The Forrest City times., 1897-12-24
FIRE AT KANSAS CITY.
rhe Auditorium Theater and Hotel
 Reduced to Ashes.
poIeL GUESTS ESCAPED IN SAFETY.
rbe Woodward Stock Company, Occupy ing the Theater, Saved the Bulk of Their Property $45o,-
 900; Lightly Insured.

KANSAS CITY, Mo-, Dec. 22.-The Auditorium, the largest and finest play bopse west of Chicago, aud the Audi torium hotel, one of the most fashion able family hostelries in tho city, situated at Holmes and Ninth streets, were gutted by fire that started in the theater part shortly after 1 a. m.
 The 105 hotel guests escaped in safety. although many were compelled to leave the building in their night clothes. The loss on the entire prop erty. which is owned by Alex. Fraser. local business man, will aggregate $50 900. The aggregate insurance amounts to but SS5,000
 The fire originated in an unoccupied room on the sixth floor of the theater, and resulted from the crossing of elec- tric light wires. It was first noticed bv Night Clerk IIaak, who turned in an alarm at :l2. 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 con fined to Il single floor. but after
 
 control, it burst forth again and defied 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 it to get beyond the frcmen's control. The 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 ater. Once in the hotel, the flames were beyond control.
 The excitement broke out among the hotel guests afresh, and hurried scranbles to save their personal effects ensued. Everything available was pressed into service as receptacles for valuables, and before the gue sts had been ordered from the building a second time, the bulk of their belongings had been carried ont. More timid ones who had fled from their rooms in their night clothes at the start, were given quarters in a neigh boring 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 it's property.
 The Auditorium was built in 1886 by Col. w. Warder at a cost of S350, 900. It was named the Warder Grand opera house, and was opened by Booth and Barrett After brief but unsuccess- ful 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 r. Slocum a well-known eastern theatrical manager, it was run for a season in the most approved metropoli- tan style. After another failure, the bank traded the property last October to Alex. Fraser. and the latter leased the property to Paxton x Burgess. Fraser expended es2, 900 in improvements and repairs on both hotel and theater. Paxton X Burgess presented the Woodward stock company and list of first-class speciaties at seat prices of not over 10 and 25 cents. The plan proved de- cided success, and for the first time since its inception the Auditorium, winch had booked some of the best companies on the road, became pay . ing property.