Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-11-06
SPARKS FLEW FAR.
Assistant Chief Henderson Had Lit.
tie Fire by Himself Several
Hooks Away.


For a while early yesterday morning 1t
seemed as though the entire north end
of the city was ablaZe. AT l O'Clock the
following buildings were on fire: The Jones
building, at Sixth and Main streets; the
Waterworks building, at Sixth and Walnut
streets; the Humboldt building, at Sixth
and Main streets; the ST. James hotel, the
FIaven Shoe Company, VI: Quinn grocery
- store, the Snodgrass Drug Company.
> Ihllenius' harness store, X. III. Williams
b wholesale grocery store, the Hotel Walnut,
the Clifton house. Wegstein's saloon at ll0
East Missouri avenue, and several ad-
joining buildings, and the building at oil
Holmes street.
The flying hrebrands ignited the build
ings at 1le East Missouri avenue and at
5Il Holmes street. Assistant Chief Hender-
son was al the Jones fire, when he was
informed that The saloon at lle East Mis-
souri, avenue had caught fire from the
sparks from the Jones building. With the
assistance OF one fireman, the assistant
chief extinguished the flames in the Mis-
souri, avenue saloon.
-r'or a while / was fire chief, ladderman,
hoseman and truckman, said Assistant
Chief Henderson yesterday. Il got one
man to help me and hastened TO. the Mis-
souri, avenue saloon. When We got there
the building was all ablaze in The rear.
1t was hard fire to handle, the back
yard OF the saloon was filled with chicken
coops and old barrels. We had but one
hose. and j regard the extinguishing OF
those flames a greater piece of work than
the saving of the buildings adjoining the
Jones store IL the fire had continued over
there on Missouri avenue the entire dis
tf1ct north of the avenue would have
burned. because We had no hose to use
after the walls fell at the Jones store
Without hose and without water supply,
the entire block would have gone
Assistant Chief Henderson had many mar
row escapes. He was standing on the
Sixth street steps of the Humboldt build
ing when the front walls collapsed.
Il had fourteen men on the Humboldt
building when the walls fell said the as
the front OF the building fell. / called
to them TO remain on the roof, as i saw
that many were preparing TO jump TO the
dered and cursed the men and finally they
obeyed- hurried to the rear of the build
ing and j heard cries for help coming
there were 100 men imprisoned in the build
ing. With several others. broke open the
iron bars that We're across the back base
ment window and fourteen men were lib
Grated. They soon recovered from their
fright and went TO work again.
After the collapse of the Humboldt
building continued Mr.. Henderson. I'VE
turned our attention toward saving the
St James hotel. ] did not know what
several Of my men attempted to climb on
the roof. The second man had scarcely
placed his feet on the roof when it fell
with a crash. injuring Captain Donovan.
This part of the building was not on fire
and II was surprising to me that IT fell. =
A visit to the building yesterday showed
ti.dl II SttI1ea TeduN 10 1all down. even
where the flames had not reached The
entire north wall is bulged ont and the
entire structure seems about to collapse
ut any moment.
The alley behind the Jones store was n
network Of live wires last night but in
spite Of all this. traces of the firenen' :
work can he found on every hand There
are piles Of barrels and rubbish that were
fgnited by the sparks and 1t required manr
hours hard work TO extinguish the many
blazes that started.
When asked regarding the water sIppIy
and the action Of the electric light com
panies IN cutting live wires. the assistant
chief spoke reluctantly
The electric lipht people NAV moan all
right he said. but iIiey did not act
supply may have been all right br. We
could have had better pressure. -