The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-05
BUILDING is 4 TOTAL LOSS
SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BUILDINGS DESTROYED
PROMPT ACTION IS TAKEN
Commercial Club VIII EndenvOr to
Retain the Democratic COnVen-
tIOn by at Once Rebuild
ing the Hall.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. April 4.-Conven-
ton hall Kansas City's pride, wherein
the Democratic national convention was
TO have been held on July l. was laid
IN ruins in less than thirty minutes
time this afternoon from the time that
started, from an unknown cause, at
l o'clock. The fire burned with such
Jury that 1t was evident almost from the
start the structure was doomed and the
hremen soon turned their attention to
saving surrounding property.
A stfn breeze was blowing, and before
the fire was subdued, at 2:15 o'clock, the
Second Presbyterian church, one of the
finest edifices in the city, the church par
sonage, the Lathrop public school, two
story thirteen-rOom building, all situated
across the way, on Central street, and
half block of three-story fat buildings
on Twelfth street, were rendered a total
loss. Several residences were damaged
to 4 greater or less degree and for a
time it was feared that several blocks of
buildings in the residence district would
go.
The aggregate loss is 100000, apportion-
ed as follows: Convention hall. $295, 900,
insurance $155,OOO church, $4,000, insured;
parsonage, $4,000; insured; school, $685.
600, insurance $4,000; Williamson block,
Twelfth street, $4,000, insurance $4,000.
PLANNING TO REBUILD.
Plans are on foot to rebuild Convention
hall Immediately, and make it ready for
the Democratic convention in July.
While the fire was still in progress men,
bers of the Commercial club, through
nrho tIa l,,11
built, mingled in the crowd 5 spectators
r and began soliciting funds for a new
structure This evening $25, 600 had been
subscribed, and Secretary E. NJ. Glen
denning, Of the club, called a mass meet
Ing of citizens for tomorrow night to de-
wise ways and means of raising an ad-
ditional $4,000. The hall association
has $4,000 in the bank and will have
the $l55,00O insurance for immediate use.
the insurance companies having spon-
taneously agreed to waive the sixty
days limit and make settlement on de-
mand. The Kansas City Lumber COM
pany that furnished four-fifths of the
lumber for the old building have agreed
To duplicate their order at once at the
rate in existence two years ago, and
the Minneapolis firm that furnished the
been telegraphed to duplicate their
der
START OF FIRE.
The fire started, as near as can be
learned, at 1 o'clock this afternoon, just
above the boiler room in the northeast
corner Of the building, on the alley,
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 one Of the
plumbers crossing an electric light
wire.
a still alarm was 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 block each way on Thir-
teenth and Central streets, was turned
into a furnace of fire before a second
alarm could be sounded, and in less than
half hour the roof, upheld by mas
sive steel girders that spanned its 200
feet of breadth, fell with crash that
sent showers of burning embers In every
direction and drove the fremen across
the street Brick Corinthian columns
lining the building along the facades on
Thirteen and Central streets tottered a
few minutes and fell outward and the
hall was complete wreck, the work Of
about fifteen minutes time.
FLAMES SPREAD.
strong wind carried the flames to the
Second Presbyterian church. on the op-
posite of Thirteenth and Central. an6 in
forty minutes that structure, occupying
half block in length, was in ruins The
parsonage, adjoining, and next the La
throp school, which was partially de-
stroyed In the cyclone Of 1855, and which
mad been set aside for the use of the
newspaper correspondents during the
coming convention, were attacked stimuli
laneously and soon nothing but their
wins were le1t standing. Fortunately tbe
school children had not returned to tbei,
rooms after the noon hour and all unera
gotten to places of safety
Next the flames caught the Williameon
I@'S across the alley from the hall ON tho
horth' on Twelfth street, and these n,are
60 - ne Hs'ts occupied a half blocl,
height stories In
flylng embers started blazes on y dozer
inherent residences within a radius If
lwo oIocks' and famed by a stiff breeze
al AIDED by low water pressure
sill eate.eo general confagration. The
hre which was finally gotten under on
troi at 2:3O, proved one of the ouicl[eat
ana most dangerous experienced in Kan,
sas City for many years.
PERFECT HALL.
convention hall had been claesad- -.
travellers as one of the largest and nos.
perfectly constructed auditoriums in ~
world. The building was erected In iS'< tIle
at cost of $235,O0O, which was raised tUY e,,.
urely by public subscription. If ooc,,.
pied piece of ground 314 by 200 feet IN
extent was two stories high, and built Of
i'arive We stone cream brick and terra cot.
Ia The first story was OF the Renais-
sance style of architecture, and the sec
ond story in peristyle form, with oro,In.
and columns ei'up1
me building was of bridge construction
Mi.nout column. the roof being sun
porteo by great steel glrders. Its eenerg,
seating arrangement was modelled some
What upon the plan of the MetronoIitar =
opera house, New York The floor snac.
was divided into arena, balcony
ana roof garden, boxes skirting the arena
anu the arena balcony. The total seatina
capacity of the building was nearly 2O.OOo
ana with standing room the building was