The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-05-22
SANTA FE
WAREHOUSE
Barely Missed Total DeStruc-
ton by Fire Last Night
PROMPT FIRE SERVICE
By the Fire Department Held
Flames in Check
CHIEF WALDEN AMAZED
His Own Picture StareS at
Him From Out the Ruins.
CHIEF WALDEN AMAZED

Fire broke out last night al II o'clock
in the warehouse Of the Santa Fe freight
depot. and only The prompt and efficient
service OF Wichita's excellent fire depart
ment averted total destruction of the
warehouse and platform and the large
amount OF shippers goods stored there.
The fire was caused by an electric light
wire, which entered the wooden ware
house building near the roof and up in
the corner Immediately south of the brick
in which are the general omces Of the
Santa Fe and Frisco roads.
7 The damage could not be estimated last
night, and while quite serious, is nothing
70 what might have been had the flames
( been allowed ten minutes more work.
There was nothing in the freight house
totally destroyed by the fire except some
cotton mattresses and some bundles OF
excelsior. A number Of boxes were
burned and charred On the outside. but
their contents we're not injured 10 any
great extent Everything was fully in
sured- Several barrels OF coal oil were
stored in ths south end OF the building
and the progress of the fire was stopped
within five feet of them and confined 10
width OF perhaps forty feet.
At few minutes to II o'clock last night
the crew of the switch engine had Just
completed work and the engine had back
ed down near the freight depot The fore
man Of the switch engine crew saw the
flames break out OF the outside OF the
warehouse ana hallowed fire as loud as
he could and ran IN and notified Roscoe
Robinson and Robinson turned in the
alarm. At that time there were only three
men ia the freight Office Mr.. Dillon.
cashier for the Frisco, had some work
that detained him over time. Mr.. Robin
son was IN the Office and the telegraph
opera tor up stairs had just gone TO bed.
He slept in 2 room right over the part Of
the freight Office that the fire was in and
he was aroused by the fire bell ringing
and saw the flames curling up past his
window. The men at the freight depot
say that in q few minutes after the
alarm of fire was turned in that No
and No. > companies were on the scene /
and had coupled up hose and were fight /
ing FIRE. No g. from the West Side fol- +
lowed quickly. The hremen attacked that 4
part Of the building next to the brick
Office part Of the depot and separated Il /
from the brick They put two lines OF I
hose in the wareroom at the south end .
Of the frame building and thus isolated /
the fire and had IL under control N less
than I'VE minutes from the time the |
water began to play and in less than half I
an hour from the time the alarm was /
turned in, the fire was out. A very Pc
ff7r A
spark of fire had been extinguished Chief +
Walden and some OF his men were watch
Ing a large box that had been well
charred on all sides and had some pack
Ing IN it. They ripped of the top lid
and there appeared to be something like
a picture in there packed il excelsior. Al
said he thought It was an oil
painting Of some kind. Walden remarked
that it was a lone fisherman that had
got wet and had caught no fish
and with the remark he ripped of the
side OF the box with a pike and tore or
he paper protecting the picture and then
ne was paralyzed with surprise, for II
vas his own face looking out Of the
licture at him. II was an enlarged coll
ored crayon portrait Of the fire chief
l!mself and his surprise may well be i'm
igined. when ne does not know single
hing about this picture nor 10 whom *
belongs TO nor where 1t comes from, but
Z is sure an enlarged copy Of tho IRE
.hief in his uniform. cap and ALL
Mrs. Myers. Mrs. McChesney and Mrs.
Hodge OF Kansas City were in Wichita
yesterday While here they were the
RESTS OF D. s. Howe. They expressed
themselves as icing very much pleased
With wichita