The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-23

the floor. Twelve girls in his employ
made their escape. The injured are as
follows:
Julius Earnest, stock clerk for Fried
lander, hands and face burned.
John Stack, slightly burned.
Henry Bull, slightly burned
Walter Daveny, laborer, injured by
broken glass and burns about face.
Walter Sparker, face burned.
w. c. Preston.
John Sullivan.
J. B. Sullivan.
John Long.
T. Leonard.
George Mullat.
Fred Lynch.
John Stearns.
Louis Tremanne.
B. Smith, 60 years old, thrown down
areaway by crowd in street opposite
the fire, taken to hospital unconscious.
Two men, George Shmoore, a barber,
and Tony" a bootblack, climbed down
the fire escape from the nineteenth
floor of the temple.
DOWN THE FIRE ESCAPE.
When the knowledge of the fire
reached the barber shop everybody
made a rush for the elevators. They
were full. Persons were clambering
accidents unless the congestion was re-
lieved. Thereupon Ashmore and the
bootblack ran to the fire escape and
started to climb downward. Several
lAALCo, oolQ ASIiiIlOIO, dS we pdSS0Q ny
a window smoke rolled out in volumes
that threatened to suffocate US. But
we knew it was death if we lost our
hold and we hung on. We were mighty
glad when we reached the bottom"
For time it was feared that the
water which threatened to flood the
basement would put out the fires in
the boilers and thus stop the elevators
on which the many upper floors de-
pended for the safety. The drains
NIL 70 l1-Y.xy 10
water, however, and the elevators con-
tinued to run.
AS they passed the burning floor they
were subjected to great heat and the
smoke swept in thick volumes through
the elevator, seeking the windows at
the rear, which were helpful in clear
ing the air. The great rotunda shaft
with its runways for IA elevators, made
an ideal chimney for the escaping
smoke, and the elevator men NOR many
trips in succession were forced to
breathe the smoke laden air. Weak
and faint at their levers, however, they
aided in the escape of hundreds of peo-
pie.
LIKE CASABRANCE.
While men and women were fleeing
in wild confusion from the building,
Lieutenant Commander John F. Luby,
q. S. N, thundered 'sit down" as a
number of applicants for the navy who
were under examination before him in
The first duty of a sailor is to obey
orders he shouted.
GO on with the examination. The
building is fireproof.'
The men Obeyed. They remained at
their desks and while they did not at
tempt to answer the questions before
them they remained calm and cool until
the fire was over and other tenants be-
gan fiocking back to the building.
1. Friedlander, brother of the head of
the concern in whose quarters the fire
began, was checking up the days re-
ceipts when an employe shouted fire.
He made a dash for the street, but he
recalled that he had left $1,000 in the
drawer. Dampening a handkerchief he
placed it over his mouth and succeeded
in returning and getting the money.
Henry Martin. clerk in the offices
of Hirsch & Oppenheimer manufac-
of the company down the stairs after
they had placed their books in the safe
and locked the offices. Down seven
flights the employees walked, making
their wav as if in a fire drill. The act
is said to have quieted those rushing
down from behind them and prevented
injury to many in possible rush down
the stairs.
Among the concerns damaged by wa
ter and smoke are:
S. f. Gross & Co., real estate.
I. Schwartz & Co.
l. c. Davis & Co.
Woman's club.
Royal League, Knights of PythiaS
and other fraternal society lodges. Ow-
ing to the extraordinary precautions
adopted in constructing the building
the loss by fire. it is estimated, will
no texceed $4,000.