Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-10-25
TOday's Telegraphic News
TERRIBLE DISASTER.
A Number of Persons Perish In Fire
Fifty Bjured-Thrilling scenes.

A Number Of Persons Perish I'm Fire
Fifty Injured-ThrilIing Scenes.
Kansas City, Kas., Oct. 25-Fire
which burned to the ground early today
the Chamber of Commerce and large
apartment house adjoining is believed TO
have caused the death of at least twenty
FIVE persons. 1t is expected that their
bodies will be found in the ruins. In
addition fifty persoDs are reported in
jured, several of them 50 seriously that
it is feared they will die.
Twenty-Five persons are known to
have been huddled on the roof or col
lected on the fourth floor of the apart
meut house, when the walls suddenly
crumbled and The building collapsed like
house of cardboard The estimate of
the dead is based upon this fact, and the
lat of the missing. Every one left in
the building was carried down in the
ruins and not one is known to have
escaped.
The fire started on the first floor of the
Cham err Of Commerce building, and
spread rapidly in all directions. In the
adjoining fat house lived sixty families,
embracing over 200 persons. The fire
spread to this structure, first catching
on the ground floor, thus cutting of
escape.
All the occupants of the apartment
house were asleep. Many aroused by
the cry of fire, and finding their escade
to the street blocked by the flames, rushed
to the roof. There was mad scramble
to places of supposed safety, Women
carrying children in their arms and men
loaded down with valuables hastily caught
up fought their way to the roof Soon
every available inch of room was occu-
pied. The stsirways were crowded and
those who could go no higher crowded
into the rooms on the fourth floor.
When the fremen arrived the entire
building was blazing mass. Fire lad
ders were raised, but they did not reach
above the third floor. Many persons
who dared to venture back to that floor
we're carried out. Some, crszed by fear
jumped from the top floor or the roof to be
picked up bleeding and injured. Firemen
pushed their way through the burning
buildings and brought out several who
had fallen unconscious in the smoke
filled halls or had been overcome before
getting out of their apartments. Heroic
rescues occurred in several cases.
On the fourth floor Mr.. AID Mrs. b.
G. Wilson, with their infant child, were
cut off from escape. Mrs. Wilson jump.
ed toward the firemen on the ladder, be-
low The first man broke her fall, aud
others we're able to seize her and she was
got down in safety. Wilson, carrying
his babe in his arms, followed her in the
mad leap. He, too, was saved.
Frank Betar, another occupant of
fourth floor apartment, jumped before
the firemen we're ready. He caught the
rung OF ladder aud every finger on both
hands was broken. The fremen, how
ever, succeeded in catching him.
While efforts were being made to reach
the frightened occupsntsof the roof, the
walls suddenly crumbled. The fire had
eaten out the interior of the building
and, with mighty crash, the walls went
down. There were frantic shrleks from
the crazed men and women on the roof
as it sagged benesth them and then sunk
into the blazing pile.
A few on the edges OF the roof jumped
For the majority, however, there was 40
escape. Their dying shrieks we've drown
ed in tie louder crash of the falling
walls and roof.
Search OF the ruins will be begun as
soon as they cool sufficiently. 1t is
feared many bodies have been utterly
consumed so that it may be impossible
70 even learn the number of killed.
At the hospital where the injured were
conveyed, it was said several of the
victims could not recover and their
death will add to the list of fatalities
A later dispatch says thirteen persons
are still unaccOunteJ for.