The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1906-10-27
DEATH IN BIG FIRE
From Six TO Thirty Persons Killed
In Kansas City, Kan.
TENEMENT HOUSE BURNED.
Hundred or More Sleeping When Blaze
BEGINS and All Escape Is Cut on
Before They Wake-Women Plunge
From Windows-Heroic Rescues.


BEGINS and All Escape Is Cut OH
Before They Wake-Women Plunge
From Windows-Heroic Rescues.
Kansas City. Mo, Oct. 26.-ln the
ruins of the Chamber Of Commerce
building I'm Kansas city, Kan. destroy
cd by midnight fire. are anywhere
from half dozen TO thirty bodies. nc
cordlng to estimates given out by the
0remcn. The actual loss of life WIN
not be known until thorough search
Of the ruins can be made, probably not
then. as some Of the fremen assert
that many bodies must have been
burned to ashes.
The Chamber Of Commerce building
was situated at Park and Central
streets. in the Riverview district a
milo southeast of what now Is the
business district of Kansas city, Kan
II was erected fourteen years ago nj
cost of $4,000 to be used rs a board
If trade. The city grew away from II.
however. and il WAS never used for It's
original purpose, but for many years
had been occupied rs an apartment
house
The negro iauitor OF the building the
only man who is able TO approximate
the number Of persons in the structure
when Il was destroyed. said there were
thirty families in the building number
ing over a hundred persons. lie al
mittcd that number Of translcnts
also occupied rooms in the building
but was unable to say how many oil
lhcSe there were.
Close to fifty persons are known To
hive been injured OF the injured,
scattered among half a dozen hospitals
and at private homes. twenty-five were
more or less seriously hurt. Two or
three OF these at least Will die
The fire broke out on the ground
floor from some unknown cause. lso-
lated as it was the burning building
was difficult Of access. and 1t was
some time before the fire department
reached the scene. Several companies
were AT n fire in another pnrt OF the
city.
All Means Of Escape Cut OF.
So quickly did the flames spread that
few minutes after the fire was
discovered all means Of escape by the
stalrways for the scores Of occupants
were shut or.
When the hremen arrived AT the
burning building they saw men hang
ing from window stills on the upper
floors and frantic women with babies
in their arms and children ciincing to
them leaning far out from the win
dows The fremcn quickly ran their
ladders up. but they did not reach
above the third floor. Many persons
were on the floor above. The iiremen
first devoted themselves to the second
and third floors and ala not then heed
the screams of the persons above
Many of those in the interior Of the
building were already overcome by the
dense smoke and bad 10 be carried ont
bv the fremen. but many were able
10 escape down the ladders without as
sistance.
The men on the fourth floor literally
pitched their wives and children down
10 the firemen Oh the ladders and then
Jumped down themselves Some Of the
more excltable ones jumped TO the
ground and were either killed or badly
injured. Some whom the tiremen tried
TO catch fell the entire distance TO the
ground.
Frank Otter a mail clerk jumped
from the fourth floor and caught hold
Of ladder two stories below. Although
be saved himself he broke all Of the
fingers of both hands
Dropped Wife From Fourth Floor
Jesse Ford. laborer, carrying his
wife In his arms. climbed out Of the
fourth floor. lie walked along a beam
until he reached a point directly over
n firemans ladder and then dropped
the woman to a fireman below. The
fireman caught her and passed her
safely to the ground. Ford then went
back and got his nine-months-o baby
and saved it in like manner. He
then Jumped himself and was caught
by a fireman.
II. G. Wilson was one Of the first
persons on the fourth floor to get the
attention of the firemen He appeared
at a window directly above a ladder
and dropped his baby down to FIRE
man. Wilson then dropped his wlfo
down. and she was saved. and he fol
lowed, escaping serious injury.
John LynCh grabbed the baby Of
John Sparks and jumped with it and.
with the child, fell in the burning de
bris below. Both disappeared and were
killed.
Another baby thrown from one OF
the upper windows was caught by n
fireman injured.
The fire interrupted street ear traffic
on the elevated road, and a mOtorman
whose car stood Just opposite the burn
ing building said he saw five or six
persons in the upper floors struggling
to escape. and he is certain all of them
succumbed to the smoke and toppled
over into the ruins.
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