The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-04
Kansas City's Mammoth COnven-
tion Hall Burned Down.
Great Building Consumed in
Half an Hour.
A MASS OF FLAMES
In a Few Minutes After the
Fire Started.
Roof Fell With a Crash in 20
Minutes.
Fire Originated Over Furnace
Room in the Rear.
WAS BEYOND CONTROL
Before the First Engine Reach
ed the Scene.
Flames Extend to LathrOp
School and a Church.
TOTAL LOSS S35O,OOO.
Hall Was Insured and VIII BE
Rebuilt at Once.
TOTAL LOSS ss5O,OOO.
Hall Was Insured and VIII Be
Rebuilt at Once.

Kansas City, April 4.-Convention
hall, the mammoth and superb audito-
rum in which the Democratic conven-
ton was to have been held on July 4,
was burned to the ground in less than
half an hours time by fire that started
in the building at 1:1O p. m. today.
Within a few minutes after the fire
caught the whole structure, taking in
half block each way on Thirteenth
and Central streets, was mass of
flames, and twenty minutes after the
first alarm was turned in the mammoth
roof fell in with a crash, throwing
showers of burning embers in every
direction.
The fire started over the furnace
room in the rear end of the building.
A still alarm was turned in. and be-
fore the first engines arrived the fire
had gotten beyond control. Within
twenty minutes every department in
the city was at the scene, but the
work of the firemen poved of no avail,
and efforts were soon directed to saw
ing the surrounding property.
FIRE JUMPS TWO WAYS.
At 1870 p. m the fire jumped two ways,
attacking a half block of three story
residences in the rear of the hall on
Twelfth street and across Central street,
where it first caught the Second Pres
| byterian church, one of the finest edifices
in the city, and then the Lathrop public
school, which was partially destroyed
by a. tornado in 1888. The residences on
Twelfth street, together with the church
and school will undoubtedly be a total
loss, and at 1:5O the indications are that
the fire will spread west into a densely
populated residence district and north of
| the hall, where some of the finest resi-
! dences in the city are located.
! The children at the Lathrop school
were just returning to their rooms af-
ter the dinner hour when the fire start
ed and as far as known all escaped to
places of safety.
LOSS $35O,oOO.
The loss at 1:50 p. m. is estimated at
$3509OO, apportioned as follows:
Convention hall, $225. 900; Second Pres
byterian church, $4,000; Lathrop school,
$4,000; row of residences on Twelfth
street, 100000.
The hall is well insured and will be
rebuilt Immediately in time for use fol
the Democratic convention Fifteer
minutes after the hall was known to be
doomed. members of the Commercial
club, through whose efforts the struc-
ture was built, began soliciting funds tC
begin rebuilding, which it is stated will
be started as soon as the ruins can be
cleared away. The foundation remains
intact
At 2 o'clock the wind had driven the
flames north and west from the hall
and the efforts of the fremen to save
the fine residence property to the cas-
on Wyandotte street had proven sue
cessful The Second Presbyterian
church, which was a brick structure o
old style, is a total loss The building
burned fiercely and was ruin twent!
minutes after it caught, the immens
steeple falling with a, crash and spread
ing flames in all directions. The Lath
rop school. a three story. thirteen room
structure, situated just north of tn
church was also quickly levelled an
is a complete loss. The row of Twelftl
street residences will be a complet
loss All efforts are now being made t
prevent the flames from reaching ives
and north. One building a block ives
of the hall has caught fire repeated
from flying brands, but as repeated
: put out, and it is believed that the fiji
win now be confined to the structure
named.
The Washington hotel and the Coats
+ house. leading hostelries. are situate
| three and four blocks distant from tn