The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-11-13
SUMNER SCHOOL BURNS.

The Interior Destroyed and the Walls
May Be Useless
Sumner school, located on the north.
I east corner of Fourth street and West
Z ern avenue was almost totally destroyed
by fire last evening, and many Of the
school children stood about and danced
as the fire department put the finishing
but damp touches to the wrecked build
ing. Their Joy is doomed to d dampen-
ing too, for school will be reopened at
Douglas school tomorrow.
The first person to discover the fire
was the cOlOred janitOr William Page,
who was sweeping the second story lie
paid no attention to the strong odor of
smoke because the furnace often smoked
but 1t finally became SO strong that he
left his work to see if all was right.
When he opened the door he was met by
a cloud of smoke and fire that staggered
him. The fire had almost stopped the
passage at the stairway, but the janitor
took his chances and made the ground
in safety, except that his left hand was
painfully burned
The ianitor turned in the alarm at box
80, two blocks away, at 5:20. By the
time the fremen arrived the fire had
control of the roof, and as a strong wind
was blowing from the north, showering
the neighborhoOd with sparks and EN-
bers, a second alarm sent in, which
summoned the remainder of the fire de-
partment. 1t was needed, for house
across the street aud Scott Brothers, ice
cream factory Just east of the school
both caught fire but we're quickly saved.
The school building was past saving,
and the only thing for the fremen to do,
aside from protecting the neighbors, was
to keep three large streams of water
playing on the interior.
Chairman T. A Beck of the building
committee of the board Of education was
on the ground during the fire. lie says
the loss on the building is complete.
Although the walls are standing he
thinks they are 50 damaged that they
will have to come down. The building
cost about 5000 ten years ago, and the
additional loss on furniture and school
books and supplies will make the total
loss $4,000, with insurance not to exceed
$2.500
There Is nothing definitely known re-
garding the cause Of the fire. The jani-
tor heard lot OF boys playing in the
lower hallway a short time before the
fire, and heard them scamper through
the yard, and there is a vague suspicion
that the cause was incendiary. A more
plausible and acceptable theory is that it
started from the heating apparatus in
the basement, which IS the source of
nearly all fires in school buildings
The most fortunate thing about the
fire was that it did not occur an hour
before. With both exits closed by fire
there would have been panic among
eAO AACA bAoN WO0AA AaNo DCGA q
black day in Topeka's history.
The vacation of Sumner school pupils
IS only for one day. superintendent
Davidson has issued this card:
To the Patrons of Sumner School.
The Sumner school building was so
completely destroyed by the fire yester-
day evening that its occupancy is beyond
question, and its Immediate repair is an
impOsslbility. The building committee
of the board of education direct me to
say that the Douglas school building
sh all be occupied instead.
1t is therefore directed that all chill
dren who have been enrolled at the
Sumner school report on Wednesday
morning at 8 o'clock at the Douglas
school, located on the east side of Polk
street, between Third and Fourth streets.
w. NJ DAVIDSON,
Sunqrinfeudanf of Schools