The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-12-25
FIRE AT KANSAS CITY.

The Auditorium Theater and Hotel Re.
duced to Ashes-Hotel Guests EscspeoA
In SaTety-The Woodward Stock COM
pany, Occupying the Theatre, saved =
Bulk of Their Property-Loss, S4oo'ooVs'
Lightly Insured.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, Dec. 2L-Ihe'
Auditorium, the largest and finest play
house west of Chicago, and the AUDI
forum hotel, one of the most fashion,
able family hostelries in the cley'
situated at Holmes and Ninth Streets
were Quilted by fire that started IN the
theater part shortly after l a. M.
The los hotel guests escaped I'm
asfety. although many were compelieo-
to leave the building in their nlShG
clothes. The loss On the entire prop
erty. which is owned by Alex. Fraser,
a local business man, will aggregate
$3.50, 900. The aggregate
amount to but SIS, 900.
The fire originated in an unoccupleu
room on the sixth floor of the a
aud resulted from the crossing OF cleo
trio light wires. 1t was first notlcerL
by Night Clerk Haak, who turned an
an alarm at l:l2. Haak immediately
dWOhc IDc BuCSlos Ah$
manyf families and children of all ages,
and the greatest confusion ensued. For
a TIM it seemed that the flames would
be confined to a single floor. but after
it had apparently been gotten d
control, it burst forth again and dehed
all efforts of the firemen. Many OF the
guests, assured after the first alarm
that the fire would not spread, re-
turned to their rooms.
Delay in getting a continuous stream
on the fire, however, enabled 1T to get
beyond the fremen's control. Ii
flames spread rapidly along the tier of
rooms on the fifth and six floors, and
soon communicated with the hotel.
through the small apertures in the fire
wall which separated it from the the
alter. Once in the hotel, the flames
were beyond control.
The excitement broke out among
the hotel guests afresh, and hurried
scrambles to save their personal effects
ensued. Everything available was
pressed into service as r~eceptacleS for
valuables, and before h guests had
been ordered from the building a second
time, the bulk OF their belongings had
been carried out. More timid ones
night clothes at the start, were given
quarters in a neighboring hotel.
The Woodward stock company, which
has been the standing attraction since
the reopening of the playhouse last
October, managed to save the bulk
of its property.
The Auditorium was built in 1886 by
Col. W. Warder at Il cost of $3.50, 600. 1t
was named the Warder Grand opera
house, and was opened by Booth and
Barrett. After a brief but unsuccess-
full season Warder traded the property
to George w. Henry, of Chicago.
Henry reopened the theater, but it
again failed to pay expenses. In 1896
the National Bank of Commerce. pur-
chased the property, and, installing
John p. Slocum. a well-known eastern
theatrical Manager, it was run for a
eason in the most approved m~etropoli-
tan style. After another failure, the
bank traded the property last
October to Alex. Fraser, and
the latter leased the property to
Paxton & Burgess. Fraser expended
Sg2, 600 in improvements and repairs on
both hotel and theater. Paxton &
Burgess presented the Woodward stock
company and a list of frst-class
specialties at seat prices of not over 10
and % cents. The plan proved a de-
cided success, and for the first time
since its inception the Auditorium,
which had booked some of the best
companies On the road, became q pay
ing property.