The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-11-17
FIRE BOYS ARE
MET WITH CHEERS
Wichita Department Goes TO
the Aid of Newton.
THEIR AID WAS NEEDED
Arrived in Time TO Relieve
Worn Out Fire-FighterS,
THEIR AID WAS NEEDED

Yesterday morning at .1:so the central
telephone exchange here received a rush
message from Newton to the effect that
The city was battling with the worst fire
in IT'S history, and after almost super
human efforts on the part Of the local
department. and nearly the whole city
gf volunteers in bucket brigades, it look
td as though the entire business portion
81 She city was doomed, ard an appeal
90 Wichit8's fire department was made
Tor Immediate help. Almost one solid
block just east of Main street and north
OF the Santa Re deTOt was then destroyed
End the flames and fVing cinders Were
lhreatcnips the adjoining blocks. At
rnce Ere Chief Walden was telephoned
through The local alarm service, and at
The same time Yard Master ". ii.
hubert. Of the Santa Fe, vas notified,
End in the same length OF time It re-
quires the local department to make
run anywhere jE the city the crews and
apparatus Of station number enc were
ia motion and rushing for the depot
Already TWO fiat cars had been hurriedly
lacked down 10 the yard docks and made
seacy. No more zeal or energy or loyal
Efforts could or ever were put forth By
cur finely disciplined and able fire de-
partments in q local fire than were made
Icy the efficient chief and his assistants
for the stricken sister city. Very soon
The steamer "Ahrens No r. was wheel
al up the chute and made fast By spikes
and heavy timbers, the coal and ldndlings
al made ready. and the engineer and
Assistant Chief All BrCwueu at their
posts Then the chemical and one hose
wagon were quickly loaded In Il side
rau coal cor and the six big, nervy
1ITrefu fftH i'm "a hr- f1 tvf %
harness on and man at the head of
each. With Wichita and Western en-
CINE and crew and Yard Master Hubert
in charge the special pulled ont amid
loud cheers and best wishes from ham
oreds of citizens who had gathered to
see the dramatic episode a Santa j'e
coach was attached to the rear, IN which
we're Gerald Folk. Elmer Reese, Clyde
Maxwell. Mr. II T. Ahrens who repre-
SCENTS the big steamer manufacturing
company at Cincinnati: Chief Walden,
Eardmaster Hubert, and c. l.. Bigeiow-
Through Sedgwick, Valley Center and
Putnam the train sped without a stop.
aud many miles away from the unfortu
nate city the anxious party viewed the
clouds OF black smoke which told the
llgubTiuus tale. lie after mile was left
iehinG, and then between long lines of
houtirg welcoming citizens at Newton
The train pulled in and at once sought q /
tttlti8 nearest the burning DGLLlIl OF
the city. At the docks the party was
met by the mayor Of the CITY, who hur-
redly informed Chief Walden that il
was believed that the local department /
had TIE fire under control. ana perhaps
the Wichita departments need not unload /
their apparatus. While this hurried in /
formation was being gwen the alert boys /
from Number one had already torn /
open The doors 10 the box car and all the /
siN FESTIVE horses We're lined up on the /
platform ready for business, ana the /
l.g steamer was fired ard made ready. I
The mayor and Newtons fire chief said 4
that the most they needed right then was /
fresh lircmeE and relief FOR the almost 4
Shausted local department, and also I
that Chief Walden should at once confer I
with the local chief up i'm the burning
district and give his opinion OF the situ-
alton. AT once tho Wichita boys threw
themselves iuto the harness, and their
hose was soon in the Newton wagon and /
icing stretched from hydrants and laid
mp TO the smoking ruins. while the F
fte3mer was uuloaded and attached TO a /
hydrant and commenced business in {
prompt manner.
TIE fire was started about II o'clock in I
The yards of the Newton Lumber com 4
pany. Several men were drawing tar
from two barrels. ana She liquid being
colo flowed too slowly. and one of the
St 20 the buns-holc OF one OF the lar
rels. when The confined gas escaped. and
being .gnlted, at once exploded with a
noise nea1d all over the city Soon the
entire yards We're in flames which were
communicated to the adjoining coal yards
OF the Lynch Coal company ana both
these being highly cCmbustible. the COM
fagration soon assumed "a most grave
situation The trree-story, new brick
block occupied by Duff * Dur furniture
next caught FIRE, and the two upper
floors were completely destroyed and the
main floor badly damaged bv fire and
smoke and the whole block guttcd This
stock into this building, and they are the
heaviest losers. McAiannus Bros dry
goods house also caught fire in the rear
three times. bus this was finally put cut
The First National Bank building was
also caught in the flames. ard the OIL
Gals promptly removed all their books.
fixtures, ana valuable papers out and
locked the building. q. r. Toilets hard
ware store was also badly damaged. as
was the Vienna restaurant ana the Aud
.tcrum. The flames were finally eNtin-
SuisheG in the two latter places. The
Newton Lumber compary's Yards, the
coal yards of The Lynch company. and
the furniture house OF Dun * Dun We're
all completely DESTROYED. and other firms
end property owners also suffered Sc
Vcrely. Many families were living In the
upper stories Of the Dum building. and
some few managed to set their furniture
moved our into the streets
The ire water pressure was most Of
The time very weak. So much so that no
stream could be made 90 reach above the
second floors. The wins was IN the south.
q most fortunate circumstance. nr else
The Santa re depot. hotel and adjoining
oioths ma>t surely have been wiped cut