The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-10-26
TENEMENT HOUSE
SWEPT BY FLAMES
Two Hundred Persons Were
Caught in Building and
Many Killed.
MANY BURNED TO ASHES
BRAVE FIREMEN DO GREAT RES
CUE WORK-SOME OF TENENTS
LOSE WITS AND JUMP TO THE
GROUND.

Kansas City. Mo, Oct. 25.-In the
building in Kansas City, Kan, de-
stroyed by fire, there are anywhere
from hail a dozen to thirty bodies.
The actual loss of life will not be
known until a 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 building, used as a tenement
house and containing 100 rooms, held
as near as can be learned, between 100
and 200 people at the time the fire
broke out. Most Of these composed
families, many others were transients
whose names are unknown
The known dead: Robert Burton,
stonemason, burned in his room; in
FAINT of Mr. and Mrs. Anna A Sparks;
John Lynch driver of a sand wagon;
d. r. Young. 62. laborer.
The missing: Charles Carlin, engi-
necr of the Nelson Morris Packing
Co, who was i'll with typhoid fever;
Mrs. e. N. Brigham and her two chill
dren, Amos, aged Is, and Leota, aged
~; Patrick MCGUIRE, who lived on
third floor and had no occupation;
George Mullen. invalid. aged 60; Mrs.
Edward Winslow and two daughters,
Mabel, aged 9, and May, aged 4.
The fatally injured: J. F. Branahan,
wagon maker, elderly; an unknown
baby; w. j. Morley. Missouri Pacific
fireman.
The Chamber of Commerce building
was situated at Park and Central
streets in the Riverview district, Kan
sas City, Kas. It was at juncture
of the elevated railways two blocks
west of Kaw river and mile south
east Of what now is the business dis
trict OF Kansas City, Kas. 1t was
erected Il years ago at a cost OF $685.
900, TO be used as a board of trade.
The city grew away from it, however.
and was never ased for it's original
purpose, but for many years had been
occupied as an apartment house. The
STRUCTURE was four stories in height,
With a deep basement ard faced the
Two streets. 1t was built OF brick and
Stone alone.
The fire broke out on the ground
floor from some unknown cause, at an
early hour. Isolated as it was, the
burning building was difficult OF ac-
cess. When the firemen arrived the
entire building was in flames. So
quickly did the flames spread that
when a few minutes after the fire was
discovered all means of escape by the
stairways for the scores of occupants
was shut off. The firemen saw men
hanging from window stills on the up
per floors and frantic women with ba-
hes in their arms and children cling
ing to them. leaning far out from the
windows, unable to find any means of
escape, and yet taking advantage of
the little fresh air which the windows
afforded The firemen first devoted
themselves to the people on the sec
ond and third floors. and did not then
heed the screams of the people above.
Many of 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 unable to escape down the lad
ders, without assistance. After get
ting every one they could find out OF
the second and third floors, the fire.
men turned their attention to the peo-
pie above. But the ladders did not
reach above the third floor, and men
on the fourth floor literally pitched
their wives and children down to the
firemen on the ladders and then jump
ed down themselves Some of the
more excitabfe ones jumped to the
ground and were either killed or badly
injured