Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-04-12
KANSAS CITY FIRE.
Convention Hall, the Pride Of the
City, in Ruins.
LA1HROp SCHOOL also DESTROYED
Besides the second Presbyterian ChuFcn
and Other Buildings-A New Hall to
BE BuiIt In Time for the Demo.
cratic Nationsl Convention.


Kansas City, Mo-, April 5.--"Conyen-
ton hall is on fire!" This was the
startling news that was flashed
across the city yesterday afternoon
at one o'clock, and in the short space
of an hour Kansas City's magnificent
auditorium was four CHASTITY, ragged
walls; the Second Presbyterian
church and parsonage and the beauti-
full Lathrop school, across the street,
were in ruins; the Williamson Hats
north of the hall, fronting on Twelfth
street, were Quilted; innumerable
small fires had been started within
radius of three or four blocks; rs
families had been rendered tempo
rarily homeless, and property valued
at S325,O00 was destroyed.
Gross carelessness on somebody's
part is given as the primary cause for
the destruction of the beautiful build
ing and the other structures. 1t Is
stated that janitor has been cooking
his meas on rickety old gasoline
stove in rear room, which is Uttered
with debris. Chief Hale declared yes
terday that he had warned Manager
Loomas to remove mass OF rubbish
from the rear of the stage, where q
lot of refuse, old junk, papers, ETC.,
had been stored. Chief Hale says he
warned Loomas of the danger OF al
lowing such inAammable rubbish to
accumulate. Two men who were
smoking went behind the stage yes
terday. They were ordered away by
the janitor and soon disappeared. A
few minutes afterwards the fire broke
out in the very spot where the rub
bish was stored.
Some half dozen carpenters were at
work on the roof garden when the
alarm was first given and all, with
one exception, succeeded in making
/ their way in safety to the street,
though two Of them were q little
scorched. The one who failed to get
out was James Brennan, a contractor,
who was on the roof working on the
cornice. When he found that escape
through the interior of the hall was
impossible owing to the Roadway
made by the flames he made his way
TO the southeast corner of the roof OF
the building. Fortunately the aerial
truck, which was one OF the first
pieces of apparatus to reach the l'tuld-
/, g, drew up on this side. Driver
En ley Willis noticed Brennan stand
tug on the roof and stopped the truck
risht ON the corner of the alley,
can't Russell and his men ran up the
Ldder in less time probably than II
ms ever been done before and Bren-
n0n WINS carried safely to the ground
IN lees than two minutes the spot on
which he had been standing was en-
veloped in flames.
The fire department estimated the
Fetal loss at S20S.260,
At the completion OF Convention
Kall and upon the day it was dellv-
cred over by the contractors the dl-
1,ectors placed insurance amounting
10 100000. Later this was increased
ta Sl50,0O0.
Convention hall will rise from its
ashes, greater than before, Before
fine red embers have turned to gray
workmen will begin to remove the de-
bris The new building will Inc erect
ed in ample time for The national con-
yention, IT is the purpose OF the liall
directors to erect an absolutely hre-
proof building on the old site, taking
advantage of the splendid foundations
that have remained almost uninIured
by the fire.