The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-03

for a can of gasoline and carry it into
the restaurant. In a moment Baker
noticed the strong odor Of gasoline, ana
he went into the building to see what
was the trouble. He found the flames
leaping through the skylight from the
first floor. The slkylight was on FIRE to
the roof, and the flames were spreading
to the rooms adjoining the light SHAFT
He awakened his wife and Mrs Dun
and ran to the rear room adjoining the
light shaft where his children We're
asleep. When. he reached there the
flames had burst through the window
and the bed in which they were asleep
was on fire. He carried them out
through the hallway to the rear stairs,
his wife and Mrs Duff following him.
When he had carried them to place
of safety he ran back up the stairs in
hopes of saving some Of his property
but the flames drove him back.
John McBee, the hackman. saw the
flames from across the street and drove
to the fire department headquarters
and gave the alarm. The headquarters
are about block away and line was
quickly laid by hose company No.
and the hose taken into the building.
The heat and smoke were intense and
almost drove the firemen from the
building but they did not leave until
the fire on the first floor had been
checked. Then Chief Wilmarth direct
ed them to take the line into the Sec
to the roof of the building with sec
ond line and the stream was directed
through the skylight onto the fire.
The fire was in a particularly dan
gerous locality, in the center of close
ly built business block. The flames
were confined to the building where
they started and in Is minutes after
the department arrived were brought
under control.
The fire was started by gasoline
T,r7--~, -
mott, the night waiter, returned with
the can of gasoline to fill the heater to
the coffee urn, which was in the center
of the room. he saw flames leaping up
around the urn. He says he set the
can of gasoline on the floor and ran to
the urn to turn off the gasoline He
turned it off but the fire had caught
the wood work and was spreading. He
then ran to turn in an alarm by means
of a messenger call box.
It is probable that the can of gasoline
that ne placed on the floor tipped over
and the gasoline spread over the room
for in an instant after he ran for the
box in the front of the room the flames
We're spreading rapidly over the entire
restaurant and he could not get back to
the rear part. All the tables chairs,
counters, ice box and sideboards in the
restaurant We're on fire. The under side
of the tables and chairs were burned
the most, which indicates that the
can of gasoline was upset and spread
over the floor All the woodwork in the
air shaft was on fire and the woodwork
in the Railways and rooms Of the second
floors and the furniture was on fire but
the blaze was extinguished before they
were consumed. The salvage will be
considerable as the large cases of goods,
boxes and trunks were burned only on
the outside. Only the woodwork of the
building is injured. Mr.. Baker had $500
IN bills in one of the rooms where the
fire was the hottest. The money was
consumed
Jonathan Saxton is the owner of the
building and had it fully insured
SECOND GASOLINE FIRE.
The fire department was called short
" after nine o'clock this morning to the
home of S. D. BedWell, 1928 Byron ave-
nue.. Mrs. BedWell was dIlinga gasoline
stove with a can that leaked. The
burners on the stove were lighted and
fire started from the gasoline dripping
from the can The blaze was extinguish-
ed with $25 damage.