and suf-
locating smoke nearly choked them before
they escaped. The wind was quite high, a
stiff breeze blowing uninterrupted from
the south through the uuoccupied 'front.'
Harry Abbot, son of Prof, Abbot. was
sleeping in the building at the
time and was awakened by the heat
and smoke. Two horses were stabbed
back of the warehouse and he barely had
time to release them before the blaze got
so hot that no one could stand near it.
MIR. Cox was out CT town visiting his
father who lives ten miles in the country,
but his partner, Mr.. Briggs, was present
at the fire. He said the property was in
Sured but did not know to what extent.
The loss is estimated to be nearly s.. 600
on the warehouse and It's contents and
perhaps 81. 900 on the remaining property
destroyed and injured.
Mr.. Briggs did no5 think that the fire
was of incendiary origin notwithstand-
ing the number of times Mr.. Cox
has been burned out before. He
thought it probable that somebody went
into the warehouse to sleep and set fire to
the hay accidentally. Others stated that
about an hour before that "A tramp was
seen in the neighborhood of the building
looking for a place to sleep. If
4 tramp was in the warshouse when the
fire broke out it is not improbable that he
Derished with it as no one was seen leav-
ing the building, or running away from it,
after the fire was first observed.