The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-11-21

insured for 81 500 which will cover all
the loss sustained by Mr.. Leland
The fire was discovered by Mr.. Le-
lands 13-year-oId son VIII who was
asleep in a room on the second floor
The boy was awakened by fire which
was coming down from the attic through
a hole where heating pipe had for
merly been. The boy called Harry Fin
ley. Mr. Leland's son-in-law, and to-
gether they went to the attic in hope
of extinguishing the blaze. They found
a. small fire burning the heavy build
ing paper with which the house is lined.
The fire was small and they thought
they could put it out but the flames
gained on them and the attic became so
.densely filed with smoke that they We're
forced to give up the fight.
In the meantime Miss Leland nae
turned in a telephone alarm to the ire
department and awakened her father
who was asleep on the first floor. The
pavement was icy and the horses on the
fire apparatus could not make fasL
run The fire spread very rapidly ana
by the time the first companies from
HEADQUARTERS arrived the entire upper
part of the house was on fire. The nrst
stream was directed to the roo1 ana a
line from the chemical engine was taken
uD the front stairs to the attic TO ngnt
the fire from the inside. When the lad
der truck and hose company from sta
ton No. arrived soon after the com
panies from headquarters ladders were
put in use and hose company No took
their stream to the roof. The line from
the chemical engine could not hold the
fire and Chief WiImarth took hose com
pany No with their line up the front
stairs to the attic where the fire was
the fiercest The heat and smoke were
intense but the men stood their ground
until the fire was brought under con
troll It was half an hour before the
hremen had the fire safely under con-
troll
The house is two stories with a high
attic The fire started in the northWest
corner of the attic where household
goods were stored. The attic was COM
pletely burned out but the fire was
stopped al the caves with the exception
of one small place on the north side
where the fire ran down the siding. It
was necessary to pour large amount
of water on the house Those who tried
to carry out the furniture on the first
floor found the house so filled with
smoke that they gave up the task.
THE smoke and fire were so heavy and
dense that one could hardly live in the
building said Chief Wilmarth. In the
attic the floor was nearly burned
through in many places and the top of
the stairs was about gone The whole
roof and attic floor were a mass of fire.
It took a great bulk of water to bring
the fire under control It is hard to tell
what the loss will amount to but l
should estimate it at about 50, 500. The
cause, I believe, was rats and matches.
There mad not Deen not ure IN the
furnace and there were no electric light
wires and that is the only plausible
cause"
Mr. Leland said this morning before
the frernen left the house that he did
not know whether the insurance on his
household goods had expired, but later
he found that the policy was good. Il
was first awakened by my son." said
Mr.. Leland. THE house was so filed
with smoke that I was afraid some of
them might be suffocated If they tried
to carry things out and I got them to-
gether and left the house. BY the time
the firemen arrived the fire had gained
considera BILE headway.''
Mr.. Leland suffered a loss by fire a
year ago when two large buildings at
Troy owned by him were destroyed. The
department did not leave the fire this
morning until $3.50, having been there
three hours.