The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-06-08
DAMAGE BY FIRE.
Reform School Suffers Severe
Loss Today.
Property Valued at $4,000
Is Destroyed.
LACK OF DISCIPLINE.
Good Organization Might Have
Saved Much.
Results of Employing IneXperi-
enced Men in Institutions.
Superintendent Wanted to Save
Water in Tank.

The building at the reform school oc-
cupied by the laundry. boiler, engine
and dry room was totally destroyed by
fire this morning, causing loss of $10,-
900 to $4,000.
The fire was discovered in the dry
room at $50 and two hours later the
entire building had been swept by the
flames and nothing was left standing
but the walls.
The boys who are assigned to the
laundry went to their work at Z o'clock
as usual and were in the laundry and
dry room, where the fire started. Su-
perintendent Hancock says he was in
the laundry five minutes before the fire
started and everything was all right
at that time A few moments after
he left smoke was discovered coming
from the room.
The alarm was given. The boys and
employees in the building rushed out
and in a few minutes the building was
filled with smoke. A telephone message
was sent to Chief Wilmarth asking for
help. He had the firemen at station
No 1 in North Topeka hitch their four
horses to the chemical engine and sent
it out with four men to the fire.
It was about $50 when the firemen
arrived. The roofs had commenced to
fall and nothing was being done toward
fighting the fire or saving the contents.
Every body about the place seemed to
was no one in charge and the orders
being given were conflicting
The firemen in charge of Captain Per
kinS started the work of saving what
was not already consumed. The fires
had been raked from beneath the boiler
and the pump stopped. The fremen
wanted to lay line of hose, but were
told that the water in the tank must
not be used because it would be needed
for drinking purposes.
The fremen demanded hose and it
ThaT hot
the hose was of different sizes and not
made to connect with the fire hydrants.
1t was several minutes before the fire
man patched up line, and then 1t was
found that the nOzzles would not fit.
After considerable loss of time the line
was gotten into working order and it
was turned on the steel floor over the
boiler room in hopes of cooling the floor
and saving the boilers and machinery
below.
The burning embers had fallen onto
the roof of the wooden coal shed and
no attempt had been made to save it.
The f1remen formed a shovel brigade
ard set to work shOveling off the fire.
The chemical engine was kept playing
on the shed and it was saved.
1t took but few minutes to exhaust
the water in the tank and then under
the direction of the firemen a bucket
line was formed to the creek so yards
away and water was passed to the
fire.
The building is formed by three
wings Inc SOutn Wig WAS one story
in height and occupied by the laundry.
The west and east wings were two
stories, the second stories being on
level with the laundry. The dry room
was directly over the boiler and engine
room. The floor was of steel on iron
girders and for that reason the boilers
pump, engines and dynamos are
thought to be all right. The dynamos
were covered. when the plant shut down
at night. with rubber coverings and it
may be that the water did not soak
through enough to damage the arma-
lures.
The roof fell and the iron floor was
in danger of giving way under the
weight The firemen directed that a
force of men be sent. in to shovel out
the debris, soon as the place was
sufficiently cooled, to keep the floor
from giving way
The fire burned itself out by Il
o'clock save for the smoulding ruins
and the firemen left orders that the
debris should be thrown out to allow
the steel floor to cool as quickly as pos
sible and save any further damage to
the machinery but at 1870 orders were
given for the gangs to cease work and
go to dinner.
The only things saved from the
building by the employees and boys was
the mangle in the laundry. After the |
firemen arrived they saved several |
belts, which were coiled up in a vacant
room and some of the tools in the shoe
shop, but everything in the laundry.
with the exception of the mangle and |
a few baskets of clothes was lost. In