The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-04-18
FIRE AT THE SANTA FE.
Steam Drying House Fire Proves a
Hard One to Subdue.

/ Saturday night at 11.30 o'clock fire
was discovered in the north stack of the
steam drying house in the Santa F7e
yards An alarm was Immediately
turned into the Santa Fe department
and in a few minutes another alarm
was turned into the city department.
The Santa F'e company had six streams
OF water on within hve minutes of the
time the alarm went in and were REIN
forced by the city and within a short
time nine streams were playing on the
burning building and two or the Ium her
pile in the yard
The fire was discovered Just as it
burst through the top Of one of the
three IS foot stacks and had prOba bIy
been burning inside for some time The
IRE started in the north stack and then
broke out in the south stack The walls
or the dry house were double and
packed with SaWduSt making a building
of most cOmbustibIe material The
fire became SO hot and the smoke so
thick that the fremen were driven
from the inside of the burning build
ings and were compelled to fight alto
gether from the outside. The only
trouble that was experienced was when
the number of streams of water was
doubled the pumpman was not notified
before It was done and the pressure ac-
cOrdIngIy went down from 40 pounds to
about 100 before the second pump was
started The pressure of 100 pounds
lasted only about two or three minutes
but was time enough for the fire to
take fresh start The worst feature
in the stacks. As soon as the fire was
discovered live steam was turned into
the house which effectuaIIy smOthered
the IRE but it was but moment until
the hampers in the stacks burned
through making a draught which was
aided by the steam, which had to be
turned off When the full pressure of
lao pounds was on it was air the men
could do to handle the hose and John
O'Brien, chief of the Santa Fe depart
rnent, narrowly escaped being thrown
from a ladder
I must say that both the city and
the Santa Fe departments fought the
fire uObly and did wonderfully weIP' said
Chief O'Brien- The heat was terrible
and the smoke suffocatinE- We fought
from the inside at first but 1 had to
call the men out on account of the fall
ling thinkers and heavy weights that
held the large doors. have seen lust
such fires in the dry houses and lumber
yards of Chicago and I never saw one
as well handled as this one The burn
ing sparks and cinders were flying all
over the yards most Of the night and
yet not a thing except the building was
even sc0rched''
The Santa F'e storehouse was but go
feet from the burning building and hun
dreds of piles of lumber besides other
buildings cars and property were within
a few feet of the burning building Two
small push cars loaded with lumber
stood within 10 feet of the fire and not
even a scorch can be found upon it.
Besides the hose laid by the city the
Santa F'e had :. 900 feet
Water was kept pouring on the fire all
Saturday night and Sunday night the
fire broke out again but was quickly
So bdued
Tt was the hottest fire and the hard |
est to fight on account of the heat and
smoke since the Santa F'e office fire."
said Chief O'Brieu
The building was about so by 70 feet |
with three stacks 20 feet high The |
loss is estimated at $1,000 fully covered |
by insurance