The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1900-04-06
GREAT HALL IN RUINS.
Kansas City's Magnificent Audi
forum, the Pride Of That City,
Destroyed by Fire.
ADJOINING STRUCTURES ALSO BURNER.
Second Presbyterian Church, Lathrop
School and Other Valuable Properties
Go Up In FIames-Fire Started in the
Engine Room OF Convention Hail and

Kansas City, No, April 4.-COnven-
ton hall, the pride Of Kansas City,
the magnificent auditorium that has
spread the city's fame, is mass Of
charred and smOldering ruins. It
caught fire at one o'clock Wednesday
afternoon and burned with such fury
that in Is minutes it was almost
totally destroyed. When the fire de-
partment arrived the magnificent
structure was a roaring furnace, filed
with destroying flames, beyond the
power of man to subdue. a stiff
wind was blowing from the southeast
and the LathrOp school and the
Second Presbyterian chruch, on Cen
trail street, and the Williamson block,
just north of the hall an Twelfth
street quickly caught fire and were
destroyed. The burning brands were
carried by the wind, setting several
residences on fire and the firemen
buckled down to fight a hard battle
against strong odds. People turned
away sorrOwfully from the spectacle
of the doomed temple and the ques-
ton was oft repeated, "Can it be re-
built in time for the national Dem
Ocratic convention
The heat was terrific, forcing peo-
pie back even beyond the fire lines
which had been quickly stretched on
all the surrounding streets. The fire
ran up and down the steeple of the
church, festoOning 1T with garlands
of red flames. In less than half an
hour after the fire started the roof Of
the Convention hall fell in and the
brick cOrinthian columns on the
Thirteenth and the Central street
facades of the building tottered a few
moments and fell outward to the
street with terrible crash. The i'm
mense steel trUsses fell inward with a
mUffied roar, sending showers of
sparks high into the air. The steel
trusses are lying IN a heap, twisted
out Of shape by the terrible heat
The solid masonry foundation walls
alone withstOOd the flames and formed
the walls Of a furnace within which
all the combustible material burned
fercely. So rapid was the progress
Of the flames that the entire hall was
on fire and beyond relief within five
minutes after the fire was discovered.
The floors, balconies and all the in
terror works of the building were con-
strUcted Of soft pine wood and was
most infammable. The arrangement
of the hall made it like a vast furnace
in which the woodwork was consumed
rapidly. The cause Of the fire is IN
known. 1t started near the engine
room in the northeast corner of the
building, but there has been no fire
in the furnace since Monday night
when the democratic rally was held
Fires were drawn and scraped yester-
day and no fire of any kind was sup
posed to be in the hall to-day. Smoking
was not permitted, but the rule was
frequently violated. Four carpenters
and a plumber were at work in the
building to-day putting a flooring on
part Of the interior roof garden. It
is not known if the fire was due to
the carelessness of some Of these
HOrkmen.
As the flames swept across Central
street they caught IN the roof of La
thrOp school, The school children
had just returned from the noon re-
cess and the teachers, when they saw
that Convention hall was doomed,
hurried the children out Of the build
ing. Policeman Lewis helped get the
children out, but the drill they have
been taught in connection with their
studies came into good play in the
emergency. The children were pushed
back outside the fire lines and min
gled with the big crowd in the
streets.
The Central Presbyterian church at
the corner Of Thirteenth and Central
streets went next. It burned with
remarkable fury. The home Of the
pastor, the Rev. DR.. II. D. Jenkins,
next door, a substantial brick house
worth about $1,000, was swept up In
the flames like a bit Of kindling.
At two o'clock the row Of buildings
on Twelfth street north of Conven-
ton hall were all on fire and burn
ing so iercely that the fremen no.
titled the inmates to move their prop
erty out, as the whole row was sure
to burn to the ground. In this row
were the buildings 215, 217, 219, 221,
223 and 225 West Twelfth street, all
of them boarding houses
". A. Kelly, the contractor, de-
elared that Convention hall could be
rebuilt In 90 days But he thought
the construction Of the roof would
have 70 be materially different from
that Of the destroyed building, owing
to the difficulty in securing the neces-
sary steel He said he could guarau--
tee to have up substantial building
before the national democratic con
ventiOn was called The insurance on
the building amounts to s155,O00, and
IS divided among 50 OF - companies
with agents In Kansas City.
CIneianati wants the CeuvsatIon.
Cipeinnati- April The colnlfs-
Gee 81 chzrze of tHe U Grc1r