The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-10-25
SHOCKING LOSS
OF LIFE BY FIRE
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Kas.. VINO estimates his loss at $780,
900
Several persons who were more or
less severely burned, while some were
Injured by jumping from the upper
floors OF the building. Arthur Chill
ders, a policeman, was knocked from
an ambulance by a wire and run over.
His condition is serious.
An unknown babe was fatally hurt by
being dropped from the second floor TO
policeman, who failed 10 catch IT,
The Chamber OF Commerce building was
situated at Park and Central streets. In
the Riverview district of Kansas City
Kas.. and was erected IA years ago al
cost OF ss5.0 900 TO be used as a board or
trade The city grew away from Il, how
ever, and IL was never used for It's orig
insl purpose. but for many years had
been occupied as an apartment house.
The structure was four stories In height,
with a deep basement. II was built OF
brick and stone.
II contained one hundred rooms, al
most all OF which were, as far as can be
learned occupied by families or indlvid-
ual laboring men or railway employees at
the time the fire started. The ground
floor was occupied by several business
concerns The fire broke out on the
ground floor from some unknown cause at
the firsmen reached the scene.
When the hremen arrived. the entire
building was In flames. so quickly did
the flames spread that few minutes af-
ter the fire was discovered all means OF
escape by the stairways was shut of. on
two sides of the building elevated tracks
hemned Il in Then another obstacle
arose. The firemen did not have sufficient
number OF ladders and many OF these that
they had were too short to reach the up
per stories. stiflng smoke filled the
building and some OF the occupants prob
ably were mover able 10 leave their rooms
The fremen found men hanging from
window sills on the upper floors and
frantic women with babies In their arms
and children clinging to them. leaning far
our from the windows unable TO fnd any
means OF escape and yet taking advan-
tage of tho little fresh air which the
window afforded.
The fremen quickly ran their ladders
up, but they did not reach above the
third floor. Many persons were on the
noor above. The nremen first devoted
themselves 10 the people on the second
and third floors and did not then heed the
screams OF the people above Many Of
the persons I'm the interior OF the build
ing were already overcome by the dense
smoke and had 10 be carried out by the
hremen. But many were able to escape
down the ladders without assistance
After getting everyone they could find
out OF the second and third floors the
hremen turned their attention To the peo-.
pie above
AS the ladders did not reach above the
third floor the men on the fourth floor
literally pitched their wives and children
down Co the flremen on the ladders and
then Jumped down themselves.
Some OF the more eXcitable ones Jump
ell 20 the ground and were either killed
OF badly injured. Some whom the fire.
men tried TO catch. fell the entire dis.
tance 90 the ground
John Lynch seized the baby OF John
Sparks and Jumped with IL and the child
fell IN the burning debrics below. Both
disappeared and were killed
The flremen interrupted street car trahc
on the elevated road and q notorman
whose car stood Just opposite the b.Irn-
ing building said he saw five or six per-
sons In the upper floors struggling ran
ucallN 10 escape. and he is certain all OF
them succuurbed 20 the smoke and top
pled over into Ihs ruink