The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-05
FIRE IN SKYSCRAPERS,

way and Warren streets. Adjoining the
Rogers, Peet building and south of 1t
was the magnificent white building OF
the Home Life Insurance company, and
next to this was the brown stone build
ing of the Postal Telegraph company,
erected at a cost of millions only a few
years ago.
Within a few minutes after the dis
cOvery of the fire the Rogers, ,Peet build
ing was roaring furnace and an alarm
had been turned in which brought more
than a score of engines to the scene It
was but a short time when the flames
had eaten through the wall of the Home
Life and were roaring high above that
lofty structure. Thousands of peOple
had gathered on the scene and the
binding glare of the flames lit up the
lower part of the city. Even in the
dOwnpour, the great crowds of people
grew and the police reserves were called
out from many stations and kept the
people back for blocks. Great showers
of sparks were carried in all directions
by the gale that blew sixty miles
hour It was a picturesque fire.
The Home Life Insurance building
was occupied by that company and by
a large number of prominent men in
various lines of business. Every effort
was made to save the valuable papers
stored in some of the offices, but many of
these were lost. The offices of the Rap
id Transit commission were on the
ninth floor of this building and it is be-
Heved that all the plans and schemes of
work with which the commission have
been working this many years have
been destroyed. In the Postal building,
as we'll there were many serious losses
of a private nature and when the
flames reached the operating room of
this structure, which they did within
three hours of the outbreak, the one or
two solitary operators who remained at
their posts were compelled to flee for
their lives, leaving unsent messages at
the keys.
The fire burned even more fiercely in
the Home Life building owing to the
great height of this structure and in an
incredibly short time the upper half of
this magnificent building was in flames.
The water towers in the street were
able to throw their heavy stream only
into the lower part of the structure and
the firemen, though they worked with
great bravery and untiring energy in
the binding smoke and heat, could do
little in the face of such a fierce sweep
of flame and gale. 1t was only a ques-
ton of time when the Postal building,
so far as the upper stories were con-
cerned, went the way of the others.
Heavy Losses.
The estimate of the losses by Chief
Bonner, was a million dollars with a
probability of a still further loss should
the fire continue to make anything like
rapid progress. At that hour, however,
he believed that he had the fire under
control within reasonable limits.
At 2 9. clock, however, Il vas sun purR-
ing herce!y IN front ana 9Ithough not ob-
servable by the thousands Of spectators,
burning Stlll more uerCeIN ana 6&-
tending lower down in the rear.
An insurance man roughly estimates the
losses al about as follows:
Rogers, Peet & Co, building and stock
and losses to other tenants in the build
ing. $3.50. 900.
Home Life Insurance company, building
and losses to other tenants. S5O0.000.
Postal Telegraph company, building and
losses to other tenants, 100000
Losses to surrounding buildings, $4,000.
Chief Bonner thought that this estimate
on the basis of million dollar loss was
about near correct as was possible to
make.
The Rogers. Peet &, Co. building was the
property of the Hoffman estate and was
one of the historic buildings of Broadway.
It was erected 35 years ago
The fire started from three explosions
What caused the explosions no one knows.
The firemen could not find out. They
thought gas had escaped in some manner
in the basement and so resulted in ex-
plOsOn and fire.
The Postal Telegraph company officials
say that all their wires had been burned
out and that they had no connections
from their building.
The Hardware clubs quarters. which
were on the top floor Of the Postal build
ing. were ruined Their loss is heavy.
The Home Life Insurance cOmpany'S
building was one of the handsOmest on
Broadway and was supposed to be ahsO-
lutely fireprOOf. It's summit was $50 feet
above the sidewalk. Leading architects
of the country submitted plans for its con-
SfTUctiO0.