The semi-weekly messenger., 1906-10-30


500 Persons Were in the Building
When the Fire Occurred and Many
| are Unaccounted for - Financial
| Damage is Estimated at 100000.
Kansas City, Mo-, October 25.-In the
ruins of the chamber OF commerce
building in Kansas City, kas., Destroy
ed by fire early today, there are any
twhere from half a dozen to thirty
bodies, according to estimates given
out by firemen. The actual loss of life
will not be known until thorough
search of the ruins can be made, prob
ably not then las some of the fremen
assert that number of bodies must
have been burned to ashes. The build
ling, used as a tenement house and
containing 100 rooms, held as near as
can be learned. between 200 and 800
persons at the time the fire broke out
at 1:30 O'Clock. Most of these compos-
ed families. many others were tran
scients whose names are unknown. Of
1.-THE injured, scattered among half a
dozen hospitals and at private homes,
I25 were more or less seriously hurt.
Two or three of these at least will die.
! The known dead:
| J. F. BRANAHAN.
| THE INFANT of Mr.. and Mrs. John
A. Sparks.
JOHN LYNCH. driver of sand
wagon, lost his life trying to save
SPARKS baby.
| D. R. YOUNG, aged 62, laborer.
| The missing: Charles Carlin, engi-
neer of the Nelson Morris packing
company, who was i'll with typhoid
fever.
Mrs. E. M. Brigham and her two
children, Amos. aged II and Leota,
aged 12.
Patrick Mcclure. who lived on the
third floor and had no occupation.
George Mullen, invalid, aged 60 years
Mrs Ed Winslow and two daughters,
Mabel. aged and May aged 4 years.
Edward Winslow, whose wife and
1.-TWO children are previously recorded
las unaccounted for.
Mrs. Eliza Harris. a widow.
The total financial damage is esti-
lmated at 100000. Of this amount
1850, 900 was On the building, which was
lowned by w. A. Bunker The building
Twas insured for $4,000.
The chamber of commerce building
Twas situated at Park and Central
istreets, in the river view district of
kansas City, Kas. The structure was
flour stories in height, with a deep
basement and faced the two streets.
1T was built of brick and stone alone.
1T contained one hundred rooms, al
Imost all Of which were. as far as can
ibe learned, occupied by families or in
[dividual laboring men Or railway en-
ployees at the time the fire started.
The ground floor was occupied by w.
A. Lovelace's barber shop; Edward T.
ISummers drug store; Central avenue
Igas fixture company; Mrs. Belle Wag-
lner, restaurant; the Smith overall
laundry, and the Labor Record
, The fire broke out on the ground
floor from some unknown cause. When
the firemen arrived the entire building
was in flames. So quickly did the
Flames spread that within a few min
lutes after the fire was discovered all
means of escape by the railway for
scores of occupants, was shut off. On
two sides of the building the elevated
railway tracks hemmed it in, and made
Istill harder the work of the fremen.
Then another obstacle arose. The fire.
men did not have sufficient ladders and
many of those they had were too short
to reach the upper stories. A sitting
smoke filled the building. The fire
men quickly ran their ladders up, but
they did not reach above the third
floor. Many persons were on the floor
above The firemen first devoted
themselves to the people on the second
land third floors and did not then heed
the screams of the people above. Many
lOf the persons in the interior Of the
building were already overcome by the
dense smoke, and had to be carried out
by the firemen. But many were able
to escape down the ladders without as
sistance. After getting everyone they
jcould find out Of the second and third
floors. the firemen turned their atten.
ltion to the people above. AS the lad
lders did not reach above the thirC
floor. the men ON the fourth floor lit
Ierally pitched their wives and chill
Idren down to the iremen on the lad
Iders and then jumped down them
selves. Some of the more excitablt
Iones jumped to the ground and wer'
either killed Or badly injured.
The fire interrupted street traffic OF
the elevated road. and motormaI
whose car stood just opposite the burn
ing building said he saw five or ST,
ipersons in the upper floors struggling
Ifrantically to escape and he is GER
tain all of them succumbed to tht
smoke and toppled over into the ruins