The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-24
CRAWFORD'S OPERA
HOUSE BURNED.
1continued fron Fac one.1


when Mrs. Roy Crawford heard that
the opera house was burning she start
ed for the scene but was overcome and
tainted when in front Of Stansheid' 3
drug store and. was taken to the home
of Mrs. Roy Johnston who was with her
at the time. Mr. and Mrs. Crawford
occupied apartments on the second floor
and most Of their effects we're in the
portion of the store which was destroy
ed by fire and their loss will probably
be complete.
Crawfords Lose Personal Effects.
While standing in front of his thea
ter While the blaze was belching
through the roof, and three lines of
hose under full pressure were hanging
over one ladder in the front, Roy CraW-
ford. one of the managers Of the
Crawford theater. said: THE interior
is gone. Everything in my rooms with
the exception of a few personal effects
belonging to myself and my wife is
either burned or water soaked. There
is not a thing to be said against the
fire service. The dremen are doing
the best they can, and have been since
the first alarm. Some of the men are
taking risks they should not, and I
wish they would come out Of that
front.
''All the insurance I know of is $22.-
600. L. NJ. Crawford, my father, at
tends to that. and I will not know for
sure what the insurance amounts to
until I hear from him.
Building a Total Loss.
Il should figure that the loss is about
rs per cent of the risk" said c. E.
Eldridge. manager of the Kansas Fire
Inspection bureau. 1T will be almost
total loss. The building will have to be
torn down. The walls have been greatly
weakened doubtless by the tearing away
Of the balconies and the falling in Of
some of the flooring. The walls were old
to begin with and this fire I should think
would about complete them. The water
pouring against them would further
weaken them. The building is too dan
gerous to risk rebuilding unless tie walls
are all torn down.
ssThe iron shutters to the south were
great aid in saving the Forbes hard
ware stock. If it hadn't been for them
the building on the south would have
caught fire too"
Theater Burned Once Before.
In 1881. shortly after the Crawford was
erected it suffered. severe fire which
DESTROYED the interior of the theater.
Previous to that a fire Of smaller pro-
portions broke out but was quickly put
out without serious damage
The Crawford was condemned as be-
ing unsafe after the IroQuois disaster
but was reopened after a number of al
teratfons and Improvements were made.
rendering 1t as fire proof as it was pos
sible to make the building.
The fire seems to have burned most
fercely at the south side Of the build
ing. The roof is blackened and burned
through but the rear and the front por-
ton of the building is largely saved.
The main dome of the auditorium was
burned completely out but the stage Is
intact and the offices and rooms are
uninjured except by water
That the fire did not extend to the
surrounding building IS entirely due Ia
the hard and successful fight waged by
the fire department.
Tsire1nen Have Narrow Escapes.
Three of the sfiremen Of No. 2 station
narrowly escaped instant death. Moni
MacC1ure, Gordon VoiIes and William
Cawker we're on the balcony just before