The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-07
MENACED BY FIRE
Big knights & Ladies of Secur-
ity Building Damaged.
Good Work of Department Pre-
vents Serious COntlagratiOn.
BURNED A LONG TIME.
Started in Security News Room
on Seventh Street.
Robinson & Marshall and ZeiS
Stocks Damaged.
Water Pressure Above Require
ments All the Time.

saved by the fast work of the Topeka
fire department this morning in a fire
which threatened to consume the big
Knights and Ladies of Security build
ing at Seventh and Kansas avenue. The
fire was discovered about 2:45 in the
small room used by the Security News
company, under the stairway which
leads into the building from Seventh
street. 1t was burning furiously, and
in all proba bility had been burning for
some time.
The fire department hit the fire first
with chemicals. and then with one
stream of water. There was no trouble
with the water pressure. 1t was be-
tween 40 and 120 pounds throughout
the fire In few minutes the fire was
under control. 1t was confined to the
one room, but there was heavy damage
to the Robinson. Marshall and Burg
Zeis clothing stocks because of the
dense smoke which poured into those
rooms.
The origin of the fire is unknown. 1t
was probably from cigarettes or cigars
thrown carelessly into some infiammable
material. 1t had been burning SO long
that the heavy joists under the floor
were almost burned through. The lit
tie news room has been a resort for
lot of cigarette smoking boys who have
prematurely escaped from their moth
er's care.
1t is not known who discovered the
fire first, and reported it by telephone
to the fire department headquarters. 1t
was not the policeman on that beat. He
! knew nothing about it until the depart
ment came out.
The stock of the Security News COM
pany was totally destroyed. The stock
/ is owned by Harper Rigby, a nephew of
/ by stated that the stock was worth $100
and was insured Tor 500. He also
stated that the fixtures were insured
for $25, but that he was not the owner
The damage 20 the building was
about $500. AS there is $4,000 insur-
ance on the building, this loss is pretty
we'll covered.
Next door to the Security News COM
pany is the Grubbs Piano company. A
stone wall separates these two rooms,
and this is what retarded the spread
of the fire. There is an arch connect
! ing the two rooms, but 1t was closed
by a window The only damage to the
Grubbs stock was by smoke. There was
no insurance on this stock.
Had the fire burned a few minutes
| longer it would have burst up through
the floor into the two big clothing and
furnishing stores, and might have
caused much greater damage than it
did. 1t came so close to it that the
baseboards at the rear of the Zeis
store were badly Scorched, and past
board boxes standing next to the base
boards were blistered and backened by
heat and smoke.
All goods in the Robinson, Marshall
& Co. stock and the Zeis stock which
were exposed were damaged by the
goods. Everything in the stock was
| scented by the smoke and thereby
damaged somewhat. Each store has
clerks at work this morning picking out
all goods which show smoke stains.
These goods the insurance companies
will probably take off their hands. and
dispose of in a lump to some other
concern.
J. w. Robinson, of the firm of Rob
inSon & Marshall, said today: Our
loss will run up we'll into the hundreds
of dollars. We can't tell how much it
will be, but you can say this for sure.
Robinson & Marshall will not have a
/ fire sale That is not in our line. We
will get rid of our damaged goods just
as quickly as we can. We will carry
nothing but the very best stuff Our
loss is fully covered by insurance, and
it is only for the adjusters to say how
much there is coming to US. We only
expect the value of the damaged goods.
The adjuSterS are now at work..
Il want to say that the fire depart
ment did splendid work to stop this
their work that they should stop 1t
so quickly, and without using enough
water to do any damage by water
J. B. Kirkpatrick, president of the
knights & Ladies of Security who OWL
ihe building says: I'VE have $780, ,06(
insurance on the building, and so viii
lose nothing. 1t was a close call fol
us, though, and I want to compliment
the fire department for their fine
work.
Charley F. Hardy. president of Tho
Kansas Fire Protection association
who was the one who appointed the
committee which made the investiga
ton and report on the condition of the
WaterworkS, occupies an office direct
: ly above where the fire occurred. Tht
smoke was so dense in that suite of OF
fices that it discolored the STATIONERY
! which happened TO be lying exposed
Mr.. Hardy said today:
"Chief Wilmarth deserves gred
| credit for the way he stopped thd
: fire. He did it without using Yer!
8 much water. and thus the water dam
age amounts to nothing. That is on
of the characteristics of the way VIII
t marth fights fires: he make special
tv of his chemicals and can stop an!
t ordinary fire with chemicals alone. Tn
5 fire insurance men have never foun'
any fault with Wilmarth and the To
+, peka fire department.
Charles Wood, proprietor OF the Ma
2 tional hotel says that he believes tn
!, fire in the Security building had beel
. burning for several hours before 1t wa
discovered The fact that the room wa
tightly closed prevented any draft !
hasten it, Mr.. Wood says that abou
: / o'clock in the morning, the people /
= the hotel smelled smoke, and one Q
!: them declared that there was fir
somewhere. They looked through tn