The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-08-15
II ost Destructive Was the Re-
cent Parkhurst-D Davis Loss.
CITY ONCE WIPED OUT
In 1866 the Only Building in
Town Was Destroyed.
Many Firemen Have Been In
jured Fighting Flames.


stroyed by fire in 1856.
Perhaps you didn't know that Topeka
was once wiped off the map by a con-
fagration Not a single house was
left standing. It is only fair to state
that at this time there was only one
house in the town. It was a matched
rooted cabin, occupied by the founders
of Topeka during the winter of 1854
1855. In proportion to the size Of the
town, this was by far the most disas-
trous blaze that ever visited Topeka.
Since that time there have been few
bad fires. Topeka has been exception
ally fortunate. Not only that, but it
has taken exceptional precautions. 1t
has had paid fire department ever
since 1876. Ever since 1872, it has been
under the management Of the same
chief, George o. Wilmarth, who began
with the volunteer forces, and it has
improved in efficiency every year.
The most destructive fire by far that
ever visited Topeka was the one of
February ID, 1904, which wiped out the
Parkhurst-DaviS building and the Sells
building, besides damaging other ad-
Joining buildings. The damage done In
this fire amounted to 1872, 1928, and the
insurance was $235, % in addition to
which the Mccormack harvester people,
who sustained loss of $4,000, carried
what is called syndicate Insurance.,
the amount of which has never been
made public. The tremendous destruc-
ton of this fire was due to two causes;
first, the neglect OF the watchmen at
the building, who allowed the dre to
gain tremendc~SS Roadway; and second,
the breakdown at the waterWorks
pumping station, which left the water
company powerless to furnish water
for fighting the fire.
Next in rank to the Parkhurst-Davis
fire was the one which occurred on
February D. 1889, and destroyed the
~ II. kl1f r.
ing house which occupied the Keith
block at 814-S16 Kansas avenue. The
loss at this fire was $4,000 The fire
broke out at $50 a. M, and in spite or
intense cold and a high wind, it was
confined to the building where it origi-
mated. There was delay in turning in
the alarm of this fire, and when the
department arrived, the building was
ing boards a distance of seven blocks.
The fire originated in, the. waste paper
bin at the rear of the building, ana
went up the elevator shaft The origin
is a mystery.
In the only other 500, 600 fire In the
history of the city, George w. Crane
was again a sufferer, 1t was the nrst
time Crane had been burned out. He
was at the time occupying part OF the
Commonwealth building which stood on
the west side of Kansas avenue, be-
tween Seventh and Eighth. The fire
occurred at midnight on october ~,
lost everything, and the department
had hard work to keep the fire from
spreading to adjoining buildings Inc
total loss was $780, 900.
There has never been any heavy loss
of life in a Topeka fire. Take it from
the beginning, and good many nave
lost their lives because of fire, but not
more than two people have ever per-
iSh0d in the same fire.
The recent clothing store fire calls
to notice the fact that some OF the
worst fires in recent years have been
clothing store fires. The clothing
stores have always been well insured.
On October 16, 1898, Ettlinger burn
ed out with a loss of $4,000. On
March 81, 1895. Clements & Chafee
sustained a S20,9S7.45 loss. On Feb
ed out to the tune of $46,731.S1, and
now comes the Greenwald fire with
loss of perhaps $4,000. The official
records show that in the Clements &
wires. The origin of the other fires
is unknown.
From ten to twenty firemen are
more or less injured every year. Some
serious. AT nearly every bad fire,
where the department makes hard
fight, somebody is hurt. CHER VIII
marth, who always is to be found at
been repeatedly injured. Twice he
has had ribs broken. At the bad fire
in the Jewell building in March, 1881,
he fell through the roof, and was bad
ly hurt At the Davies lumber yard
ceived injuries which he says he
thought would be his "doxology." This
was one of the hottest fires the de-
partment ever had to fight The rub
Der coats of the fremen were scorch-
ed and bIistered. The men sustained
severe burns right through these gar
ments Chief Wilmarth tried to keep
his feet from getting hot by filling
his rubber boots with water but 1t
was a bad move. His feet were al
most boiled, and when he pulled his
boots off after the fire, portions of the
flesh came off with them. The ch1ef
was laid up for a month after this
fire. and his feet have never fully re-
covered from the dose they received
that night.
1t isn't always the worst" fire. from
the flreman's standpoint, which does
stopped every year by the depart
ment which would have developed into
terribly destructive CONGREGATIONS had
they not been discovered in time and
promptly handled. The "bad fire. in
the opinion of the firemen, is the one
which starts in a place where 1t is
hard to get at, or where 1T is liable TO
do very great damage.
fire by the damage it really does, and
the following list comprises practical
Iy all serious fires since the organ1za-
ton of the paid fire department of
Topeka:
September 18th, 1873, midnight
Warner and Co.'s hardware establish
ment, east side of Kansas avenue, be-
tween Sixth avenue and Seventh street,
old No. 210. Partially burned. Loss
$4,000.
October goth, 1873. midnight@G.
w. Crane & Co.'s printing and pub
fishing house and the Commonwealth
Printing company. occupying what was
known as the Commonwealth build
ing, on the west side of Kansas ave
nue., between Seventh street and
Eighth avenue, a three-story stone and
brick building. The fire spread