The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-04-30
$4,000 LOSS.
Seymour Commission COmpany's
Building Damaged by Fire.
Blaze Started on Second Floor
From Electric Wires.
HEAT WAS INTENSE.
w. J. Mattern's Narrow Escape
From Burning to Death.
Was Rescued From a Window
Sill by Ladders.
HEAT WAS INTENSE.

At $50 Tuesday afternoon, fire was
discovered in the lumber room on the
second floor Of the Seymour Commission
company's new building at 200-202 North
Kansas avenue. Within hour, $15,-
600 worth Of damage had been done to
the building and stock. and one man. W.
J. Mattern, had a narrow escape from
burning to death in the blazing build
ing. It is supposed that the fire origin
ated from electric wires. and was car
ried up the elevator shaft from the sec
ond floor so that within five minutes,
the whole front Of the building was on
fire and the flames We're shooting out of
the roof and windows. It was only by
calling out the entire city fire depart
ment and directing five streams against
the blaze that the fire was confined to
the front part Of the building.
The loss on the building is covered by
insurance. Il F. Seymour, the proprie-
tor of the commission house, states that
about $50, 000 insurance was carried on
the building. It is believed that the
damage to the walls of the building is
not serious, and that by rebuilding the
floors and woodwork on the two upper
stories the building will be as good as
ever. The damage will be Immediately
repaired.
The Topeka fire department deserves
at this fire 1t was the hardest battle
the department has had to fight for
several years, and the fact that the ire
was confined to the front part OF the
building, and to the upper floors, is de
serving of all the commentator and
praise which was bestowed on the de-
partment by those who saw the fire.
The heat from the flames was intense
and could be felt by the people on the
streets a block away. It seemed that
the firemen would be forced to abandon
their positions on account of the flames
and smoke. The company from station
No was fighting the fire from the
second floor inside the building where
there was hardly any ventilation until
the windows were broken by the streams
Of water. It was piucky fight that No
made when it seemed that their stream
could make no effect upon the names
At the front of the building 35-foot
ladder was raised and a line was sent
up, the fremen fighting the fire through
the windows. On the roof at the rear
other lines were placed For time 1t
seemed that the fire was beyond control
but in a remarkably short space of time
the department had the flames checked
and confined to the front and upper
floors and then after steady work the
fire was extinguished.
The fire was discovered by Charles
Patterson. an employe at the seymour
plant, who went to the ice water tank
near the elevator shaft on the lower
floor to get a drink Nearly all the
workmen had left the building. Pat
terson thought he smelled smoke, and
jumped into the elevator and drew
himself up 20 the second floor. where
he could see the blaze He returned to
the first floor and turned in the fire
alarm Patterson and several other
men rushed back to the second floor OF
1 the building to fight the fire Among
| those who went was W j. Mattern, the
marble worker of North Topeka, who
| happened to be in the building at the
i time. Mattern went to work shutting
I down the windows, but so rapid was
/ the spread of the flames in the vast
/ amount of egg-case lumber that his
escape down the stairs or the elevator
was cut off. He soon appeared at a
| window and called for help. The
! flames burst into the room where he
! was, and Mattern climbed out and hung
to the window sill Meantime vain eff
| forts had been made to find a ladder
/ long enough to reach Nattern- Finally
| the men in the crowd below lifted the
! longest ladder available on theil
shoulders and Mattern was able tc
climb down.
The time of day was such that ar
enormous crowd gathered within few
minutes, and all the police available
/ We're rushed to the scene to hold thf
/ crowd in check. There We're thousands
| of people TnaSSed around the burning
/ building within a few minutes after the
I department arrived. Probably 5000 PEG
J pie were crowded into the streets ad-
| joining the building while the fire was
/ a its height. The police did good Wort
| in keeping the crowd back from inter
/ fering with the work of the firemen
| or from getting into danger. Th'
/ North Topeka cars were stopped fol
/ over an hour. Quite a number of vol
unteers We're selected from the by
ISLANDERS to help save some of the stool
/ of eggs from the building, and a large
| number of cases of eggs were carried
| out to places of safety.
The zrrp9t knees Of a FTOfoaI<a 5re
| department in the latter of ladders
t was illustrated by the fire of yester
day There are no ladders of greater
| length than 35 feet in the equipment O.
the department. In order to get a stream
of water to the roof of the Seymoul
/ building, 1t was necessary to climb frs
to the roof Of the engine house in tht
/ rear of the building, and thence to tht
! roof.
An aeriel truck such as Chief VII
/ marth has been vainly asking for fol
several years. would be a solution tt
! many of the difficulties which now con
front the department in fighting fires il
/ tail buildings The department alsC
needs a new hook and ladder equip
ment-
For the first time since the purchas,
Of the new two-and-t hree-Way delug,
pipes it was found advisable yesterday
to use them to extinguish the flames
The deluge pipes are large nozzles witt
several openings. which are designed fo
the purpose of throwing great volumes
of the stream. The deluge pipes die
good work at the fire yesterday after
| noon.
CHEF WILMARTH'S ACCOUNT.
Chief Wilmarth gives the following
graphic account of the fire: