The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-21
Kansas City's Big Auditorium
Hotel and Theater
Was Entirely Destroyed by
Fire This Morning.
GUESTS ALL ESCAPE.
Woodward Stock Company Saves
Its Effects.
Fire Started in the Theater-
Loss is S45O,OOO.

Kansas City, Dec. 21.-The Auditor
ium, the largest and finest play house
west of Chicago, and the Auditorium
hotel, one of the most fashionable hos
telries in the city, situated at Holmes
and Ninth streets We're gutted by fire
that started in the theater part shortly
after 1 o'clock this morning. The 1O5
hotel guests escaped in safety. although
many were compelled to leave the
building in their night clothes. The
loss on the entire property which is
owned by Alex Frazer, local business
man, will aggregate s45O,OOO The ag-
gregate insurance amounts to but S85,-
600. Owing to a high insurance rate,
a great deal of the insurance had been
allowed 10 lapse.
The fire originated in an unOccupied
room on the sixth floor of the theater,
and resulted from the crossing of cleo
trio wires. It was first noticed by
Night Clerk Haak, who turned in an
alarm at 1:O2 Haak Immediately
awol1e the guests. They included many
families and children of all ages, ana
the greatest confusion ensued. For q
time it seemed that the flames would
be contend to single floor, out atter
it had apparently been gotten under
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,
returned to their rooms.
Delay in getting continuous stream
on the fire however. nabled it to get
beyond the firemen's control. The
flames spread rapidly along the tier OF
rooms on the fifth and sixth 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 scram-
bles to save their personal effects en-
sued. Everything available was pres
Sed 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 cases
who had He'd from their rooms in their
night clothes at the start, were given
quarters in a neighboring hotel.
In the theater the Woodward Stock
company which has been the standing
attraction since the reopening of the
place last October, managed to save the
bulk of its property.
superintendent Pelletier, Of the Insur-
ance patrol refused to allow his men to
enter the building to spread tarpaulins
and all efforts of the fremen were con-
fined to the outside
Within a few hours, both theater and
hotel had been gutted. The bigger
part of the roof had fallen in and about
one-third of the west wall of the hotel
had collapsed.
The Auditorium was built in 1886 bv
George w. Warden, at a cost of $3.50 00O.
It 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 purchased
the property and installing John p.
SlOcum, we'll known eastern theatri-
cal manager, the house was run for
season in the most approved metrOpoli-
tan style. After another failure. the
bank traded the property last October
to Alex Frazer and the latter leased the
property to Paxton & Burgis. Frazer
expended $92 900 in improvements and
repairs on both hotel and theater. Pax
ton & Burgis presented the Norwood
Stock company and a list of first 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 a paying
property.