The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-04-05
In Time for the Democratic Conyen-
ton in July.
THE FIRE SPREAD RAPIDLY.
The Second Presbyterian Church. One
of the Finest Edifices in the City,
the Church Parsonage, the
Lathrop Public School and
Halfa Block ofFlat Build
inss Were Destroyed.

KANSAS CITY, MO. April 4.-Conven-
tion Hall. where the Democratic National
Convention was to have been held on
July 4th, was laid in ruins in less than
thirty minutes this. afternoon by fire
The structure was doomed from the
start. and the iremen early turned their
efforts to saving adjoining property.
A stif breeze was blowing. and before
the fire was subdued the Second Presby
the city; the chuf,h parsonage, the
Lathrop Public School; two-story,
thirteen-room building. all situated across
the way on Central Street. and a half
block of three-story fiat buildings on
Twelfth Street were totally destroyed.
Several residences were damaged. and
for time it was feared that several
blocks of buildings in the residence dis
trict would go.
The aggregate loss is S4o0. 600, appor-
toned as follows: Convention Hall, s235,-
O00-insurance. s155COO; church. $50, ,O0o-in-
sured: parsonage. sl5,Goo-insured: school,
s35,ca0-insured S20.4GO: Williamson block.
Twelfth Street, s60.GG0-insurance. si5.G00
Plans are on foot to rebuild Convention
Hall Immediately and have it ready for
the Democratic Convention In July.
WILL BE REBUILT.
While the fire was still in progress
members Of the Commercial Club, through
whose efforts the hall was built. mingled
in the crowd of spectators and began so
liciting funds for a new structure. This
evening $4,000 had been subscribed, and
Secretary %. NJ. Clendenning, OF the club.
called mass-meeting OF citizens for to-
IL
for raising an additional $4,000. The Hall
Association has $1,000 in the bank, and
will have the s155,OcO insurance for imme-
diate use. the insurance companies having
offered to waive the usual sixty days
limit and make settlement on demand.
The Kansas City Lumber Company.
that furnished four-fifths of the lumber
for the old building. has agreed to
duplicate the order at once at the rate
In eNisterce two years ago. and the
Minneapolis firm that furnished the steel
girders for the immense roof have been
asked to duplicate their order.
The fire started just above the boiler
room. where some plumbers had been
al work. There was no fire in the
furnace. and the suppostion is that the
blaze started from a spirit lamp or by
the crossing of an electric light wire
n still alarm, was first turned In, and
by. the time the first engine arrived. ten
minutes later. the whole building was a
mass of flames. ard in less than half
an hour the roof, upheld by massive
steel grders that spanned its two hun
dred feet OF breadth. fell with q crash
that sent showers of burning emberS in
every direction. The brick Corinthian
columns, lining the building along the
facades on Thirteenth and Central
Streets, tottered a few minutes and fell
outward, and the hall vas Il complete
wreck.
CHURCH BURNED.
\ strong wind carried the flames to the
Second Presbyterian Church on the op-
posite side of Thirteenth and Central
Streets, and in forty minutes that strlc-
ture, occupying a half block in length,
was in ruins. The parsonage adjoining
and next the Lathrcp School. which was
partially destroyed in the cyclone of 1SSS.
! and which had been set aside for the use
; of the newspaper correspondents during
the coming convention, were attacked
simultaneously. ard soon nothing but
| their walls were left standing. Fortunate
! ly. the school children had not returned!
| 20 taeir rooms afte: the Eoon hour, and
all were gotten to places Of safety.
Next the flames caught the Williamson
briok flats, across -he alley on the north
on Twelfth Street, and these were gutted-
The flats occupied naif a Diock anu Wecs
three-stories in height. Flying enbers
started blazes on dozen different resi-
dences within a radius of two blocks and,
! famed by stiff breeze and aided by a low
| water pressure, threatened a general con-
] flaSration.
Convention Hall had been classed as
one. OF the largest and most perfectly
constructed auditoriurns in the world.
| The building was erected in 1s9S at a cost
| of S2s5, ,OoO which was raised entirely by
public subscription. It occupied piece
! of ground 3li by POO feet in extent, was
two stories high and built OF native
J stone or cream brick and terro Gotta.
! The Board of Directors Of the Con
vention Hall, at meeting tonight. de-
termined to have the hall rebuilt before
July 4th. and the work of clearing away
| the debris begins tomorrow That the
Unnecessary funds will be subscribed is mol
| questioned