The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-15

Kansas City. April 14.-Since o'clock
last night Kansas City. seems to have
been at the hands of band of incen-
diaries.
Between 9 o'clock last night and 1
o'clock this Thursday morning sever
fires broke out in the very business
center of the city.
At least four. and probably all, Of
these fires were of incendiary origin.
While the majority of the blazes were
extinguished in their incipiency. two
of them resulted in heavy damage. The
big five-story Scarritt block on Walnut
street, near Ninth, was destroyed, en-
failing a loss of $50, 600, and from this
structure the flames spread to an adj
joining structure on Main street, also
owned by the Scarritt estate and oc-
cupied by the Campbell & Eaton
Crockery company The building on
Main street was damaged to the extent
o. $4,000 and the crOckery stock suf-
fered an equal damage. Only by a
very narrow margin were other adjOin-
ing buildings saved from destruction
1t was while these fires were raging
that the torch was applied in various
other parts of the business district.
At Twelfth and WaIGat streets a fire
was also started in pile of dry goods
boxes in an alley. AT Twelfth and
Grand avenue the torch was applied TO
excelsior thrust into the hallway of
lodging house.
AT Fifth and Delaware another fire
was started in the rear of ne Armour
building.
Another fire was started near Loose
Bros cracker mandatory at Second
and Main streets, and still another at
HOim's brewery on the east bottoms.
In several of these fires coal oil was
freely used by the incendiaries.
AT l o'clock this morning, when the
forces OF the fire department were scat
tered and possibly somewhat democrat
lied, fire was discovered in G. ". Love
joys planning mill, at Fourteenth and
Main streets. The fire had gained such
great Roadway that the building was
soon enveloped in flames and within
a short time the planning mill with all
it's valuable machinery and big stock
of manufactured lum Der. was in ruins.
The loss is heavy
That this fire and the fire in the
Scarritt block were of incendiary or
igin there is no direct proof, but all
the indications are that firebugs alone
are responsible.
The loss on LOvejoy's plSains- mill
and machinery is $4,000 and on his
stock the loss IS 81 600 additional What
is purely a matter of speculation. but
among the excited business men who
are gathered about the streets in small
groups at o'clock this morning. seri-
ously discussing the situation. the
opinion is frequently expressed that
the gambler element. which has 50 long
held full sway in Kansas City and
which is now forced 10 quit its opera
tons owing to a complete OVerhauling
Of the police administration. is at the
bottom of the incendiarism.
In the hallway of a lodging house at
Twelfth street and Grand avenue. a fire
was caused by the lighting of a bunch OF
excelsior that had been soaked in
kerosene.
Another evidence of incendiarism was
found in the rear of the Armour build
ing at Fifth and Delaware streets. where
policemen found a bunch of oil soaked
rubbish to which the torch had been
applied. At l clock this Thursday
morning. another serious fire has broken
out at Fourteenth and Main streets in
C. w. Lovejoys planning mill. big
frame structure that covers 4 large are.
OF ground and is highly infamma Bile. The
entire building is in flames and Will
probably be DESTROYED.