The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-10-25

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ket street, occupied by Hunt, Wilkinson
& Co, upholsterers and furniture deal
ers and two unoccupied buildings at
1928 and 1926 Market street were de-
stroyed. Many other buildings were
damaged and the loss is estimated to be
upwards of $500,000
The fire started at 1880 o'clock. 1t is
supposed to have been caused by an ex-
plosion of benzine or naphtha, which
with other materials used in the manu-
facture of furniture, was stored in the
cellar. >The flames shot up the elevator
shaft and in less than five minutes
every one of the nine floors of the struc-
ture was ablaZe.
There were 320 employees, men and wo-
men, at work in the different depart
mentS at the time. Those on the second
were the first to see the flames. Instant
ly there was wild rush for the fire
escapes, but owing to the highly infiam-
mable nature of the material used by
the firm, the blaze spread with remark
able rapidity, dealing death to unfOr-
tunates, as they made frantic but un-
successful efforts to escape One Wo-
man leaped from one of the top floors
into Market street and was instantly
killed. Another was roasted to death,
as she was descending the fire escape
in the rear of the building. Two others
either jumped or fell from the fire escape
and were killed Five others who leaped
from windows were picked up, living,
but died on the way While the fire
escape was filled with panic stricken
eight persons are known to have been
buried in the ruins A few minutes
later the front wall fell inward and it
IS not known whether any bodies are
under it, If such is the case, the per-
sons were probably burned to death be-
fore the wall collapsed.
When the firemen reached the rear of
the building which faces on Commerce
street, a small thoroughfare, they found
the street literally piled up with VIC
TINS, who had been carried down by the
falling wall. These were hastily con-
veyed to the nearest hospitals.
AT l o'clock the fire is still burning,
but is under control.
A new eight story building at 1917
Market, as yet unOccupied, prevented
the spread of the flames to the eastward
in which direction they were blown by
the wind. Otherwise the city would
have witnessed probably the greatest
cOnfiagration in its history.
Several business houses on the south
side of Market street were badly
scorched, but not seriously damaged.
AN EMPLOYEES STATEMENT
An employe of Hunt, Wilkinson &
Co., made the following statement:
The fire started in the basement at
the bottom of the new freight elevator
shaft. The elevator had just been in
stalled WorkInen were employed ad-
justing the mechanical apparatus it be-
ing intended to start the elevator today
The first any of us on the ground floor
knew of the fire was when a sheet of
fame leaped upward through the shaft
Every one at once rushed out through
the rear. There had been no explosion.
Almost instantly the flames spread
throughout the building and there was
no possible means by which the people
on the upper floors could escape except
by jumping
From the rear of the building all the
women and men employed in the cur
tain and drapery finishing department
in the seventh floor leaped to the
ground. All We're more or less injured.
from a window, fell astride of an avn
ing pole and her body was torn almost
in half. The corpse hung in the air
many minutes before the firemen could
recover it.
The dense smoke was responsible. .vf
the loss of some lives. Firemen stood
on the pavement with life nets spread
ready to catch those who jumped, but
both victims and life savers We're so
blinded they could not see one another.
Director of Public Safety English was
one of the first on the scene, directing
the work OF rescue. He expresses the
fear that many bodies are buried in
the center of the ruins and he believes
it will be days before all the bodies are
recovered
At ? o'clock reports from various
sources led Director English to estimate
the number of known dead at nineteen.
No attempt to search the ruins can be
stores of the city are located in the
neighborhood of the fire and there was
great excitement in all of these places
Until the walls of Hunt, Wilkinson &
Co establishment fell, it seemed certain
that no power could stop the spread of
the flames.
At John Wanamaker's store hundreds
of men manned the fire apparatus and
stood ready to battle with the flames,
that it was thought certain would at
tack the establishment Other stores or
dered the female employees to their
homes and the men got the books and
records to places of safety. The station
of the Philadelphia & Reading railway
at Twelfth and Market streets, one of
the largest in the country, was right in
the track of the fire and efforts of a
portion of the fire department We're di- |
rected to saving this structure. After |
the walls fell the flames subsidized and |
the surrounding property was saved.
MORE BODIES FOUND.
Shortly before O'Clock the men at |
work in the ruins unearthed four bodies |
that could not be identified. They were |
ia ken to the morgue. 1t was stated at |
o'clock that "a are known to be dead |
Only three have been identified as fol- |
lows:
SUSAN GORMLEY. aged AZ years,
died at hospital
FRED WHITTINGTON 80 years, /
died on way to hospital.
HENRY A. SHARSOW, died on way |
to hospital.
Missing: Dolly Cramer, supposed to !
be killed
INJURED
VIM Shields, assistant foreman of |
engine company No. II, blown off lad |
der; concussion of the brain. twenty
scalp wounds; condition critical
Joseph Toner, hose man of engine /
company No IS, inhaled smoke; Sc
riOuS.
At one hospital three men, a woman |
and boy lie unconscious and not yet |
Identified.
SCHLEY ACCEPTS.