The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-04-05
100000
Is the Total Loss Of the Ccnyen.
tiOn Hall Fire.

iB the democratic national convention
was TO nave heen held on July A. was
laid In ruins In less than thirty minutes
time this afternoon from fire that stare
ed from an unknown source at / O'Clock
The fire burned with such fury that Il
was evident almost from the start That
the structure was domed and the flremen
soon turned their attention to saving
surrounding property A stiff breeze was
blowing and before the FIRE was subduel
at 2:15 O'Clock, the Second Presbyterian
church. one Of the finest edih1es IN the
city; the church parsonage, the Lathrop
public school, two story thirteen room
building, all situated across the way on
Central street and half block Of three
story FIAT buildings were rendered a to-
tai loss Several residences were dani-
agei to greater or less degree and FOR
time II was feared that several blocks
OF buildings in the residences district
would go.
The aggregate loss is 100000 apportion-
ed as follows:
Convention hall, s2S5.OO6. insurance
sl55. .OoO; church $4,000. insured: parsonage
sI5. .00O ihsurelil; school s35 600, insurance
$40, 400; Williamson block, 18th street, sG0-
600. insurance $4,000; miscellaneous 5000.
Plans are on foot to rebuild Convention
hall Immediately and make II ready for
the democratic convention In July. White
the fire was still in progress members OF
the Commercial Club, through whose ef-
forts the hall was conceived and built
mingled in the crowd OF spectators and
began soliciting funds for a new struct-
ure. This evening $50, 600 had been sub
scribed. and Secretary Clendenning Of
the club called mass meeting Of citl-
zens for tomorrow night to devise ways
and means OF raising an additional $780,
00e The hall association has $4,000 In
the hank and will have the 1856 900 Ia
surance for immediate use, the insurance
companies having spontaneously agreed
to waive the sixty days limit and make
settlement on demand. The Kansas City
Lumber company who furnished four
ffths OF the lumber for the old building
has agreed to duplicate their order at
once at the rate In existence two years
ago, anti the Minneapolis firm that fur
nsshed the steel girders for the immense
root have been telephoned TO to dup'i-
cate their order.
The fire started as near as can be
learned at l o'clock this afternoon Just
above the boiler room In the northeast
",
where some plumbers had been at work.
There was no fire in the furnace ana the
superstition is that the blaze started
from spirit lamp or by one Of the
plumbers crossing an electric light A
still alarm was at first turned in. BY
the time the first engine arrived ten
minutes later the whole building was a
mass OF flames. The entire structure.
covering half a block each way on 18th
and Central streets, was furnace of
fire before a second alarm could be
sounded and I'm less than half an hodr
the roof upheld by massive steel grid
ers that spanned It's 200 feet OF bremGth,
fell with crash that sent showers OF
burning embers in every direction and
drove the 1remen across the street. The
brick Corinthian columns lining the
building along the facades ON 18th and
Central streets tottered a few minutes
and fell outward. and tbs hail was a
comlete wreck.
strong wind carried the flames tC
the second Presbyterian church on the
opposite side Of 18TH ana Central ant
in forty minutes that structure, occupy
ing a half block In length, was In ruins
The parsonage adjoining, and next the
Iathrop school which was partially de-
stroyed IN the cyclone OF 1883. and which
had besn set aside for the use OF thS
newspaper correspondents during th'
coming convention, were attacked ST.
multaneausly and soon nothing but theil
porter.
on THAT point : am nos prepared e
make any statement answered the ad
rniral.' I am consulting with my friend
as TO the course 10 be pursued. Whei
the proper time arrives, will make
statement OF my intentions $40 the IA
ture, and this win be very soon. Peni
ing that / prefer not 10 say anything
for publication regarding them"
Admiral Dewey has some very decide
opinions on matters OF public moment
and while expressing them IN privat
prefers not TO make any public announce
ment OF them at this time. Platforms 70
parties he believes, are not made by can
didates for the high office Of president
In connection with his d-termlna
ton, TO run for the Office
the admiral dwells with much p'easur
and qualification on the warmth 81 IN
receptions that he has everywhere re
ceived IN his various trips throughout TN
country, Including the south particulars
ana on numerous personal declaration
that the people wanted him for presl
dent
Much comment las been indulger a
today by tho pubi'c as 70 which Of IN
great political parties the admiral Wi
ally himself and from whom he expect
80 receive the nomination. TO question
,..irr, ~, fbfa qafbfecf he declares tha