The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-04-05
LAID In RUINS.
Kansas City'S Convention
Hall Burned.
Destroyed in Less Than
80 Minutes.
Plans Immediately Set on Foot to
Rebuild.
Orders For Materials
Given.
Church and Other Buildings
Destroyed.
Orders For Materials
Given.
Church and Other Building
Destroyed.
Buildings

hanbhs OiLy, NO., April 4.-OonVentiou
ball, whsre the Dsmooratio National
covention was to have been held on July
4, was laid In ruins In less than 80 min
utes this afternoon by fire. The fire
burned with such fury that 1t was evi-
dent almost from the start that the
structure was doomed and the firemen
soon turned their attention to saving
the surrounding property. A stiff breeze
was blowing and before the fire was sub
dusd, the Second Presbyterian church.
one Of the finest ediflces In the oity, th g
churoh parsonage, the LathTop public
school. a two story, thirteen room build
ing. all situated across the way on Gen.
trail street and half block Of thres story
aGt buildings on Twelfth s,reet were to-
tally destroyed. Several residences were
damaged and for time, It was feared
that several blocks Of buildings In the
residence district would go.
The aggregate loss Is Sl0O. COO. appor-
ioGed as follows;
Convention hall, S235, 600; insuranc Q
$40, 900.
Church, $50 600; insured.
Parsonage, SIS, 200; insured.
School, S35, coo; insured for $50, 400.
Williamson block, Twelfth street.
800. 900; Insured, $50, GOO.
Plans are on foot to rebuild convention
hall Immediately and have IL ready for
the Dem ocratio convention In July.
While the fire was still in progress, men,
bers Of the Commercial club through
whose efforts the hall was built, mingled
In the crowd of spectators and began So
lioiting funds for a new atruoture. This
evening S25. 900 had been subscribed and
Secretary +. III. Clendeuning of the club
called a mass meeting of the citizens for
tomorrow TO devise ways and means for
raising an additional $50, COO.
The hall association has $40, eco In the
bank and will have the $155, GOO insurance
for immediate use. the insurance oom pa
nies having offered to waive the usual
sixty day limit and make settlement on
demand.
The Ksnsas City Lumber company that
furnished four 1fths Of the lumber for
the old building has agreed to duplicate
the order at once at the rate In existence
two years ago and the Minneapolis firm
that furnished the steel girders for the
immense roof have been asked to dupli-
cate their order.
The fire started just above the boiler
room where s5Iae plumbers had been at
work. There was no tire in the furnace
and the supposition 10 that the blaze
started from q spirit lamp or by the
crossing Of an electric light wire. A
ttill alarm was first turned In and by
the time tho first engine arrived, ten
minutes later, the whole building was
y mass OF flames and In less than half an
hour the roof upheld by massive steel
giEders that spanned Its 200 feet OF
breadth fell with a crash that sent show
ers of burning smbsrs In every direction.
The brick Corinthi an columns lining the
building along the facades on Thirteenth
snd Central strests totteFsd 9 few
minutes and fell outward and the hall
was complete wreck.
A strong wind carried tina flames TO
the Second Presbyterian church on the
cpposits slds Of 18th and Central streets
and In forty minutes that structure occu-
pylng a. half block in length, Twas In ruiz S
The parsonage adjoining aud next the
LIE throp school, which was partially des-
troyed in the Cyclone of 1883 and which
had bean sst asids for the uss Of tbs
newspaper eorrespondents during the com
ing convention vera attacked s,multans-
ously and seon nothing but their walls
we're left standing Fortunately tn 9
school children had not returned TO their
rooms after the noon hour.
Next the flames sauRht the williamson
brick Flagstaff, acrofs the alley from the
hall on the North sRd lsrh streets and
thaSs wers gpstsd. The fats occupied q
half block and we're thFts stories In