The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-10-31
Fearful Tenement House Fire ia
Kansas City Thursday.
FLAMES KILL MANY.
ladders Could Only Reach Third Story
aud Mer Living in the Fourth
Story Threw Their Wives and
Children Out aud Then
.Iumped.

ll g1e Iu1lS CT Gle OlanOsi o.
Commerce building In Kansas City,
Kan., destroyed by fire early ThurS-
day, there are anywhere from half g
dozen to thirty bodies, according to
estiraates given tut by frsmsn.
The actual loss Of life will no5 be
known until z thorough search OF the
ruins can be made. probably not then,
81 some Of ths irenea assert that e
number OF bodies muss ns7s besD
burped to ashes. The building, usec
IS tsneGans house and containing
100 rooms, held, ss near as can be
iss.ned, between 200 and 500 person
al tie time the fire broke Ont, a. 1890
o'clock.
MosJ OF thess composed families,
many others 4e1e transient, whoss
nanes are unknown. OF the injured
scattered among half dcZ5n hcspis.
ais ard at private homes, twenty fVs
were more or less seriously hurt. Tso
OF three OF these at lesst will die.
The Chamber Of Connsrce build
ing vas situated al Park and Central
stfaets, IN the RlVsr Vlsw distrlc5 OF
Kansas City, Kan. TIE structure
:ss four stories lo height with deep
easement and faced the two streets
1t Wss Guilt Of biick and sscre alone.
" contained cae hundred roons, a..
most all Cf Wnicn wece, as 1sr es can
be learneo, occupied cy fa1iliss OF ic.
diYiduzl labofing meo or railway en-
ployees au the tiGe ice frs started.
Tie ground fcor *ss ocauoi%d by
W. a. Lovelace's barber shop, Ed aaTc
T. Summers drug s1ore. Csatr&l AV-
enue Gas Fixturs Company, Mrs. Be lie
Wagner, restaureas; 5as Smith Over
all Laundry sad tee Labor Rscord.
The fire broke OUT on tLs gr unG
floor from some unknown Cause.
When ahe ffemen arrived the entire
building wss il fumes. So quickly
did the devouring himas spread taat
when, few minutes after the Gre Es7
discovered, al means OF escape by tie
stair ways. for the scores OF occupants
was shut OF.
On two sides OF the building tae
elevated railwsy tracks hsmmed Ii in
and made still harder the work OF 1he
fremen. Then another obstacle arose.
phe frenen did not have sufac:enS
ladders, and May OF those they BAD
were too short to reach tns upper
stories. a sitting smoke: filed the
building. The 6remen quickly ran
their ladder up, bus they did not
reach above ths third floor. cManJ
persona were On the foor above:
The frsmsn frst dsVosed than.
selves TO ina psople on the second
snd third floors and did not th5r
hssd tha screams Of the people above.
Many Of the persons in the inEsrio;
OF the building ware already over
come by tie dsnsa smoke anc hac
to be carried out by the fireman
But many Were able to escape doTr
sne ladders witnou5 assistance.
After getting every one they coulc
find OUT OF the second and thizd floor;
the irenen turnsd their attention tt
tie psopie above. As the ladders dit
not Issch above the third floor th'
man on the fourth dooI litersll.
pitched their wives and cnildsa,
down to the 6remen on the ladder
and thsn jumped down themsel7es
Some OF the more eXcitsble one
jumped to the ground and were 9th
e1 killed OF badly injured.
The fire interrupasd> street trafh
on tee elevated road and a motor
man whose car stood just opposit
Une burning building said he saw Nv
CT six persons struggling franticsll
to escape, and he Is certsin I'll G
them succumbed TO the snosk an
vopplad over into the ruins.