People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-09-26
Another Fire.
Daily Mail. Tuesday.

was soon discovered that the Santa Fe
coal chute wason fire. The fire depart
ment turned out promptly and made
the long run in good time. But the
boys had to pull their carts all the
way as there was not dray on the
ground, all the draymen being at din
ner.
The fire originated from a spark
that escaped from engine No. POI
pulling an extra stock train north.
1t caught under the middle of the
coal chute. The fire was discovered
almost Immediately and the wOrkmen
about the shops endeavored to put il
out. But the water pressure was Sc
poor that they could not reach the
fire.
When the fire companies arrived
two lines were laid from the nearest
hydrant, but the pressure was so pool
that a stream could not be thrown ter
feet high. The fremen directed
their efforts to saving the oil houses
just east of the rOundhcuse. Although
they were very low one-stOry build
ingS, they could not throw a stream Of
water to the comb of the roof.
The rOundhOuse was in great dan.
ger, but the fremen could do nothing
for it. They couldn't throw drop OF
water on the roof of it. Neither
could they do anything toward extin'
gushing the fire where it was burn,
ing. Their streams were so short and
weak that they couldn't get near
enough tOa blaze to wet it. A tele.
graph pole standing right by the oil
house took fire and Ad. Ragan tried
his best to put it out, but his stream
was too short. He tried and tried,
but finally had to give it up without
even touching the fire.
The coal chute took its time to burn
as did Mr.. Neubert'S Office, a little
one story building, just southeast Of
the oil houses. The boys tried to
save this building, but it was no use;
they couldn't even wet the roof.
Then the turn-table to the round.
house took fire and the firemen made
rush for it. They had finally found
something they could get water onto
By holding their nozzles up as high
as possible they found the water would
actually run down onto the turn-table
although it was almost too muddy to
do so.
The Santa Fe employees deserve
great credit and the hearty thanks Of
their employers for their energetic
efforts to save the property Of the
company. They carried water onto
the roof of the roundhouse and kept
it thoroughly wet. They carried
thousands Of buckets Of water from
the tanks of the engines in the round.
house to throw on the oil houses and
TO save the burning turn-table. Had
they been working to save their OWL
property, they would not have worked
more industriOusly, Every man wa:
on the jump working his very best.
The coal chute was totally destroy
ed. We do no know how much Goa,
was burned, but three cars loaded
with coal had been SET up in the chute
just few moments before the fire
Mr.. Neubert'S Office is in ashes, but
all the books and papers were saved
The turn-table will have to be rebuilt
Engine No. 80 stood on the track just
south OF Neubert's office and it viii
have to be rebuilt. All the wood
work on it was burned. All the loss
is covered by insurance.
Judging from the talk we heart
round about the fire, tOday's expert
ence, which was the worst yet by far
ends all idea of compromising the ex
isting difficulties with the water
works company. Such water service
is worse than none. 1t is a broker
reed, delusiOn and a snare. So lon.
as we have a waterworks system, peo
pie will depend upon it for fire pro
lection. The present waterworks
operated by the present company
will foil them every time.