Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-04-05


the Famous Structure-Twenfy-
Five Thousand Dollars Subscribed
Before the Fire Was out-A
Church, Parsonage, school House
and Several Dwellings Also De-
stroyed-Total Loss, About $780,
600.
KANSAS CITY. Mo-. April 4--Con-
vention Hall, where the Democratic
national convention was to have been
held on July 4, was laid in ruins in
less than thirty minutes this after
noon by fire. The fire burned with
such fury that 1t was evident almost
from the start that the structure was
doomed, and the firemen soon turned
their attention to saving other prop
erty. A stiff breeze was blowing and
before the fire was subdued the Sec
ond 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 a half block OF three-story
fiat buildings on Twelfth street. were
totally destroyed. Several residences
were damaged and for a time 1t was
feared that several blocks of buildings
in the residence portion would go.
The aggregate loss is 100000, APP
portioned as follows; Convention Hall.,i
1895 900, insurance, S155,000; church.
$4,000, insured; parsonage. s15. 900.
insured; school, $S5, 1000, insurance.
2O,400; Williamson block, Twelfth
street. 500, 600, insurance. $4,000.
Plans are on foot TO rebuild Conven-
ton Hall Immediately and have II
ready for the Democratic convention
in July. While the fire was still In
progress members of the Commercial
Club, through whose efforts the hall
was built mingled in the crowds OF
spectators and began soliciting fends
for new structure. This evening
S25, 900 had been subscribed. and Sec
rotary Il. NJ. Clendennin, of the club,
called a mass meeting of citizens for
tomorrow night, to devise ways and
means for raising an additional $50
600. The Hall Association has $4,000
in the bank and will have the sl55.000
/ insurance for immediate use. the in
surance companies having offered to
waive the usual sixty days limit and
make settlement on demand. The
Kansas City Lumber Company, that
furnished four-ffths of the lumber for
the building, has agreed
TO Duplicate ,he 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 10 du-
plicate their order.
The fire started just above the boil
err 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 crossing OF electric
light wires A still alarm was first
turned in and by the time the fire en-
/ CINE arrived. ten minutes later. tbs
! whole building was a mass OF flames,
and in less than half an hour the roof.
upheld by massive steel girders that
spanned its two hundred feet OF
/ breadth, fell with a crash that sent
showers Of burning embers In every
detection The brick Corinthian col
umns, lining the building along the
1 facades on Thirteenth and Central
| streets. tottered a few minutes and
fell outward, and the hall was a COM
! plete wreck.
A strong wind carried the flames "a
the Second Presbyterian church, on the
| opposite side of Thirteenth and Gen.
trail, and in forty minutes that struo-
ture, occupying half a block In
length, was in ruins. The parsonage
adjoining and next to Lathrop school,
which was partially destroyed by the
cyclone of 1888. and which had been
set aside for the use Of the newspaper
correspondents during the coming com
vention, were attacked simultaneously
| and soon
Nothing Bur Their Walls
were left standing. Fortunately the
school children had not returned to
their rooms after the noon hour and
all were gotten to places of safety.
Next the flames caught the Williamson
brick fats across the alley from the
hall on the north, on Twelfth street,
and these were Quilted. The flats oc-
cupied half a block and were three
stories in height.
Flying embers started blazes on q
dozen different residences within a
radius Of two blocks. and famed by q
stin breeze and aided by low water
pressure, threatened general conha-
grafton.
Convention hall had been classed az
one OF the largest and most perfectly
constructed auditoriums In the world.
Continued ON sixth Pag&