The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-02-10
John Hunter. No. Z engine company
bruised and both ankles sprained.
MISSING

John Hunter. No. Z engine company
bruised and both ankles sprained.
MISSING.
Nathaniel Green, accountant, Dali
myer building, supposed to be in the ru-
Thomas Lynch, iceman in employ of
Chautauqua company, supposed to be
in the ruins at Thirteenth street.
Edward Barry, watchman of the stor-
age building.
It is believed that at least ten more
bodies are in the ruins, which are still
too hot to be moved
1t was just 1855 O'Clock last evening
when smoke was seen issuing from the
fourth floor of the Union Storage COM
pany's building on Pike street near
Thirteenth.
The building was six stories in height
and almost occupied the entire block
between Twelfth and Thirteenth streets
and Pike Street and Mulberry alley.
Owing to the construction of the
building it was practically impossible to
fight the fire from without, while the
volume Of smoke inside the particular
division in which the fire occurred
made it impossible to fight it from with
in. The only opening in the three fire
walls dividing the great buildings were
closed by heavy iron doors and these
men worked scarcely knowing what
they were doing. The iron shutters
were fmpreSnable to their attacks The
smoke that found its way out of the
building filled Mulberry alley and Pike
street sitting the fremen and rendering
them practically sightless. It would
clear for a moment or two and they
would again endeavor to make some
headWay but to no avail.
Finally at IL o'clock the flames burst
out through the roof and shot upward a
hundred feet in the air and making
that part of the city as light as day.
This was the first note of alarm that
started the flight of residents from their
homes on Pike, Thirteenth and Twelfth
streets Women and children started
forth barefOoted and in their night
clothes, followed by their husbands,
bearing what little they could carry in
their arms of their household effects.
The police were watchful and the
crowds were kept back by fire lines
and the fearful heat of the flames.
Suddenly above the roar of the flames
and the putting of the fire engines
which were everywhere, came the more
powerful noise of the first explosion.
The din of falling walls foretold de-
structiOn and death in thunderous
tones. Those outside the lines We're
not without the reach of danger. The
great puff of air, created by the explO-
sion seemed to make everything sway
and shake. Those not knocked down
by the reactionary waves of air as the
falling walls created vacuum that
seemed to draw in everything.
1t was on the Mulberry alley side
where the least danger was anticipated,
the great volume of smoke and prelim-
mary outbursts of flames having come
L
force of the explosion was the most Sc
we're and there the greatest number of
fatalities took place.
At Thirteenth street end of the ware
house, the most terrible. effect of the ex-
plOSiOn was manifest. The entire front
was piled into the street. Explosion
followed explosion for about half an
hour between II and 1 O'Clock The fire
after each report like that of a cannon
burst through walls in all directions.
Burned out walls came topp1ing down
and fremen, policemen and spectators
were rendered almost pOWerleSS to act
by the terror inspired. The houses
along Pennsylvania avenue and Twelfth
to Thirteenth streets caught in the rear
and burned rapidly. Only a few streams
could be used on the Pennsylvania ave-
nue. front of these houses and the crowd
were slowly driven off the opposite side
of the avenue to greater distances.
A whole company of firemen was
throwing a stream into the great Stor-
age house from a narrow court yard in
the rear of Pennsylvania avenue from
which a very narrow alley led to the
street. About 1:30 o'clock q heavy ex-
plOsiOn occurred and part of the heavy
wall of the storage house tOppIed over
on roofs of the houses and into the
court yard. The firemen at work there
escaped by the narrOwest chance.
In the meantime the scene on Pike
street was even more awe inspiring.
The instant following the first big eX-
plosion, the warehouse of HOeveler &
Co. caught fire and this was followed
by the falling in of the building of the
Chautauqua Lake Ice company. AS
the wall fell Chief Humphreys. who was
standing near the entrance to the mar
row street called to the men of No. II
engine company who had just time to
get away from the spot when the line
of hose and pipe was buried beneath
tons of debris. Their escape was mir
aculous, one fireman named Reilly be-
ing struck by a falling brick as he
jumped to obey the shouting warning
of the chief.
Through the Hoeveler warehouse the
flames swept like a dust cloud before
the wind. The building though new
was of ordinary construction and pre-
sented all that was needed in the way
of material for a fierce fire. Added to
this was the nature of its contents, 500
barrels of whisky. One after another
of these barrels exploded, throwing
blazing beams and rafters, masses of
stone and brick into the air and scat
tering the firemen. police and specta-