The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-26

ing was saved from the upper floors
Mayor Hleischman was present at the
scene of the FIRE
AS there are over 400 different losers,
it is impossible at present to estimate
the total loss. The fire was still burning
a o'clock with little prospect of con-
troll in the territory bounded by Vine,
Walnut Fourth and Baker streets, and
the loss was then estimated at over
three millions John keenan,. night
Watchman of the American Book com
pany. was caught by falling walls and
fatally injured
RESCUE OF JONES
The escape Of Will Jones, the we'll
known Cincinnati actor just before the
roof of the burning building fell, and
his rescue half dead from the top of the
building was a thrilling one. Jones'
presence Of mind, which led him to
throw his cuff into the street below and
thus make his whereabouts known
saved his life. When the fire broke out
Jones was asleep In the studio OF an
artist friend on the fourth floor. Awak-
ening suddenly, he was blinded and suf-
fOCated by the smoke. Outside in the
great air shaft the flames were shooting
up. How he made his way he does not
know. but by some instinct he found the
stairway leading to the roof. Upon
reaching the roof he fell over something
and was stunned. When he recovered
the flames were shooting through the
roof. He CraWled to the edge, but the
firemen in the street did not notice him.
He shouted himself hOarse. He took off
his cuff and wrote on it: i am on roof,
nearly dead from gas-Jones.'
He threw it to the ground and q re-
porter picked it up and located the
figure of a man standing outlined in the
sparks. Jones crept along the edge of
the rear of the building and there wait
ed for the fremen, who placed a ladder
across the alley from the telephone ex-
change building. Jones was carried
down and taken to the hospital.
BRAVE GIRLS.
The eight girls in the telephone ex-
change building across the alley from
the burning Pike building were badly
frightened. as the clouds of smoke
rolled about the building The exchange
rooms are on the top floor of q six story
building. For two hours they pluckily
stuck to their posts. When the flames
We're blazing in their windows they
were ordered out by the fremen- Later,
however. they returned to their calls
and when the large day force Of girls
came ON duty they fearlessly went to
the sixth floor for duty although the
fire ragged all around them
I The Pike theater building was totally
( destroyed by fire in 1865 and it narrow
/ ly escaped total destruction on March
/ 8. 1898. when there was Sunday mat
inee in progress but no lives were lost
in any of the fires The scenery and
+ costumes used by the Pike Stock com
pany during the season which was
( closed last Saturday night. valued at
$4,000, were stored in the opera house
The loss Of the Henrietta Crossman
company. which has been at the Pike
this week is over double that of the
Pike Stock company. The Season Good
building adjoining. a six story struc-
/ ture, was occupied by the Baltimore &
1 Ohio SOuthW WeStern railway on the first
floor and by numerous other tenants
including Richter & Phillips, wholesale
/ jewelers.. The loss of Richter & Phil
lips is very large. Among the losers
I are Artists John Ward Dunsmore
i Pena de Camp. Elizabeth c. Eekstein
and C. A. Meurer, whose studios were
lost with many valuable pictures.