The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-12-01


Other Members of the Famiiy-He ID
Burned About the Face, and a Woman
Who had Charge of the Kitchen and
Diningroom is Injured-Three Members
of the Household Only. Save Any Cloth.
ing-EverythIng Else Destroyed.
Sunday morning just after the Eagle
went TO press, the beautiful home of ID.
NJ Kirkbride on the West Side was TO-
tally destroyed by fire, only three of the
family escaping with any clothing.
A'r Kirkbride himself was the first 10
awaken, and for the first moment
thoughtit was light from lamp which
Mr.. Robert Harvey, who also resides
with him, had just lit as was his Gus
tom. to go down TO investigate the FUR
mace in the basement. But this was soon
dispelled and he knew in a moment that
the house was on fire. He sprang up
and as he did so he knew it was unnec-
essary to make any investigation. He
stated afterwards that he realized in
stantiy that the house was doomed, and
first turned his attention to the saving
Of those within the house. He quickly
awakened everyone who were not al
ready awake and threw open the front
windows 10 the bed room and climbed
put upon the front porch roof to aScer
tain whether or not il was slippery. He
quickly returned and telling his wife and
little son John to climb upon the porch,
ne rushed back into the next bed room
and warned Mrs. Harvey. the mother of
mis- wife, of the danger, and went on TO
See whether or not the two other occu-
pants Of the house were safe. He found
his way cut off by the fire and returning
found Mrs. Harvey, who is quite an Ell
deriy lady, in a state of complete col
!apse upon the floor OF his own bed room.
She had gotten up and gathered what
clothing she could find in her arms and
started in the direction Mr. Kirkbride
had instructed her to go. but under the
pressure of the excitement she sank upon
the floor within ten feet OF the window,
where Mr.. Kirkbride found her and
picked her up and carried her out upon
the porch roof where she was taken care
Of by her daughter, Mrs. Kirkbride, an1
little grand son.
Mr. kirkbride remained within the
house for a few moments to try to save
some of MS papers and clothing, but
found he was cut off from the library by
the fire. He went back and got down to
the ground from the porch roof and went
around the house after the ladder. AS
he did so he found the woman, Mrs. E1i-
ma Sample, in the cellar way and Mr.
Harvey also safely out Of the house. He
returned with the ladder and with the
assistance of the woman placed it upon
the south side of the front porch, and
saw them all safely to the ground He
then went up the ladder and made an at
to IT,. So
in order to secure some Of his most valu-
able papers. 1t looked dark in the room
but when he broke into the window he
was met By great volumes of super
heated air, which wa hot enoogn to
singe his hair and beard and burned his
face quite severely. There was no smoke
therea all but the air was so terribly
hot that it was entirely out of the ques-
tion to enter or secure anything, al
though some Of the things were within
only few feet of the window.
Mr.. Harvey went on ahead to secure
the key TO the fire alarm box, which is
kept at the residence OF Mr. Dorsey A
block TO the north, while Mr.. Kirkbride
assisted the other members of his family
who were without shoes or other clothing
save what few bed clothes Mr. Harvey
had thrown out of his own window be-
fore he jumped. The alarm was finally
turned in and Mr.. Kirkbride stated that
In what seemed an incredibly short time
the West Side department went tearing
by at full speed and connected with. the
fire plug Immediately in front of the
house. The other departments arrived
soon after. and three lines of hose were
quickly run to the fiIe and the water
turned on, but it was found that there
was nowhere near enough pressure with
all three running, so 1t was found neces-
sary to shut off one of them, and finally
the other, leaving only one stream 10
play upon the blaze. This was because
Of the smallness of the water main,
which was entirely insufficient to supply
more than one line of hose
By the time the department arrived 1t
was plain that nothing of the building
could be saved. Fireman Fletcher Of
the West Side department said that
when they came out of their house the
blaze was of such brilliancy that news
paper could have been read that far
away. Notwithstanding the fact that
the house could not be saved the fire.
men went to work to extinguish the
flames, and succeeded in putting the
blaze out in mid career The greater
part had fallen in. The north side and
part OF the west remained with some of
=
of coal was in the cellar and the greater
part of it was saved The sides and
front and side porch as described above
still stand. the northeast porch alone re
naming intact. although covered with
ice from the hose. The south chimney
which went up from the parior fell, but
the one upon the north side OF the house
still remains standing with the wall
which is burned through in many places.
Nothing remains of any greater value
than kindling wood. MIR. Deitrick living
a block south, awakened, and arrived at
the fire just about the time Mr. Kirk
bride and his family left it. He man
aged &c save lawn settee and two lawn
chairs which were standing upon the
front porch These were the only pieces
OF furniture saved.
AS it happened Mr.. Harvey was get
ting up 70 go down and see the furnace
'rhen he heard Mr.. kirkbride call to
him. He threw his clothing and bedding
out of the window and jumped himself
He was in the east room at the end Of
the upper hall. while the woman was in
the room Immediately over the kitchen.
She jumped from the east window OF
her room and landed upon the stone steps
leading into the cellar. She evidently in
tended 20 strike the north rail of the
back steps and the indications are that
she struck the Rail upon her side and
then fell into the cellar way. striking her
evidently upon the stone steps
making long ugly cash. The blow un-
doubtedly knocked her insensible.
When MIR. Kirkbride went around after
:he ladder he found her knocking at the