The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-03-04

Riaze They Seemed Unable 10 BuuSe.
The biggest fire occurring in Wichita
during the past FIVE years broke out a.
midnight last night and this morning
the well known landmark, the Royal x
Todd elevator, is in pile OF ashes.
The building was situated on the cor
ner of Fifth avenue and First street.
Nobody knows how the fire started,
where il originated or how much the
loss is. All that is certain is that it is
in ashes
The present owners of the building
and property are the Northwest Pro-
duce company. The resident manager
is Mr.. P d. Platz.
Until recently the place was owned
and operated by the HUFF Produce
company and only few days ago the
new company took charge. The bust
ness was changed so as to make il al
most solely an exporting house princl-
pally for the English trade.
Mr.. Platz could not be seen last night
TO ascertain from him whether the place
was insured. and if 50. for how much.
1t was the most exciting fire seen in
Wichita for many a day. When the
blaze first burst out and illumed the
heavens everybody thought it was the
auditorium, just one block away and
naturally the excitement was intense.
in view OF the two big conventions TO be
held in It soon.
About 1000 people f1ocked to the scene
and where they all came from 50 quick
~ at thai hour was a mystery. PROP
ably 400 women were in the line Of hu-
man forms that extended along the
sidewalks for three of four blocks with
the great blaze shining in their faces.
The sparks and cinders shot several
feet in the air and the light fakes OF
ignited cheff foated around in the air
like falling snow. Great big burning
cinders were thrown as far as four
blocks away from the scene of the fire.
and had it not been for a. heavy coat of
snow on every roof the Peerless Prin
cess would wake up this morning with
more than one block in ashes. One Wo-
man over on Fourth avenue hearing
the noise and excitement opened the
door to see what was going on and as
she did so a burning brand was thrown
into her house, setting the carpet on
fire. Burning brands also fell on the
roof of the auditorium. but for the rea-
sons before stated did no damage.
The blaze itself was a fine sight and
made the streets as far west as the
find a needle on the sidewalk.
The blaze completely wrapped itself
about the building until even the out
lines could not be distinguished and
rapidly extended TO the office and
yards of the company. The stable Of
the Pabst Brewing company caught
fire once or twice but the fire depart
ment who were on the ground prompt
Iy put it out again and finally saved
it with comparatively no damage.
There were about 5000 chickens in
the yards and roosts connected with
the main building but they would not
bulge an inch even when the fire sur
rounded them. A great effort was
made by the crowd to save the chickens
with comparative success. Probably
one-half Of them were saved and the
others burned to a crisp. There was
a bunch of about 100 chickens in one
corner tamely submitting themselves
to the flames. The colored barber
down near the Carey at this time no
ticed his fine rooster among them and
he darted in under the burning shed
roofs and rescued his bloOded bird.
This emboldened the other fellows who
followed and the chickens were driven
and pushed out with a shower of fire
falling on their backs. They were the
most stubborn chickens the crowd ever
saw and they did not seem 10 thank
their rescuers a little bit for their bra
very.
Three or four men kicked in the
door of the burning office and tried to
rescue the books but every effort they
made was fruitless. AS fast as they
went in with handkerchiefs over their
mouths and nostrils the smoke and
fire drove them out again
The ffremen acted finely. They went
so far into the smoke that they could
not be seen. low they stood II was
hard 10 explain IS people were fairly
roascting 100 feet farther away.
If there was anything ike a breeze
stirring il would be impossible to save
the buildings of the neighbOrhood. As
il was nothing but the snow-clad roofs
and the energy Of the entire fire de-
partment saved them.