The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-23

lowed the elevator shaft and stairways
and all three floors were in flames.
The two chemical engines were used
in keeping the fire from spreading to
building on the south, occupied by the
Kellam Book company and Adams
Brothers printers, is three stories high
and the Skylight was on fire when the
men reached the roof. A stream from
one of the chemical engines was kept
playing on the skylight of the Kellam
building and another on the skyhght OF
the two story building at the north oc-
cupied by Charles McClintock'S crockery
store and Wehe's photograph gallery.
Fearing that more hose would be
needed Chief Wilmarth sent an alarm
to the Santa Fe fire department and
they responded with q reel and 800 feet
of hose at $3.50 o'clock. The hose was
not needed but was kept in reserve at
headquarters.
Both the second and third floors fell
in an hour after the department arrived.
Both floors were so completely burned
that their falling in was of little mo
ment and the firemen had no fear that
the floors giving way would carry the
walls with them for the jOiStS were
completely burned. Soon after the floors
gave way fire was discovered in the KEEL
lam building at the south. The fire had
followed the joists through the walls
and the second and third floors of the
Kellam building were burning in sew
eral places.
In all eight lines of water hose and
two lines of hose from the chemical en-
gines were in use, all that were needed,
for with each additional line of hose the
water pressure diminished and it was
with trouble that the water was thrown
on the roofs of the buildings.
CHIEF wILMARTH'S ACCOUNT
CT saw the flames Ieaping clear of the
building when turned from Clay onto
Eighth street." said Chief Wilmarth
who lives at the corner of Clay and
Eighth streets, 'and when I arrived at
the fire it was a foregone conclusion
that the building was doomed and no
matter how many lines of hose we
might have had they would not have
stopped it. While we fought the fire
in the building we did the best work
in keeping it from spreading. When I
saw the fire l expected that it would
take half the block before we could
bring it under control The wind was
strong and from the west. The heat
of the fire made an eddy which carried
large, red hot cinders in every direction
endangering every building in the
block. The heat from the fire was so in
tense that the tin roofs of the buildings
on each side were warped and twisted
until the seams were broken open and
laid bare the woodwork of the adjoining
roofs. We had to keep pouring water
on these places and this accounts for a
great deal of the damage done by wa
ter to the adjoining establishments al
though in such fires the water will soak
right through the walls of the adjoining
buildings.
Each additional line of hose reduced
the water pressure and the extremely
cold weather caused ice to form in the
couplings thus diminishing the size of
the opening. The water could not be
turned off for a minute for the hose
would freeze solid. With water freezing
everywhere, the men benumbed with
cold, and everything against US it is
hard to fight fire but no department
could have made a better record at this
fire The saving of the building was
impossible and to keep it within the