The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-03-10
DESTRUCTION
Of the Palace CIothing Co.'S
Store by Fire.
The Loss @ Total One, Building
and Stock
ENTIRELY CONSUMED,
Flames Broke Out at 3 O'CLOCK
Fhis Morning.
Neighbering Business Concerns
Suffer Severe Less.

AT 800 o'clock this morning FIRE was
discovered ia the building at 7o9 Kan
Ras avenue, occupied by the Palace
Clothing company, ana when the fire
department arrived the building was
found to be doomed and the efforts of
the f1remen were directed to saving the
adjoining property.
Night Waterman Reed McCarter was
In the washroorn at the fire department.
headquarters and heard q roaring noise.
He thought it was the fire In the stove
OF the other room and paid no atten-
ton to it. A man who was with him
looked cut Of the window and saw the
flames bursting from the rear of the
building. McCarter Immediately turned
IN an alarm and as he did SO an alarm
was received by telephone
The alarm was responded to by head
quarters No. and the truck, station
No. ;. The men from headquarters had
a stream OF water playing on the fire
when the truck arrived and ladders
were Immediately run up at the front
and rear Of the building and additional
streams were directed On the flames.
Fire Chief Wilmarth arrived within a
few minutes after the call was sent and
he Immediately ordered general alarm
calling out the entire department, and
within @fteen minutes or the time the
fire was discovered the entire force OF
tho city department was at work fight
ing the flames.
When the GPemen from headquarters
reached the rear Of the building they
looked through the windows and found
the entire first floor in flames ana the
fire leaptng up the ,elev9t0r shaft and
stairways. The fire seemed to center
the first floor near the elevator shaft
and It was apparent to the drenen at
first glance that the building was
doomed and that 1t was lmpOESi BILE ia
gave IT.
THREE FLOORS IN FLAMES. !
Three lines Of hose were laid by head
quarters and were used from the street
and rear Of the building. AS soon as
the ladder truck arrived five lines of
nose were turned on the fire from the
roof, the fire by that time having fol-
lowed the elevator shaft and sta1rwayS
and all three feors were in flames.
The two chemical engines were used
in keeping the fire from spreading to
the roofs OF the adjoining buildings. The
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 slxyMght of the Kellan
building and another on the skyight OF
the two story building at the north oc-
cupied by Charles McCHntock's crockery
store and Wehe's photograph gallery.
Fearing that more hose would be
needed Chief Wdlmarth sent an alarm
to the Santa Fe fire department and
they responded with a, reel and 800 feet
of hose at $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 an was of little mo
Gnent and the hremen 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 Are was discovered in the KEEL
lam building at the south. The Ars had
followed the joists through the walls
and the second and third floors OF the
KeAam 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,
&or with each additional line OF hose the
water pressure diminished and it was
with trouble that the water was thEowE
on the roofs Of the buildings.
CHEF wILMARTHS ACCOUNT.
81 saw the flames leapiuE clear of this
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
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 ]
saw the fire I expected that it would
take half the 6kOck DSRore we cOul0
bring it under control The wind was
strong and from the west The he%t
OF the fire made an eddy which carried
large, red hot cinders Gn every direction
endanRerfnR 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 Wsth water freezing
everywhere, the men benumbed with
cold. and everything against us 1t Is
hard to fight fire but no department
could have made q better record at thiG
fire. The saving OF the Building was
impossible and to keep Ct within tbs
~~~~-~~~~~~~-~-~~~-~~-~-