The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-04-05
KANSAS c|TY'S BIG FIRE
Convention Hall is Laid in
Ruins in Less Than
Thirty Minutes.
FLAMES SPREAD BY WIND

FLAMES SPREAD By WIND
PRESB YTEETAN CHURCH And 4
SCHOoL-HOUsE WIPED OUT.
Also Half Block of Thrce-story .Build-
| ingx-Aggrcgate Loss S10O, 1000 Demo-
cratic National Convention WAS to
Have Been Held in the Hall July A.
To be Rebuilt in Time.
| Kansas City, Mo-, April 4.-Conven-
tion hall, where the democratic national
convention wes to have been held on
July 4, was laid in ruins in less than
thirty minutes this afternoon by fire.
The fire burned with such fury that it
was evident almost from the start that
the structure was doomed and the fire.
uaen soon turned their attention to saw
ing surrounding property. A stiff
breeze was blowing and before the fire
was subdued the Second Presbyterian
church, one of the finest edifices 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 flat buildings on Twelfth
street We're totally destroyed. Several
residences were damaged and for a;
time it was feared that several blocks
Of buildings in the residence district
would go.
The aggregate loss is 100000, appor-
toned as follows: Convention hall
$235, 900, insurance $155,00O; church $50,-
900, insured; parsonage $4,000, insured;
school $4,000, insured for $20,400; Will
liams block, Twelfth street, $60,000, in
surance $45,O00.
Plans are on foot to rebuild Conven-
ton hall Immediately and have it ready,
for the democratic convention In June.
While the fire was still in progress
members Of the Commercial club,
through whose efforts the hall was built,
mingled in the crowd and spectators
and began soliciting funds for a new
structure.
This evening $4,000 had been sub
scribed and Secretary Il. NJ Clenden1iin
of the club called mass meeting Of
citizens for tomorrow night to devise
ways and means for raising an addi-
tional $4,000. The hall association has
$4,000 in the bank and will have the
$155,000 insurance for immediate use the
insurance companies having offered to
waive the usual sixty-day limit and
make settlement on demand The Kan
sas City Lumber company that furnish
ed four-fifths 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-
duplicate their order.
The fire started just above the boiler
room where some plumbers had been at
work. There was no fire In the furnace
and the supposition is that the blaze
started from a spirit lamp or by the
Of an electric light wire. A
still alarm was first turned in and by
the time the first engine arrived, ten
minutes later, the whole building was
4 mass of flames and in less than half
dit IOlL tilC lOOly upliClu NY uldsS5iV0
steel girls that spanned its 200 feet or
fell with a crash that sent
showers of burning embers in every di-
rection. The brick corinthfan columns,
ming the building along the facades on
Thirteenth and Central streete, tottered
| few minutes and fell outward, and the
hall was complete wreck.
A strong wind carried the flames to
he Second Presbyterian church on the
opposite side of Thirteenth and Central,
Ind in forty minues the whole struct-
Ire occupying half block in length
vas in ruins. Tlhe parsonage adjoining
Ind next to the Ltahrop school which
vas partially destroyed in the cyclone OF
sSS, and which had been set aside for
he use of the newspaper correspondents
Turing the coming convention were at
acked simultaneously and soon nothing
'ut their walls were left standing. For
unately the school children had not re-
urned to their rooms after the noon
lour and all were gotten to places Of
afety. Next the flames caught the
Williams brick flats, across the alley
rom the hall on the north on Twelfth
treet mad these We're Quilted. The flats
coupled a half block and We're three
tories in height.
Flying embers started blazes on
oxen different residences within a ra-
ius of two blocks and famed by a stiff
reeze and aided by low water press
re threatened a general confagration.
Convention hall had been claesed as
ne of the largest and most perfectly
INSTRUCTED auditoriums in the world.
he building was erected in 1898 at I.
lost of s285,000, which was raised en-
rely by public subscription. 1t occu-
led a piece of ground 314 by 200 feet
! extent, was two stories high and
uilt of native stone cream brick and
9rra Gotta. The building was Of bridge
obstruction without column, the roof
cling supported by great steel girders.
he total seating capacity of the build
lg was nearly 10000 and, with stand-
lg room the building was capable of
olding more than $4,000 people.