Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-04-05
KANSAS CITY FIRE
The Great Convention Hall De-
stroyed by Fire.
1t VIII be Rebuilt in Time For the Demo-
cratic National Convention to Meet in
1T and Nominate the Next President
Julya.
(By Telegraph to virginlan- pilot.)

(By Telegraph to Virginian Pilot)
Kansas City, Mo, April 4.-Convcn-
ton Hall where the Democratic Ma
tional Convention was to have been
held on July 4, was laid in ruins in less
than thirty minutes this afternoon by
fire. The structure was doomed from
the start, and the firemen early turned
their efforts to saving adjoining pro-
perty. 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 Dathrop public school,
a two-story, 13-room building, all stu
ated across the way OIL Central street,
and half block of hree-story flat
buildings on Twelfth street were to-
tally destroyed. Several residences
were damaged, and for a time 1t was
feared that several blocks of buildings
i'll the residence district would go.
The aggregate loss is 100000 appor
toned as follows:
Convention Hall, $235.00O; insurance,
Sl55,000; church, $4,000, insured; par
sonage, Sl5, 1000 insured school, S35, 900;
insurance. s20,400; Williamson block,
Twelfth street, 100000; insurance, S45,-
0OO
WILL REBUILD.
Plans are on foot to rebuild Con-
vention Hall Immediately and have it
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 crowd OF spec
tators and began soliciting funds for
new structure This evening s25, 900
had been subscribed, and Secretary l..
NJ. Clendenning, of the club, called a
mass meeting of citizens for tomorrow
night to decide ways and means for
raising an additional $4,000. The hall
association has $4,000 in the bank, and
will have the sl55, 900 insurance for i'm
mediate use, the insurance companies
having offered to waive the usual
siXty-day limit and make settlement
on demand. The Kansas City Lumber
Company that furnished 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 furnish
ed the steel Orders for the immense
roof have been asked to duplicate their
order.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
The fire started just above the boiler
room, where some plumbers had been
at work. There was no fire in the fur
mace and the supposition is that the
blaze started from a spirit lamp, or by
the crossing of an elcctrict light wire.
a still alarm was first turned in, and
by the time the first engine arrived,
ten minutes later, the whole building
was II mass of flames. and in less than
half an hour the roof, upheld by mas
sive steel girders that spanned its two
hun drnH Fnn a 4, rnl ,,.it
crash that sent showers of burning en-
bers in every direction. Tie brick COR
tnthian columns, lining the building
along the facades on Thirteenth and
Central streets tottcred n few minutes
and fell outward, and the hall was a
complet wreck.
SPREAD OF THE FLAMES.
A strong wind carried the flames to
the Second Presbyterian Church, on the
opposite side of Thirteenth and Central
streets and In forty minutes that
structure. occupying Il half block in
length. was in ruins. The parsonage
adjoining and next the Lathrop school,
which was partially destroyed in the
cyclone of 1855. and which had been set
aside for the use of the newspaper cor
respondents during the coming cOnven-
ton, were attacked simultaneously. and
soon nothing but 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 flats. across The alley
from the hall on the north, on Twelfth
street. and these We're Quilted. The flats
occupied a half block and were three
stories in height.
RESIDENCES ON FIRE.
Flying embers started blazes on a
dozen different residences within n
radius of two blocks and. famed by a
stiff breeze and aided by low water
pressure, threatened a general con-
flagration.
Convention Hall has been Chased as
one of the largest and most perfectly
constructed auditorlnms in the world
The building was erected In 1898 nj n
cost of $235,000. which WAS raised an
tirely by public subscription. 1t oc-
5 cupied piece Of ground 3lIx2nO feet
IN extent. was two stories high and
built OF native stone, or cream bricl,
and terra Gotta IA
WORK BEGINS AT ONCE
The Board of Directors OF the Con-
Tention Hall Company, at a meeting to-