Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-12-22
HOTEL GUESTS IN A PANIC.
The Auditorium Hotel and Theatre in
Kansas City Destroyed by Fire.
No Casualties Resuted-The 100
Guests in the Hotel Escaped
Without Mishap, Although Many
Fled in Their Night Clothes The
Property Loss Will Reach $780,
900, With S85, 900 Insurance.

Kansas City, Mo-. December 81
The Auditorium, the largest and finest
playhouse west of Chicago, and the
Auditorium Hotel, one of the most
fashionable hostelries in the city, sit
uated at Holmes and Ninth streets,
were burned out by fire that started
in the theatre part shortly after one
o'clock this morning The 106 guests
escaped in safety, although many were
compelled to leave the building in
their night clothes. The loss on the
property, which is owned by Alex Fra
ger, local business man viii aggre-
gate S450,C00. The aggregate insur-
ance amounts to but SS5, 900.
The fire originated in an unoccupied
room of the sixth floor of the theatre,
and resulted from the crossing OF cleo
trio light wires 1t was first noticed
by Night Clerk Haak, who turned in
an alarm at 1:12. Haak Immediately
awoke the guests. They included many
families and children of all ages, and
the greatest confusion ensued. For
time it seemed that the flames would
be confined to a single floor, but after
it had been apparently gotten under
control, it burst forth again and defied
all efforts of the fremen. Many of the
guests, assured after the first alarm
that the fire would not R3read, return
ed to their rooms. Delay in getting
continuous stream on the fire, however,
enabled it to get beyond the firemens
control The flames spread rapidly
along the tier Of rooms on the fifth
,v%r1t IN u
Gated with the hotel through the
small apertures in the fire wall which
separated it from the theatre. Once
in the hotel the flames got beyond con-
troll.
The excitement broke out among the
hotel guests afresh and hurried scram-
bles to save their personal effects en-
sued Everything available was press
ed into service as receptacles for the
valuables. and before the guests had
been ordered from the building a sec
ond time the bulk of their belongings
had been carried out More timid
ones who had fled from their rooms
in their night clothes at the start were
given quarters in a neighboring hotel.
In the theatre the Woodward Stock
Company. which has been the attrac-
LlCU Slice LIE IBIDBuIuS VI tllc pldCC
last October, managed to save the bulk
of its property.
Early after the second burst of flames
the firemen gave up hope of saving
the structure. Although the building
in which the fire started is practically
a one-front annex to the main Audi
forum building, there were openings
in all the upper stories which made
the two buildings one and made them
both an easy. prey for the flames once
we'll started. Superintendent Pelletier,
of the insurance patrol. refused to al
low his men to enter the building to
spread tarpaulins. and all efforts of the
firemen were confined to the outside.
Luckily the structure stood alone and
at no time was surrounding property
threatened The firemen worked hero
ically but within few hours both the
atre and hotel had been burned out the
larger part Of the roof had fallen in and
about one-third of the west wall Of the
hotel collapsed.
The Auditorium was built in 1886 by
Col George w. Warder, at a cost of
s350.000. 1t was named the Warder
Grand Opera House, and was opened
by Booth and Barrett. After a brief
but unsuccessful season Warder traded
the property to George w. Henry, Of
Chicago. Henry reopened the theatre,
but it again failed to pay expenses. In
1896 the National Bank of Commerce
purchased the property and installing
John P. Slocum as theatrical manager
the house was run for season in met
ropolitan style After another failure
the bank traded the property last Octo-
Der to Alex. Frazer, and the latter
leased the property to PAXTON & Bur-
giss. Frazer expended $4,000 in i'm
provements and repairs on both hotel
and the theatre. Paxton e Burgess
presented the Woodward Stock Com
pany and a list of specialties at seat
prices Of not over 10 and % cents. The
plan proved a success, and for the first
time since its inception the Auditorium
which had booked some Of the best
companies on the road, became a pay
-