The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-25
MIDNIGHT FIRE.
Old Chamber Of Commerce Build
ing in Kansas City, Han.
Burned to the Ground With
Much Loss Of Life.
WAS FULL OF PEOPLE.
Had Been Used as a Tenement
House for Many Years.
Fire Service Was Poor and
Ladders Were Short.
BABIES Thrown OUT.
Tenants Jumped From Third
and Fourth Floors.
Some Escaped by Means Of
: Ropes and Fire Escape.
BABIES THROWN OUT.
Tenants Jumped From Third
and Fourth Floors.
Some Escaped by Means Of
Hopes and Fire Escape.

Kansas city. no. Oct. 25-The cham
her Of commerce building IN Kansas
City. Kan. was destroyed by ire early
today. In the ruins there are any
where from half a dozen to so bodies
according to estimates given out this
morning by hremen who had worked at
the scene al night. On the other hand
Assistant Fire Chief Lind this morning
insisted that the dead would not reach
over six
The actual loss Of life VIII not be
known until a thorough search Of the
ruins can be made, probably not then,
as some of the hremen assert that
many bodies must have been burned to
ashes The building used as a tene-
ment house and containing 100 rooms,
held as near as can be learned. between
200 and 300 persons at the time the IRE
broke out al 1890 Most OF these COM
posed families, many others we're tran
sientE- whose names are unknown The
only person who knows the actual mum
Der OF occupants of the building is the
5anitor. who is missing and believed to
be under the great mass OF debris that
IS piled high inside the bare walls of
the destroyed structure
1t was the custom for many Of the
transients, who came mostly from the
nearby railroad yards, not to register.
and thus all trace Of them is lost for
the time being Only a thorough search
of the ruins, that may take days, and
an exact accounting of the missing will
finally reveal the extent of the catas-
tro1he-
At O'Clock this morning the known
dead numbered four. Several persons
are missing and close to SO others are
known to have been injured. OF the
Injured scattered among half a dozen
hospitals and at private homes, % were
lose sarfr71r7v TTx-r rr
three of these at least will die.
The Known Dead
The infant son of Mr.. and Mrs John
A. Sparks
JOHN LYNCH, driver of a sand
wagon; lost life trying to save Sparks
baby
d R YOUNG. aged 60. laborer.
J. F. BRANAHAN, wagonmaker.
killed by jumping from third floor
The Missing.
Charles CaTlin, engineer for Nelson
Morris Packing company, who was III
with typhoid fever
Mrs. M E Brigham and her two chill
dren, Amos, aged IS and Leota. aged 12
Patrick MCGUIRE who lived on third
floor and had no occupation
George Mullin, invalid, aged so years
Mrs E D. Winsl0w and two daugh-
ters. Mabel, aged 9, and May. aged 4
Edward Winslow, whose wife and two
children were previously recorded as
unaccounted for
Mrs Eliza Harris 2 widow
The Injured
Robert Burton a stonemasou
George Sparks lived On second floor.
hands and face burned
Mrs George Sparks, hands neck and
face burned
A. H West aged IS. carpenter at
Missouri Pacific shops; roomed alone
on fourth floor. face. neck and hands
severely burned
Thomas Hunter. blacksmith, bruised
and overcome by smoke
Patrick Morley, railway laborer, hip
broken
Captain J. E. Buchhalter. fireman
back hurt by falling ladder.
NJ Il Mccall, railroad laborer,
bruised and cut
Thomas Connor, engineer: ESCAPED
from third floor on fire escape; face
and hands burned.
Alexander McCam bridge, engineer.
bruised and burned
John Kane. engineer: burns.
william Mulvahiu. train dispatcher
Missouri Pacific; burns.
Arthur Childers. policeman knocked
from ambulance by wire and run over;
serious.
Emmett Scott arm broken, face and
head bruised.
J. F. Branahan wagoDna her bott,
legs broken by jumping from third
dooF.
J. K. Sanko, packing house emplove.
bruises and burns
Mrs. Mary sanko, bruised by fall
from fire escape.
Edward Bayless. slight
W. J. Morley. fireman Missouri Pa
cihc; jumped from third story; leg
broken.
Fred Creel, reporter. cut on head bv
falling brick.
Frank Ditar, swung to ground from
1oufth moor with aid of rope; hurt in
ternally. an
4 J. Jackson, laborer. slight.
Mrs. J. H. Rose. wife ~ NFisso,,-i
Pacific hostler; hands burned bv sli5-
ing down rope from fourth floor
Unknown babe, fatally hurt. dronoa5
from second floor to policeman 10
failed to catch her.
E. o. Earnhart foreman Fvon-le,.
packing house; hands badly burned Nv
sliding down rope from third sfor,~
s H McCauley. Missouri Fsc;fso
fireman. cut by glass.
Frank Otterman, railway mail CLERK.
cut and bruised. "A .
History of Building
The Chamber of Commerce b.,;1zs,,,
was situated at Park ana fSere+,s5 s,e---S
streets IN the Riverview district of
Kaneas City, Kan. Tt was at q i,,nc-
ton Of the elevated railroads.tvvo bioc1-s
west of the KaW river and mile so,7tI1-
east Of what now is the business district
of Kansas city, Kan. 1t was erected *
years ago, at q cost of SIS. 900 to be 1Iseg5
as a board Of trade. The city grew 4avva,,
from It, however, and it was never used