Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-11-21
Big AFTERNOON FIRE.
ELEVEN BUILDINGS DESTROYED IN
KANSAS CITY, kAs.
FOUR MORE BADLY DAMAGED.
STRONG GALE FROM THE SOUTH
FED THE FLAMES.
Total Loss Is Estimated to BE Not
Less Than $25, OOO-Fire DEPART
ment From This City Rem
ders Assistance-Many
Are Homeless.


Kansas City, Kas.. was again visited with
a very destructive fire yesterday afternoon.
| Eleven buildings, all but two of which were
dwellings, were completely destroyed, while
four dwelling houses were more or less dam
aged. Only for the assistance rendered by
the fire department Of this city the bulk of
the city across the line would have been a
mass of blackened ruins to-day. There was
a strong gale blowing from the SOUTH. and
for a half hour it looked as if the fire had
gotten beyond control. The total damage
is estimated at So, 1000. 1t may exceed this
amount, and 1t is possible that it will not
be SO great.
Fully 5000 citizens Of Kansas City, kas.,
turned out and rendered valuable assist
ance to the 1iremen. The furniture was
carried out of nearly forty residences and
piled up in the streets. These house were
at one time thought to be doomed. Bust
ness men closed their establishments and
rushed to the scene Of the contiagration.
These buildings were burned:
Frank E. Drake, broom factory. 343 Min
Eesota avenue. story and a half frame;
avenue, story and a half, brick, not COM
pletely destroyed; Reeder Bros, laundry.
Building u badly damaged. Contents saved;
Charles Thrasher. grocery and bakery, Sil
Minnesota avenue. totally. destroyed: Will
nue., badly damaged; A. James, one-story
frame dwelling. 81 State avenue. complete
~ DESTROYED; George Palmer, ssg grI STATE a1is
Parr. 800 State, one-story frame. complete
~ destroyed; Mrs. Susan Fry. 1892 State.
ssXT ary ps,m brick &. t stsisy ,f desIe syS ! h hs5f
frame, total loss; NJ. II. Grafton. Ss State,
story and a half frame, aimost a complete
two-story frame, totally destroyed; F. B.
completely Destroyer: John Walker. 1888
stroyed; John i. fEasiey, Isl Cleveland,
two.story frame, completely DESTROYED:
Emil kerlin and ]: I; stewart who lived
Of their furniture. Mrs; S. A. Gallop and
Thrasher's store at ;s4i Minnesota avenue.
lost all their furniture. These people car.
ried no insurance and only. one or two OF
sured.
1t was a few minutes after 2 o'clock yes
terday afternoon when an alarm of fire was
turned into the Kansas City, kas.. fire de-
partment headquarters from Eleventh and
Cleveland avenue. Hose companies Nos. l
a sioa 2 9s sbs ait which Shp left the central T t p STe
wagons had not reached the fire when an
alarm was turned in from s43 Minnesota
avenue. The Armourdale company was at
work on a small blaze in that section of the
city, hence there was no company to dis
patch to the Minnesota avenue fire. The
but by the time hose companies from here
could reach the scene two buildings were
The hook and ladder company of Armour
dale was the first to reach the Minnesota
avenue contlagration. The street depart
ment had by this time secured hose and
had one small stream of water playing on
the roaring flames.
A stiff wind was blowing from the south
nesota avenue fire under control sew
eral dwelling houses on State avenue, a
block away, We're ahame: BY this time
State avenue. Three different buildings
were on fire and burning furiously., The
flames kept spreading, jumping from house
to house. Thousands Of citizens helped to
fight the flames. Some of the most promin-
their coats and worked like %trojans. Mayor
Marshman, Judge Post, several councilmen
and many of the leading business men as.
sumed the role of tiremen and in several
instances did work of a heroic nature.
Pianos, organs: folding beds and all kinds
Ing buildings, and piled in the the streets It's Alter
the fire was under control and the excite
ment had partially subsidized. the work Of
Spd IA IN WIZ bC6uu. IL
was a hard task. Furniture belonging to
many different families was piled in one
heap: A SQUAD Of police was dispatched to
the scene and prevented thieves from car
rying away much of the property:
A sneak thief was discovered making
about fifty people ran after him. Finding
that his pursuers were closing in on him
he dropped the clock and succeeded in
that was rescued from the flames was
stolen, however.
stable of J. 7. Easley. a stockman. 1t is
claimed that some little boys set some
hay on fire with a lighted candle. The
stable was located Just south of Mr.. Eas-
ley's house and as the wind was blowing
northward the flames were soon at work
on it.
When the department reached the scene
the homes of F.. B. Kingsley, of the Ar
mour Packing COMPANY, and John Walk
f house e0n Were IN f aa5eInin + w ME; ne Esslsy.s
to lay 1000 feet of hose in order to play a
stream of water on the burning buildings.
and ignited the house of A. F. Crouch.
The firemen saved the bulk of his furni-
ture; There was no one at home at Mr..
was burned. Mr.. Kingsley owned his prop
erty and had it partially insured. The
houses occupied by Walker Easley and
Crouch are said to be owned by Eastern
parties.
Fireman William Clark. foreman of tho
No. l hook and ladder. was dangerously
Cleveland avenue fire. Fireman Lon Her
bert, Robert Maher and Edward Arney fell
through the floor of the building at ss
large mass Of burning debris fell in on
top. Of them. but fortunately they escaped
The building at s4s Minnesota avenue
was owned by Henry Otis and was not IN
sureS. His loss is placed at about $1,000:
Occurred by the KrfIlpr nrlly C0non.nv